Jutta Leerdam didn't just walk away with an Olympic gold medal and a new Olympic record, but also a potential seven-figure bonus to top it all off.
The 27-year-old smashed the 1,000m record on February 9 at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
Her reaction to winning gold could be worth a fortune.
Jutta Leerdam may be getting a seven-figure bonus to add to her Olympic victory
Highlights
- Jutta Leerdam may be getting a seven-figure bonus to add to her Olympic victory.
- The Dutch speed skating star smashed the 1,000m record on February 9 at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
- Experts believe her subsequent reaction could make her bank account richer by seven figures.
After clinching gold in the 1,000m, Jutta Leerdam tearfully unzipped her suit to reveal her Nike undergarment.
Experts believe the split-second moment of raw emotion could make her richer by seven figures.
Image credits: TNT Sports
“With Nike, I suspect you’re looking at a figure of over a million,” advertising expert Frederique de Laat, founder of female athlete marketing agency Branthlete, told AD.
Additionally, the Dutch speed skating star, who has 6.2 million Instagram followers, could also earn around one cent per follower if she agrees to share sponsored posts.
That would mean she earns a figure to the tune of $73,500 per Instagram upload promoting Nike, according to Meindert Schut, editor-in-chief of business magazine Quote.
Experts believe her suit-unzipping moment could make her richer by about $1 million
Image credits: TNT Sports
Leerdam’s spotlight-stealing moment also caught the attention of Dutch retailer Hema, which joked about her make-up running down as tears of joy streamed down her face.
“Water-resistant, even with tears of joy,” the brand said on social media.
Netizens had wild reactions to the skating star earning a fortune by showing her undergarments to the world.
“If I flash my underwear, they call the cops!” one said.
Another quipped, “How much faster could she have gone if it wasn't for the 4 pounds of makeup...???”
“Perhaps it's everything wrong with the world right here.. it almost seems it was planned, who knows did she get some PR spin advice prior to competing from the marketing execs over there at Niki.. given her b.f is also a PR hounddog .. ” said another.
“She got a million for flashing a Nike br*!? I sell them, where my million,” one commented online
Image credits: Wang Xianmin/CHINASPORTS/Getty Images
Nike also took a moment to appreciate the skating star by sharing a post that said, “Speeding permitted,” alongside a photo of her.
“When you’re this fast, you don’t ask for permission,” the sportswear brand wrote in the caption. “@juttaleerdam breaks the Olympic record in the Speed Skating 1000M and wins her first Gold.”
About two months ago, Leerdam said on social media that she was a Nike Athlete and called it a “blessing” to be part of the “NIKE family.”
“I’m a @nike athlete!!” she wrote on social media. “I still can’t quite believe it yet. The little girl in me is smiling so big, and the woman I’ve become is so proud.”
Image credits: Wang Xianmin/CHINASPORTS/Getty Images
The speed skater said it was always her “dream” to become a Nike athlete and “never settled for less.”
“For NIKE to come on my path and want to work together is an honour beyond words,” she wrote. “The fact that they believe in what I stand for on and off the ice is the biggest compliment of all.”
After she snagged the Olympic gold medal, not everyone was appreciative of her suit-unzipping moment.
Former Dutch footballer turned analyst Johan Derksen, in particular, took offence and said, “She's already living like a millionaire, with private jets and everything.”
“Her behavior is horrible to me, like that of a diva. If I were her coach, I wouldn't tolerate that,” Derksen added. “Gradually, the whole of the Netherlands is starting to get a bit fed up with her behavior.”
Critics claimed people were “starting to get a bit fed up with her behavior”
Image credits: TNT Sports
Days after winning gold in the 1000m, an Olympic record-breaking time, Leerdam won silver in the women’s 500m on February 15,
She finished second, right behind her Dutch teammate Femke Kok.
“I want them [kids watching] to never get discouraged by people saying you can’t do it,” Leerdam told Olympics.com after the 500m race.
Image credits: nike
The seven-time world champion reflected on how she landed a spot on the podium, despite people telling her to “quit” competing in 500m races.
“At this distance, a lot of people in the media always told me I should quit because I didn’t make the podium as many times,” she said.
Leerdam said people told her to “quit” competing in 500m races
Image credits: nike
“They always said I should stop focusing on this distance, and now I have Olympic silver, so they should never listen to that,” she added.
As Leerdam clinched victory at the 2026 Winter Olympics, she had her fiancé, Jake Paul, cheering for her in the crowd and celebrating her win.
“Man, words can´t even describe it. It's the greatest feeling (of) anything I've ever witnessed, to be honest,” the boxer-influcer said after his girlfriend’s gold-winning performance.
“Just the amount of hard work that goes into it. Like 99.9 per cent of people will never understand,” he added. “And she pulled it off, under the most amount of pressure ever.”
“I’d flash anything they needed to for $1M. Where do I sign up?” read one comment online
