Leerdam enters the Olympics as a contender to medal in both of the events in which she is entered. A silver medalist the last time she competed on this stage, she is one of the best in the world at her given sport and an athlete who could easily find herself on the podium twice by the time she wraps up.
She is the current favorite to win the gold medal in the 1000m race and is the top contender to challenge race favorite and Dutch teammate, Famke Kok.
Leerdam achieved her personal best in the 500m event last November 23, finishing at 37.01 at the Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Her best performance in the 1000m event came nearly five years to the day of her latest Olympic appearance in the event, on February 15, 2020, when she finished in 1:11:84, a Dutch record, at the Utah Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City.
Though she receives the most media attention for her relationship with Paul, Leerdam is an elite competitor in her field and could pay off a long journey back to the Olympics by striking gold for the Netherlands.
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