Jake Paul was overcome with emotion in the stands as his fiancée, Dutch speed skater Jutta Leerdam, surged to gold in the women’s 1,000-meter event at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Leerdam delivered a historic performance, setting a new Olympic record with a blistering time of 1:12.31.
Skating in the final pairing, Leerdam eclipsed teammate Femke Kok, who had briefly held the Olympic mark moments earlier. Japan’s defending Olympic champion, Miho Takagi, rounded out the podium with bronze.
The victory marked a milestone moment for Leerdam, earning her first Olympic gold after previously claiming silver in the same event at the Beijing 2022 Games.
Paul, seated just steps away from the ice, was visibly in tears as Leerdam crossed the finish line and grasped the magnitude of her achievement. Earlier in the day, he shared a heartfelt message of support on Instagram, writing, “Today is your day baby. You’ve worked your whole life for this. We all love and support you so much 💫⭐️ go get em champ.”
Following the race, Paul continued to express his emotions, posting, “Juttttttttttaaaaaaaa. I can’t stop crying,” and later adding, “You did it my love. Olympic Gold. God is great and so are you.”
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Leerdam’s winning time sealed the Netherlands’ place atop the podium in a dramatic Dutch one-two finish, further fueling the country’s strong early medal haul in Milan.
For the 27-year-old, the performance marked a defining career milestone, one forged through years of international dominance, championship titles, and hard-earned Olympic experience.
Jake Paul And Jutta Leerdam: From Relationship Milestones To Olympic Gold
For the unversed, Jake Paul and Jutta Leerdam first connected through Instagram in 2022 and made their relationship public in April 2023 before announcing their engagement in March 2025.
The boxer shared the news at the time, writing, “We’re engaged💍🕊️🤍we can’t wait to spend forever together🥹.” Leerdam later reflected on her initial perception of Paul in the 2024 documentary Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson, saying, “I never, ever expected to date him, like never,” and adding that “he is the complete opposite.”
Paul supported Leerdam throughout her Olympic preparation, including during a difficult qualifying race fall in December that briefly threatened her chances of competing. “It’s really, really hard. And I know this is her whole life. Her whole dream. And everything she’s worked so hard for. My heart is broken,” he said at the time.
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Leerdam ultimately rebounded to secure her place on the Olympic team and returned to the Games to improve on her Beijing silver, culminating in the record-setting gold medal performance in Milan.
