Speed skater Leerdam wins second world title in the 1000m
Jutta Leyerdam became world champion in the 1000m for the second time at the world championship distances. The 24-year-old from South Holland was in a private class and got 1.13.03. The silver medal was awarded to her compatriot Antoinette Ribma de Jong, the bronze to Miho Takagi from Japan.
Leerdam won the world title earlier in 2020. At the 2021 World Cup in Telef, the European and World sprint champions had to settle for silver. Leerdam remains undefeated in the 1000m this year.
In the final stage, Leerdam quickly distanced herself from her opponent, Goetz. She kept this pace well after the lightning fast first lap and was more than a second faster than the rest.
Leerdam was 11 times better before this season. The last time she didn’t win was the Olympic 1,000-meter race in Beijing. Japan’s Miho Takagi was fastest there.
Michelle de Jong was the first Dutch woman to take action on the sixth stage against Kim Hyun-young of South Korea. She stayed ahead of her opponent and finished in 1:15.67. She finished ten.
In the penultimate stage, Antoinette Rebma de Jong was slightly faster than the reigning Olympic champion Takagi and also faster than the fastest, American Brittany Bowe. Her 1.14.26 was good for her first World Cup medal in the 1000 metres.
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