Jutta Leerdam's Olympic silver brings joy to huge social media following

Jutta Leerdam: Olympic silver medal-winning speed skater, model, influencer, skate-school owner... Did we miss anything?

The 23-year-old just tacked her first Olympic medal to a long list of titles and achievements, taking second behind Japan's Takagi Miho who set an Olympic record in the women's 1000m.

"I'm happy, but after the race I was a little sad with my corner that cost me some seconds," the flying Dutchwoman said afterwards.

"I had too much speed and wasn't used to it. I just thought 'Oh', and hammered one more lap.

"I was pretty happy with the time. I thought it was going to be slower after that corner. It's my first Olympics, I was going for gold, but I'm happy with silver.

"Everything was super cool."

Leerdam has an Instagram following approaching two and a half million people and they'll be delighted by her first Olympic podium.

Jutta Leerdam Instagram: Dutch speedskater model

Leerdam's Olympic silver medal was made all the more impressive by the fact that she came to speed skating quite late.

She started on the ice when she was 11 - late by Dutch standards - after starting her sporting life as a field hockey player, another hugely popular sport back home.

"I played hockey for eight years. I enjoyed it, but I have never been a team player. I regularly had to sit on the reserve bench," she said.

"The individual aspect of skating appeals to me.”

Speeding around the track in her classic eye make-up - “That's my signature,” she says - Leerdam has built up a massive following online.

The marketing and commercial economics graduate has given over two million people a glimpse of life behind the scenes on the speed skating tour, sharing thrilling snippets from her races and her workouts.

A fashion model, she's gone from wearing the latest trends to setting them, and often posts content with her boyfriend Koen Verweij, a four-time Olympic medallist who won team pursuit gold at Sochi 2014.

The two have even opened a speed skating school together.

Jutta Leerdam: First Olympic medal of many?

Leerdam worked hard to get into the Dutch speed skating team - a feat in itself - and over the past two years has been on an unstoppable rise.

She claim junior world titles in all-around and 1500m in 2017, then fought her way onto the senior team with a big breakout year in 2020.

She became 1000m European champion, and claimed World Championship golds in both the 1000m and team sprint in that year, before retaining her 1000m title in 2021.

Now she has silver on the biggest stage of all with the prospect of more medals to come at Milano-Cortina 2026.