Jutta Leerdam wins Olympic 1000m as Jake Paul cheers fiancée in Milan

Jutta Leerdam delivered the biggest moment of her career on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026 (ET), winning Olympic gold in the women’s 1000m speed skating in Milan and setting a new Olympic record. In the stands, boxer and influencer Jake Paul—widely searched as “jake paul girlfriend” and “jake paul fiance” in the buildup—watched closely and grew visibly emotional as she crossed the line.

The win reshapes the early speed skating story at the Games: the Netherlands struck first in a marquee event, and Leerdam added an unmistakable celebrity spotlight to a race usually defined by razor-thin margins and split-second execution.

Women’s 1000m speed skating: record and result

Leerdam stopped the clock at 1:12.31, the fastest women’s Olympic 1000m ever, and it took a Dutch one-two to reach the podium’s top steps. Her teammate Femke Kok earned silver, while Miho Takagi captured bronze after a strong late pairing.

A key subplot was how quickly the record changed hands during the competition. Early leaders briefly held the mark, Kok then lowered it, and Leerdam ultimately pushed it further—an illustration of how modern 1000m racing can swing on a single clean corner and sustained top-end speed down the back straight.

Jutta Leerdam Jake Paul: fiancé in the second row

The race also became a viral moment because of Leerdam’s relationship with Paul. He attended in Dutch orange and reacted intensely to each split, then celebrated as she acknowledged him from the ice. Their engagement—announced in March 2025—has kept Leerdam’s name circulating well beyond skating circles, especially as fans search for clarity on “jake paul girlfriend” versus “jake paul fiance.”

What stood out in Milan was how public the support looked in real time: Leerdam gestured toward the stands immediately after the finish, and Paul’s reaction was hard to miss. The scene underscored how the Olympics can turn a personal relationship into a global broadcast moment—without changing what actually decides medals: execution, speed, and clean technical skating.

Who is Lewis Hamilton… and why Jake Paul keeps trending?

This week’s searches show a familiar pattern: big sports events trigger curiosity clusters around adjacent celebrities. Paul’s presence at major events often creates overlap with other global names, but the reason he’s in this particular story is straightforward—he is Leerdam’s fiancé, and he showed up for her biggest race.

In Leerdam’s case, the attention doesn’t replace the athletic story; it amplifies it. She’s a top-tier speed skater with multiple major titles, and the Olympic gold completes the set in the event where she previously fell just short.

What this gold means for Leerdam’s Olympics

Leerdam entered Milan with unfinished business in the 1000m after earning silver at the 2022 Olympics in the same distance. This gold is a clean statement that her peak form arrived at the right time, and it boosts confidence for the rest of her schedule.

The immediate question is how she manages turnaround and expectations now that she’s an Olympic champion in the center of the Dutch speed-skating machine. Winning early can be a blessing—momentum, belief, and reduced pressure—or a challenge, because every subsequent start feels like a defense.

Forward look: what to watch next

Two things will shape the next chapter:

1. Event schedule and recovery: The 1000m is brutally demanding, and performance in follow-on races often depends on how well an athlete recovers and maintains sharpness.

2. Field response: Kok’s silver signals depth, and Takagi’s podium shows the international contenders are still close enough that one mistake can flip medals.

For fans tracking “leerdam,” “jutta leerdam olympics,” and “jutta leerdam jake paul,” the headline is already written: Olympic gold, Olympic record, and a highly visible celebration. The competition story, though, is still moving—because the Games rarely allow a long victory lap.

Sources consulted: International Olympic Committee, International Skating Union, Associated Press, Reuters