Jutta Leerdam delivered the defining moment of her Winter Games on Monday, February 9, when she won gold in the women’s 1000m speed skating final and set a new Olympic record. The result immediately pushed fresh attention onto Leerdam’s relationship with Jake Paul—her fiancé—who was in the stands as she skated to the biggest win of her career.

The win also sharpened the spotlight on a simple set of questions that keep trending around major events: who is Jake Paul, who is Jake Paul’s girlfriend, and what does “Jake Paul fiancée” mean in practical terms for a high-profile couple in the middle of an Olympic week.

Jutta Leerdam wins the women’s 1000m

Leerdam’s winning time was 1:12.31, an Olympic record in the women’s 1000m. Teammate Femke Kok took silver in 1:12.59, and Japan’s Miho Takagi won bronze in 1:13.95. The race was scheduled for early afternoon, with skaters taking the ice at 12:30 p.m. ET.

For Leerdam, the gold is a step up from her previous Olympic result in the event—silver in 2022—and it cements her status as the Netherlands’ top sprint threat at this Games. The 1000m is the technical sweet spot for her skill set: fast enough to reward pure speed, long enough to punish sloppy pacing.

Why the moment went viral beyond sport

High-profile Olympic wins often become cultural moments when a celebrity partner is part of the scene, and this one followed that pattern quickly. Cameras found Paul reacting emotionally in the crowd, then celebrating with Leerdam after the finish.

That visibility matters because it turns a sports result into a broader pop-culture story—especially when the athlete is already well-known outside the rink. Leerdam has a large public profile on her own, and her engagement to Paul adds a second audience that doesn’t usually track speed skating closely.

Jake Paul, girlfriend, and fiancé: the relationship status

Leerdam is Jake Paul’s girlfriend and also his fiancée—meaning they are engaged and planning to marry. The engagement was announced in March 2025, after the couple had been publicly linked since 2023.

The “Jake Paul fiancée” framing has become more common as the Olympics have progressed, in part because Paul has talked publicly about attending events to support Leerdam and because the relationship has become part of the wider conversation around her Games.

Key takeaways

• Leerdam’s 1000m gold is a major sporting result on its own, not a celebrity side note.

• The engagement has amplified attention, but it hasn’t replaced the competitive narrative.

• Expect continued focus on the 500m sprint events as the next big test of Leerdam’s form.

Who is Jake Paul?

Jake Paul is a U.S. online personality who later transitioned into professional boxing and has built a sports-entertainment career that includes pay-per-view style promotions and high-profile fights. He is 29 years old, born January 17, 1997.

While his public persona can be polarizing, his visibility is undeniable—especially during major sports moments like this Olympics, where being shown on camera repeatedly turns him into part of the storyline whether viewers want that or not.

What comes next for Leerdam at the Olympics

After a record-setting performance in the women’s 1000m speed skating final, the focus moves to whether Leerdam can add another medal in the sprint program, particularly the 500m. The 500m is less forgiving than the 1000m: one minor technical error can erase a medal run.

The Netherlands has depth in women’s sprint speed skating, so the internal competition is as intense as the international one. If Leerdam stays sharp, she leaves Milan-Cortina with a chance to build a multi-medal Games—something that would shift her from “star” to “defining athlete” of this Olympic cycle.

For Paul, the next week is simple: he’s likely to remain a visible presence in the stands, and every appearance will keep the “Jake Paul girlfriend” and “Jake Paul fiancée” searches humming. For Leerdam, the equation is even simpler: one gold is a headline—two would be a legacy.