Olympic officials respond after Jutta Lerdman ‘earned $1 million’ for bra show
Olympic officials have responded after Jutta Leerdam won gold and performed a '$1 million gesture' afterwards.
Leerdam represented the Netherlands at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games and won both a gold and silver in skating events.
Leerdam, who was a doubt to make the team after difficulty in qualifying, picked up her first ever gold in record-breaking fashion in the women's 1000m speed skating event.
She finished ahead of compatriot Femke Kok and Miho Takagi of Japan and set a new record with a time of 1:12.31.
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Leerdam burst into tears after crossing the finishing line, as did fiance Jake Paul - who was full of emotion in the stands and said he "can’t stop crying".
But the 27-year-old also hit headlines for unzipping her orange jacket and revealing a white Nike undergarment.
Capitalising on the moment, the official Nike account posted a picture of Leerdam immediately after the triumph.
Posting to their 298 million Instagram followers, the swoosh brand wrote: “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.”
In response, Frederique de Laat, a marketing expert and the founder of Branthlete, told Dutch news outlet AD that with Nike, "I suspect you're looking at a figure of over a million".
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) typically have a strict policy on athletes promoting products during the Games.
However, IOC TMS Managing Director Anne-Sophie Voumard has confirmed there will be no punishment for Leerdam after what she called "normal practice".
"I'm not an expert in speed skating, but I understand this (unzipping the uniform after a race) is normal practice for speed skaters when they finish their race because the suit is very tight," she said, as per UNILAD.
"It is normal practice and not a case of ambush (marketing)."
Leerdam tipped for fortune after Olympics success
As well as Nike, Leerdam also had endorsement deals with gigantic brands like SKIMS, Hema, and Red Bull.
She has more than 6 million followers on Instagram and Professor Rob Wilson, an expert when it comes to sporting finances and commercial value, has tipped her to earn around £10 million.
"Given her combination of podium success with the high social media engagement that she's clearly had, you're probably talking somewhere between £8m and £10m ($10.9m-$13.6m) per year, particularly during those peak Olympic cycles," Wilson told the Daily Mail.
"I think that would be achievable if she continues to diversify beyond that sort of traditional sportswear, into products that will really accumulate her opportunity, whether that's into things like beauty, wellness, or luxury goods."
Topics: Olympics
Josh Lawless