Skaters and short trackers not only share their work but there are many couples. We count no fewer than eleven Olympians who are in a relationship with another speed skater or short track speed skater. For the day of love, we spoke with Jutta Leerdam and Koen Verweij about their love, skating in the same team, and the Olympic dream.
Jutta Leerdam is currently in Beijing for her first Olympic Games. She wants to win a medal in the 1000 meters. Yesterday she had a good general with fifth place in the 500 meters.
Day and night
Her friend and fellow skater Koen Verweij would also have liked to have been there, but he did not qualify this time. The fact that they almost always saw each other in recent years, both privately and for work, is something they find only beautiful. Jutta: “Most couples wouldn’t go well if they were together day and night, but I think we found a way that it just goes smoothly for us.” How do they do that? By understanding each other and giving each other something, says Koen.
They are not the only couple within the speed skating and short track, as can be seen in the list below. “It’s quite logical,” says Verweij, “our world is quite small, so you don’t meet a lot of people
