Jutta Leerdam blazes to Netherlands’ first skating gold in Milan

Jutta Leerdam and Femke Kok claimed the Netherlands’ first medals of the Milan Winter Olympics in a dramatic conclusion to the 1000m.

Leerdam, skating in the final pairing against defending champion Miho Takagi of Japan, powered to a time of 1:12.31 to edge out her rival and team-mate and claim her first Olympic gold to add to her 13 world and European titles.

Kok, the favourite for the 500m, had thrown down the gauntlet with a time of 1.12.59 in the 13th race, faster than Leerdam had previously managed this season, but had to settle for silver.

Takagi, the winner in Beijing four years ago, took the bronze medal in a time of 1:13.95. She was marginally ahead of Leerdam after the opening 200m, but had no response as the Dutchwoman set the fastest lap time of 26.10 in the middle phase and finished in 28.53.

Leerdam said she knew she would have to dig deep after seeing Kok post an Olympic record time. “All I could do was go as fast as I could so I didn’t have any regrets,” she told NOS.

“It felt strange, but that’s because I pushed myself harder than ever before. I thought: if it hurts, I’ve got 80 years to recover from this.”

Kok said she was content with her silver medal: “Jutta was faster, respect to her for dipping under my time. We showed that the two of us are ahead of the rest.”

The third Dutch team member, Suzanne Schulting, set the early pace with a time of 1:15.46, which remained the fastest mark through the first 10 pairings. Schulting, a triple Olympic champion at shorttrack, finished a creditable eighth.

King Willem-Alexander and queen Máxima were in the stadium to cheer on the Dutch trio, while Leerdam was also watched by her parents and her fiancé, YouTube personality and boxer Jake Paul.

Leerdam will go for a second gold medal on Sunday over 500m, but Kok, who set a world record at the distance earlier this season, will start as favourite.