Jutta Leerdam claimed silver in the women’s 500m speed skating at the Winter Olympics this afternoon, finishing behind compatriot Femke Kok, who stormed to gold with a record-breaking performance.
The Dutch star, engaged to boxer Jake Paul, crossed the line in 37.15 seconds to temporarily lead the field.
However, Kok proved unstoppable, blazing to victory in 36.49 seconds alongside American Erin Jackson to establish a new Olympic benchmark.
Paul and his mother Pam were spotted looking anxious in the Italian stands as they cheered on Leerdam.
Japan’s Miho Takagi rounded out the podium with bronze, finishing in 37.27 seconds.
The silver represented a reversal of fortunes from earlier in the Games, when Leerdam had triumphed in the 1,000m event.
In that race, the 26-year-old powered to gold with an Olympic record time of 1.12.31, eclipsing a mark previously held by Kok.
Her teammate had finished narrowly behind on that occasion, clocking 1:12.59 for second place.
Jutta Leerdam claimed silver in the women’s 500m speed skating at the Winter Olympics
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REUTERS
Kok, 25, admitted after her 1,000m silver that the result had fuelled her determination for the shorter distance.
Following that earlier race, she said: “That was one of my best 1000s, so it gives me a lot of confidence for the 500m.”
Leerdam expressed her appreciation for the support network surrounding her Olympic campaign, singling out Paul’s presence at her competitions.
She said: “He has supported me a lot more and has come to many of my races, so I’m very grateful.”
Jutta Leerdam crossed the line in 37.15 seconds to temporarily lead the field
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REUTERS
The speedskater acknowledged her training schedule had prevented her from reciprocating at his boxing bouts.
Leerdam added: “I’ve been supportive, but I’ve not been able to go to his past fights because of skating. It would be nice to be there more.”
Paul celebrated his fiancée’s achievement on Instagram, writing: “She’s so amazing, wow. Another medal, you inspire us all, Jutta Leerdam.”
Kok emphasised the strong bond between the Dutch duo despite external perceptions of rivalry.
Paul celebrated his fiancée’s achievement on Instagram
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GETTY
She explained: “The press often says, ‘Oh, Femke, Jutta’, this and that, but we really have a lot of respect for one another.”
The 25-year-old credited their competitive dynamic for pushing both athletes to greater heights.
“We really challenge each other, put pressure on one another,” Kok said, noting they had been racing against each other for five or six years.
She described sharing the Olympic podium as a special moment, adding that together they had elevated Dutch sprinting to unprecedented levels despite representing such a small nation.
