Jutta Leerdam's 'million dollar' sports bra flash at Milan Olympics

ROME– Dutch figure skater Jutta Leerdam broke the Olympic record in the speed skating 1000m and won her first gold medal on February 9, but it wasn’t just her record breaking time that caught the attention of spectators. 

 After her victory Leerdam unzipped her orange tracksuit revealing a white Nike sports bra, which many have viewed as a publicity stunt instead of simply a celebration. The move has caused some controversy in her home country of the Netherlands with some calling for a return to humility in sports.  

 Leerdam has a brand partnership with Nike. The brand reposted the now infamous shot to their instagram writing, “When you’re this fast, you don’t ask for permission. @juttaleerdam breaks the Olympic record in the Speed Skating 1000M and wins her first Gold.”  

The gesture alongside her partnership with the brand has many speculating how much this celebration could have earned her. According to a report from Newsweek Leerdam unzipping celebration could have earned her up to 1 million dollars or more. 

The dutch skating star has 6.3 million instagram followers and 3 million Tik Tok followers making her the most followed European athlete at the 2026 games. On her social media platforms the athlete shows off her luxurious lifestyle of not only her sporting achievements but private jets and fancy holidays with fiance and fellow influencer and boxer Jake Paul. Paul is also a controversial figure.

 Leerdam’s net worth is estimated at 5 million dollars with the bulk of her earnings coming from brand sponsorships. In addition to Nike Leerdam also has brand partnerships with Nike x Skims, Redbull and Omega watches. In the age of social media and monetization of the self Leerdam has crafted a highly lucrative public persona, earning herself millions on top of her victory prizes. 

However her public persona does draws negative attentio from some specifically in her home country. Former Dutch footballer turned commentator Johan Derksen slammed Leerdam for arriving at the 2026 Olympic games in a private jet instead of alongside the rest of her team. He remarked “Netherlands is starting to get a bit fed up. Her behaviour is that of a diva.” 

Although Leerdam’s lifestyle choices and online persona may stray from tradition, no amount of criticism can take away from her record breaking performance at this year's games and overall remarkable career as an athlete. Clearly she is doing something right.