Dutch speed skater Jutta Lierdam made a strong comeback during the 500m race on Sunday, setting her sights on a spot in the upcoming 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Games. She finished second, trailing Femke Kok, who recently established a world record in the women’s 500m with a time of 36.873 seconds. Lierdam clocked in at 37.242 seconds, which, while not a win, was a significant improvement from her previous outing.
Friday hadn’t gone quite as well for her. Her fellow athlete, Leah Adam, who is engaged to boxer Jake Paul, faced an unfortunate mishap, falling on the ice during the 1,000 meters race. It was a tough scene, to say the least, as she was visibly upset while sliding off the rink.
In other news, Lindsey Vonn successfully qualified for her fifth Winter Olympics.
Lierdam expressed her confidence, stating, “I’ve been skating really well in practice. I could have easily skated today just like those girls.” She reflected on her consistent performance, revealing she had achieved a time of 1:14 multiple times in practice, feeling stronger than she has in the past two years. “It’s really accomplished,” she said.
Despite her improvement, the ultimate decision regarding her Olympic qualification rests with the national committee. Lierdam has a solid history, winning a silver medal in the 1000m at the 2022 Beijing Games, where she finished just behind Japan’s Miho Takagi, who set an Olympic record.
Moreover, Lierdam chose to withdraw from the 2025 ISU Speed Skating World Cup in Hamar, Norway, to concentrate fully on her Olympic selection.
