Jutta Leerdam’s Olympic gold was always going to make headlines.
What no one expected was that a few seconds of post-race celebration would spark a global debate about ambush marketing — and potentially land her a seven-figure payday.
The 27-year-old Dutch speed skater stormed to victory in the women’s 1,000m final on February 9, setting a new Olympic record in the process. Overcome with emotion as she crossed the line, Leerdam broke down in tears.
Then came the moment that would ripple far beyond the ice.
As Leerdam skated around to celebrate, she unzipped her tight orange and blue racing suit, revealing a white Nike sports bra underneath — the swoosh clearly visible.
Within minutes, images of the celebration were circulating worldwide.
Nike, which boasts nearly 300 million Instagram followers, shared a photograph of Leerdam mid-celebration alongside the caption: “When you’re this fast, you don’t ask for permission.
“Jutta Leerdam breaks the Olympic record in the Speed Skating 1000m and wins her first Gold.”
The post ignited speculation that the Dutch star could be in line for a significant financial boost. Marketing expert Frederique de Laat told Dutch publication AD: “With Nike, I suspect you’re looking at a figure of over a million.”
For context, Olympians are not paid to compete at the Games. In the Netherlands, a gold medal reportedly brings in around $35,000 (£25,748) from the national committee.
The suggestion that a celebration could dwarf the official prize money immediately raised eyebrows. It also raised concerns.
The Netherlands’ official Winter Olympic merchandise sponsor is FILA, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has strict rules surrounding advertising and brand exposure during the Games.
The IOC’s marketing media guide for the 2026 Winter Olympics makes clear that ‘preserving the commercial value of the Olympic brand,’ is taken very seriously. It warns that ‘unauthorised use of the Olympic rings or other Olympic properties – known as ambush marketing – can damage the integrity of the brand.’
It adds that such actions could ‘undermine the value of official partnerships and affect the IOC’s ability to generate revenue that supports athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world.’
So what exactly is ambush marketing?
Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines it as “marketing in which a company attempts to advertise and promote its products by associating them with a public event (such as a major sporting event) without paying the fees that an exclusive sponsor is required to pay”.
With that in mind, many wondered whether Leerdam’s celebration crossed the line.
On Thursday, Olympic officials delivered their verdict.
Anne-Sophie Voumard, IOC TMS Managing Director, dismissed the suggestion that Leerdam had engaged in ambush marketing.
“I’m not a figure skating expert, but I understand that opening one’s suit after a competition is normal for skaters. Especially since the suit is very tight. It’s common practice and not a marketing ploy,” Voumard said, per the Daily Mail.
She reiterated the same point in further comments, adding: “I’m not a figure skating expert, but I understand that opening one’s suit after a competition is normal for skaters. Especially since the suit is very tight. It’s common practice and not a marketing ploy,”
It has now been confirmed that Leerdam will not face any sanctions.
In fact, far from being reprimanded, the IOC is reportedly pleased with the exposure athletes are bringing to the Winter Games.
Back in 2024, the organisation revised its guidelines on filming and athlete-generated content. IOC Director of the Athletes’ Department, Kaveh Mehrabi, said (via The Mirror): “Athletes have generated over 1.3billion social engagements. That’s about half a million per athlete, and we are super proud they want to show their own experience.”
“We changed the guidelines since Paris (2024 Olympic Games), allowing athletes to show their experience first-hand,” Mehrabi added.
Leerdam, who has more than 6.4 million followers on Instagram and 3 million on TikTok, is one of the most marketable athletes at the Games. According to reports, she has an estimated net worth of $5 million (£3 million) and signed an official partnership with Nike last year.
Announcing that deal in December, she wrote: “This was always the dream, right alongside performing on the ice. I never settled for less, because I knew what I wanted.”
She has also modelled for Nike X Skims, serves as the face of Dutch mobile company Odido, and is an ambassador for Omega Watches.
On the ice, meanwhile, she backed up the headlines with more hardware, adding a silver medal in the women’s 500m on February 15.
Of course, the gold medal itself remained the central moment.
Among those celebrating in the stands was her fiancé, YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, who was visibly emotional as Leerdam crossed the line.
Sharing videos of the win and his reaction to Instagram, Paul wrote: “I’M SO PROUD OF YOU,” and “MY BABY JUST SET THE OLYMPIC WORLD RECORD.”
In another post, he added: “We just witnessed one of the most important sporting moments ever. The doc will tell. Words can’t describe how proud of you I am.”
Before the race, Paul had posted: “Today is your day baby. You’ve worked your whole life for this. We all love and support you so much, go get em champ.”
What began as a tearful celebration quickly evolved into a marketing debate — and now, a formal clearance from Olympic officials.
An Olympic record. A gold medal. A silver to follow. No sanctions. And potentially a $1 million commercial ripple effect. For Jutta Leerdam, this Olympics has not only resulted in history books being rewritten, but plenty of opportunities to follow.
Featured image credit: Instagram/juttaleerdam (screenshots)
