Dutch speed skating star Jutta Leerdam, who won gold at the 2026 Milan·Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, generated enormous advertising impact with a single celebration.

The British newspaper The Sun on the 17th ran an article titled “Leerdam’s ceremony of unzipping her top to reveal a sports bra after winning gold is worth $1 million (1.44 billion KRW).”

On the 10th in Milan, Italy, Leerdam won the women’s 1000ｍ with a new Olympic record of 1 minute 12.31 seconds, delivering the Netherlands its first gold medal of these Games.

After her victory was confirmed, Leerdam unzipped the top of her racing suit, and the white sports bra she wore underneath was revealed. The sports bra is a product by the global sports brand Nike.

The Sun reported that “according to marketing experts, the photo would have enjoyed tremendous exposure through Nike’s social media, which has 298 million followers,” adding that “she could be in line for a seven-figure (over $1 million) bonus.”

It also cited the words of Meindert Schut, editor-in-chief of the business magazine ‘Quote’, reporting that “since Leerdam has 6.2 million social media followers, even valuing at just 1 cent per follower would make a single post worth about 90 million KRW.”

Leerdam’s winning moment was also used in advertising by the Dutch brand HEMA.

After sealing the win, Leerdam cried, and her mascara melted into black tears. HEMA promoted its eyeliner, emphasizing it as a ‘waterproof product that won’t smudge even with tears’, and reaped promotional benefits.

Leerdam, also known for being engaged to famous boxer Jake Paul, drew attention from the moment she arrived in Milan.

She arrived in Italy on a private jet arranged by her boyfriend and continued posting photos of her glamorous daily life on social media, yet skipped the opening ceremony. As criticism poured in, she even fanned the backlash by saying, “It’s a shame I couldn’t see Mariah Carey’s performance.” However, she dispelled all controversy with a gold medal, proving herself with results and, like a star, proving her market value as well.