Jutta Leerdam was the center of attention when the women's 1,000 meters were decided at the Winter Olympics. As she usually is.
Together with the YouTube star and boxer Jake Paul, she has become a huge celebrity herself, with millions of followers on Instagram, among other platforms. In addition, she has also become something of a polarizing figure - admired and praised but also criticized. Among other things, Dutch journalists have questioned her refusal to give interviews before the Olympic competitions.
Has upset
Pictures from the private flight that took her to Italy have moved and, above all, upset many when her national teammates had to settle for regular flights.
However, Leerdam has defended the decision not to give interviews, saying that she "wants to stay in her own bubble and prepare for the competitions."
On Monday night, however, it was all about the sport for Jutta Leerdam. Racing last, she needed to beat her compatriot Femke Kok, who was leading at the time. She posted an Olympic-record time to take the gold by 28 hundredths of a second, with a crying boyfriend in the stands and a crowd of Dutch supporters.
Japanese bronze
The bronze was secured by Miho Takagi of Japan, which meant a reversal of roles compared to the last Winter Olympics when the Japanese skater emerged victorious ahead of Leerdam.
For the skating-mad Netherlands, the two medals were also long-awaited. At the Winter Olympics in Beijing, they won a total of six gold, four silver and two bronze medals, but they had not yet won a medal before today's competitions.
For Jutta Leerdam, the half distance, 500 meters, now awaits at the Olympics.
