Dutch speed skaters Femke Kok and Jutta Leerdam delivered outstanding performances during the 2025/26 ISU Speed Skating season, culminating with both athletes winning gold medals at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
According to ISU Skating, Femke Kok started the season by setting a new world record in the 500m event at the Salt Lake City Olympic Oval. She broke the previous 12-year-old record by finishing in 36.09 seconds, reducing the mark set by Sang-Hwa Lee of South Korea to approach the 35-second barrier. Kok described the achievement as a long-held dream that left her emotional.
Jutta Leerdam began the season recovering from a groin injury sustained just prior to the Dutch National Championships but quickly showed her competitive form. After being beaten by Kok in the 1000m at the nationals, Leerdam defeated Kok in a close World Cup race in Salt Lake City, finishing the distance in 1 minute and 12.35 seconds. Despite facing challenges later in the season, including an accident where she was hit by a car during training, Leerdam maintained a positive attitude and won a World Cup event on home ice.
The lead-up to the Olympic Games saw Kok dominating the 500m World Cup series, winning all seven races she entered and also securing the 1000m World Cup trophy. Leerdam, while facing injury setbacks, stayed competitive and finished ahead of Kok in the final 1000m World Cup event in Inzell, Germany, setting the stage for their Olympic duel.
At Milano Cortina 2026, Leerdam won the gold medal in the 1000m event after skating in the final pairing and surpassing Kok’s earlier time by 0.28 seconds. Kok took the silver medal in that race. Six days later, Kok responded by winning the 500m Olympic title, skating after Leerdam and achieving a time of 36.49 seconds, with Leerdam earning silver.
Both athletes expressed mutual respect and acknowledged the motivating effect they have on each other, highlighting their shared understanding of the dedication required to compete at the highest level.
