The Dutch skater successfully combines sports results with activity on social networks.
The third set of medals in speed skating was contested at the 2026 Olympic Games. Its winner was the Dutchwoman Jutta Lierdem, who brought her team the first medal at these Games in the 1000 meters.
Lierdem took revenge for her defeat in the fight for “gold” at the previous Olympics in Beijing. The Dutch skater finished those Games with “silver”: she lost to Japan's Miho Takagi, whom she overtook this time, leaving her with the bronze medal.
“When I crossed the finish line, I was surprised, very tired and emotional,” Leerdem said after the race, according to The Guardian.
Leerdem was able to win the Milan 2026 gold medal with a new Olympic record. The key to success was her strategy in the final: the Dutchwoman preferred to distribute her strength throughout the distance instead of a fast start.
“I knew: if even while covering the distance I felt tired, I couldn't allow myself to do that. I told myself that I had 80 years ahead of me to recover from this, and then I could feel tired. But I don't want to live with this feeling of regret. I had to fight hard for this.”
Overall, the Dutchwoman continued her streak of breaking Olympic records in speed skating — she was beaten at various distances for the third day in a row. While on the first day at 3000 m she was defeated by 35-year-old Francesca Lollobrigida, who returned to competition after maternity leave during the Olympic cycle and celebrated her “gold” with her son, Lierdem became one of the most media-worthy athletes of these Games.
What is known about Lird's media activity?
Despite the fact that Lierdem is an athlete with significant sporting regalia (a 2-time Olympic medalist, as well as a 5-time world champion and 6-time European champion), she is also one of the most media personalities of the games in Milan. On her Instagram page alone, Lierdem has 5.5 million followers, and more than 2 million more on Tik-Tok and other social networks. Thus, the Dutchwoman decided to combine sports activities with commercial ones, receiving additional income from active social media management.
Lierdem's media activity is also reflected in the way she communicates with the media. As The Guardian notes, before and during the Olympics, she ignored communication with journalists – instead, she communicated directly with her fans via social media. And although the Dutch media expressed dissatisfaction with such communication, her former teammates and coaches noted that this criticism only sharpened her focus.
On social media, Leerdem openly discusses “taboo” topics like menstrual health and eating disorders in sports. She also shares details of her life, including her relationship with her fiancé Jake Paul – the popular video blogger and boxer was present in Milan during the Dutchwoman's “golden” arrival.
Jake Paul during Jutta Leerdem's “gold” run at the 2026 Olympics. AP/Antonio Calanni
Leerdem has one more distance ahead of her at the Olympics – the 500 meters, in which she became the European champion last year and won the “silver” at the World Championships. However, the Games in Milan themselves may be the last in her career – she hinted at this last year.