Before the Olympic 500-m women’s speedskating competition on early Sunday evening in Milan, the orange-clad Dutch enthusiasts at the venue—about 94.7% of long-track fans here have Holland connections—had no problem sharing their desired outcome of this race. They wanted a flip-flop.
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Jutta Leerdam, who broke the Olympic record on Feb. 9 in the 1000 m—and, you likely have heard, is engaged to social media influencer-slash-boxer Jake Paul—already had her gold. Hopefully, she’d finish second in the 500, which is the strong suit of her teammate, Femke Kok, the 1000-m silver medalist. The Dutch were all-in on Kok for the shorter sprint. It was time for Kok to claim her prize.
Plus, many Dutch supporters don’t seem all that enamored with Leerdam’s famous fiancée. “He’s a little too extra for the Dutch,” says Yvette Reijtenbagh, who was wearing an orange beanie embroidered with the Netherlands flag. (When I asked her if she was from the Netherlands, she replied dryly, “No. Iceland.”)
Read more: Jordan Stolz, Double Olympic Champion at 21, Could Already Be the Speedskating GOAT
“He’s showboaty,” says Else Baartman, 57, a secretary who lives in the northern part of the country. “He’s a little over the top,” notes Daniel Houben, a 37-year-old actuary from Holland who now lives in Switzerland. Perhaps Houben caught Paul’s entry into the Milan Speed Skating Stadium, surrounded by an entourage a half-dozen deep, including two humongous security guards and a guy filming his every move.
Unlike in the men’s 500 and 1000 races, which American Jordan Stolz won over Dutch rival Jenning de Boo in dramatic fashion, Team Netherlands left satisfied on Sunday. Kok, who has been dominating the 500 all season long, broke an Olympic record of her own; her time of 36.49 seconds is also the new fastest-ever time at sea level. Her margin of victory over silver medalist Leerdam, .66 seconds, is the largest in the 500-event since the…
