Thanks to a sponsor’s trick, Jutta Leerdam caused a stir at the Olympics with her racing suit. Now the garment has raised a large sum of money for a good cause.
The Dutch Olympic Committee has auctioned speed skating star Jutta Leerdam’s gold racing suit for 195,000 euros. The 25-year-old wore the outfit during her Olympic victory in the 1,000 meters and when she won the silver medal in the 500 meters at the Winter Games in Italy.
In the final phase of the auction on the “MatchWornShirt” platform, there was a head-to-head duel between two bidders. One hour before the end, the highest bid was just over 9,000 euros.
After her gold run, the Dutchwoman unzipped her suit and showed off her sponsor’s sports bra. Private advertising partners are prohibited on clothing at the Olympic Games.
The outfits of her teammates and Olympic champions Femke Kok in the 500 meters and Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong in the 1,500 meters also went under the hammer. But Leerdam’s suit achieved the top value by far.