Jutta Leerdam got what she came to Milan for, four years after falling short.
On Monday afternoon, the stunning Dutch speed skater wowed the crowd with an Olympic record and gold-medal run of 1:12.31 in the women’s 1,000-meter speed skating final.
Leerdam skated around the track, crying and waving to the crowd as she celebrated winning her first Olympic gold medal.
She stopped near the stands to blow a kiss to her fiancé, Jake Paul, who could be seen in the crowd in tears, flooded with emotion.
Jutta Leerdam of Team Netherlands celebrates after breaking the Olympic record during Speed Skating Women’s 1000m on day three of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Speed Skating Stadium on February 09, 2026 in Milan, Italy. Getty Images
“I couldn’t believe it, but I was also so tired,” Leerdam told reporters after the win. “It was hard to feel something. I couldn’t really stand, I couldn’t really see, I couldn’t do anything.
“I knew that if during the race I would feel tired, I wasn’t allowed to feel tired. I told myself, ‘You have 80 years to recover from this, you can feel tired after. You don’t want to live with that regret. You fought so hard for this.’”
The race consisted of 15 heats, each with a pair of speed skaters who qualified for the final.
Leerdam competed in the final heat alongside the defending Olympic and world champion Miho Takagi of Japan, and bumped her down to third place (1:13.95) in front of a rowdy crowd of orange-clad fans.
“When I saw that green (color) next to my name, I thought, ‘Oh my, this is a dream come true,’” Leerdam added. “I really couldn’t believe it, and I still can’t. That I peaked at the right moment is just insane. I am so, so happy.”
Leerdam had been waiting for this moment since losing the gold to Takagi in the same race at the 2022 Beijing Games, settling for silver. This time, the 27-year-old’s time was nearly a full second faster than Takagi’s four years ago.
Dutch teammate Femke Kok rounded out the podium, claiming silver with a time of 1:12.59.
Jake Paul of the U.S., center, cries after his fiancé Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands won the gold medal in the women’s 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. AP
Gold medallist Netherlands’ Jutta Leerdam stands on the podium at the end of the speed skating women’s 1000m during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Speed Skating Stadium in Milan on February 9, 2026. AFP via Getty Images
Just a heat before Leerdam, Kok and Team USA’s Brittany Bowe shook things up. The former crossed the line with the new leading time, followed by the 1,000-meter world record holder Bowe, who came in behind with a time of 1:14.55.
The two completely wiped out Erin Jackson’s top time, and the American, who took home gold in the 500-meter race in 2022, finished in sixth place.
“I’m really happy with the race, I skated one of my best 1000m ever,” Kok said. “I can’t complain. Jutta was just better, a lot of respect to her.”
Paul reacted to his fiancé’s win on X, writing “Juttttttttttaaaaaaaa. I can’t stop crying. You did it my love. Olympic Gold. God is great and so are you.”
He later added another post, one with a photo of the YouTuber-turned-boxer holding Leerdam in victory.
“We just witnessed one of the most important sporting moments ever. the doc will tell. words cant describe how proud of you i am,” Paul wrote.
The couple has been together since 2022 after they met each other on Instagram.
The victory might make up for some of the heat on Leerdam earlier in the Games.
She was called a “diva” by famed Dutch soccer player-turned-sports reporter Johan Derksen for taking a private jet to Milan rather than flying on a plane with her fellow Dutch Olympians. Leerdam shared several photos of herself with lavish food around the cabin, such as custom-made cupcakes and glasses of champagne.
Later on, she skipped the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina Olympics, opting to watch from the comfort of her hotel bed and post a picture of the Netherlands team on stage at San Siro stadium.
