Jutta Leerdam does not sign with Team IKO after all and opts for ‘individual route’ | To skate

Leerdam admits in her social media post that she was close to a switch to Team IKO. “That’s why all the love and respect goes to Team IKO, who have helped me fit into their structure.”

“Still, at the bottom line it ultimately took more out of me than what I got back,” Leerdam continues. “I compared every possible route within the skating world with an individual route. A route with people I believe in is something I cannot let go of.”

The 25-year-old Leerdam does not specify what her individual route will look like. Before she switched to Jumbo, she rode in a team that she founded together with her ex-boyfriend and former skater Koen Verweij. There doesn’t seem to be any question of having our own team now.

“An individual route is not always fun,” writes Leerdam. “It’s often stressful, it’s lonely sometimes, but when I win it’s worth it. When I do it, I do it well. High risk, high reward. Ultimately, this route is the best for me in this pre-Olympic season.”

Leerdam’s contract with Jumbo expired on April 1. She has been riding in the colors of Jumbo since 2022, where she was crowned world champion at 1,000 meters and won the European sprint title under the guidance of coach Jac Orie.

The last year was a less successful year for Leerdam. Due to family circumstances and ankle complaints, she had to settle for a bronze medal at the World Championship distances (1,000 meters).

“I now want to learn, invest and return to where I came from. Work hard and get out of my comfort zone,” Leerdam writes. “If that doesn’t work, then I have followed my feelings and, hopefully when I get to be very old, I will look back on a career that I am proud of.”