Jake Paul breaks down in tears as his fiancee Jutta Leerdam clinches Olympic gold in Milan

MILAN, ITALY: Jutta Leerdam’s long-awaited Olympic moment finally arrived at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium, and it came with tears both on and off the ice.

The Dutch speedskating star won gold in the women’s 1,000 meters at the 2026 Winter Olympics, with fiance Jake Paul openly sobbing as he watched her cross the finish line. 

Jutta Leerdam wins Olympic gold in 1,000m

Leerdam, 27, delivered a flawless race in the final pairing of the women’s 1,000 meters, skating to an Olympic-record time of 1:12.31 to earn the gold medal.

The victory was emotional for Leerdam, who has won seven world championships and six European titles but had never stood atop the Olympic podium. At the 2022 Beijing Games, she settled for silver in the same event.

After the race, Leerdam admitted the emotions overwhelmed her. “Oh, my makeup was everywhere,” she said, laughing through tears. When she later looked down at the medal hanging from her neck, she paused and reflected. “It feels heavy, but it feels very good,” she said. “I’ve won a lot of things in my career. I was world champion, but I’ve never been Olympic champion. This is really something that was still missing.”

Jake Paul celebrates Jutta Leerdam’s Olympic gold

As Leerdam celebrated on the ice, attention quickly turned to the stands, where her fiance, Jake Paul, was visibly emotional. The YouTuber-turned-boxer struggled to hold back tears as he watched her achieve the biggest victory of her career.

“That was really cute,” Leerdam said of Paul’s reaction. “He knows the pressure I felt and the buildup and everything.”

Paul later shared his pride publicly, posting a heartfelt message on X shortly after Leerdam’s medal ceremony. “We just witnessed one of the most important sporting moments ever. The doc will tell. Words can’t describe how proud of you I am,” he wrote.

The couple has often supported each other’s demanding careers. Leerdam acknowledged that she has not been able to attend many of Paul’s recent boxing matches because of her skating schedule, though she was present for his high-profile fight against Mike Tyson in 2024. 

“I’ve been supportive but I’ve not been able to go to his last fights because of skating,” she said. “But he has supported me a lot, more even the past years and went to a lot of my races and stuff. So yeah, very grateful for that.”

Jutta Leerdam overcomes pressure to win Olympic gold

Jutta Leerdam arrived in Milan under heavy pressure, particularly given the expectations surrounding Dutch speedskating, which she compared to the NFL’s status in the United States. In the days leading up to the race, she initially refused to speak to the media, briefly gave a broadcast interview, and then shut down again.

All of that disappeared once she skated in the final pair and delivered her best performance when it mattered most. During her post-race press conference, Leerdam was asked about rumors that she might consider stepping away from the sport after the Olympics. Her answer was honest and measured.

“Yeah, I really don’t know yet to be honest,” she said. “I’m just trying to let this sink in first.”

On Sunday, Jake Paul posted a video on Instagram showing him presenting flowers to Leerdam at the Milano Cortina Winter Games. In the clip, he addressed their future children while looking into the camera.

“Hey little kids. You guys are not even born yet but we’re making a video for you,” he said. “Your mom is about to go for gold.”

After kissing Paul, Leerdam told him, “Thank you for coming.” The couple began dating in the spring of 2023 and got engaged in March 2025. While Leerdam now stands as an Olympic champion, her Games are not over. She is also set to compete in the 500 meters on February 15.