Jutta Leerdam

Club / Team	Team Jumbo-Visma: Netherlands
Reason for choosing this sport	"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. The individual aspect of skating appeals to me. It never lies. You have complete control over the end result yourself."

Ambitions

To win a gold medal at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. (teamjumbovisma.com, 25 Apr 2022)

Name of coach

Jac Orie [club], NED

Nicknames	Joeta, Juut (ad.nl, 28 Feb 2020; manners.nl, 22 May 2019)
Other information	CHANGE OF TEAM In 2022 she left Team Worldstream, which she helped to establish, and joined Team Jumbo-Visma. "If I hadn't set up my own team, I would not be where I am now. I have changed a lot in my career and I have learned a lot from that. I have the freedom here [at Jumbo-Visma] to develop myself as a brand, as a person and as a skater. They were enthusiastic about me as a skater and they still saw a lot of potential. I'm not just a skater, I can also bring something else with me. I don't see that as extra pressure or something negative. They see added value in me, in different areas. I have a lot of fun with everyone and I click with Jac [Orie, coach]. It feels very natural." (nos.nl, 10 Oct 2022) NAME ORIGIN Her father named her Jutta because he was a fan of German windsurfer Jutta Muller. "I got the name because my dad used to surf. There was a girl who won a lot and her name is Jutta Muller. A lot of male surfers were impressed by her. She was blonde and my dad thought, 'If I have a blonde daughter, I will name her Jutta'." (YouTube channel, 26 Nov 2019)

www.facebook.com/JuttaLeerdamSchaatsen

When and where did you begin this sport?

She began speed skating at age 11.

Injuries	She was unable to compete at the 2022 World Cup event in Heerenveen, Netherlands, after contracting COVID-19. (nos.nl, 10 Mar 2022) She missed the 2021 World Cup event in Heerenveen, Netherlands, with a bruised foot. (isu.org, 09 Feb 2021; netherlandsnewslive.com, 27 Jan 2021)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"I focus on the positive. Sometimes the negative does come in, but I'm an open person and I discuss it right away. I don't bottle it up. I can express myself and from there I regain confidence from my environment." (schaatsen.nl, 16 Dec 2021)

twitter.com/JuttaLeerdam_