Olympic speedskating champion Jutta Leerdam, who rose to international prominence by winning gold at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games earlier this year in front of her fiancé Jake Paul, will step back from competition this season.
“One thing is for sure, you will not see me skate this season,” Leerdam stated in a video on her YouTube channel that accumulated over 160,000 views Tuesday.
“I’m 27, life changes, feelings change, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable saying I’m fully retiring,” expressed the Dutch athlete.
The Dutch star captured gold in the 1,000 meters in Milan this February, supported by her partner since 2023, YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, while also earning silver in the 500.
The Netherlands secured gold and silver in the former event, with Leerdam setting a new Olympic record.
Leerdam, twice a world champion, was in the final pair to skate and had already seen teammate Femke Kok set a new Olympic benchmark of 1:12.59 to go into the provisional gold medal position.
But Leerdam produced a stunning race, clocking just over 26 seconds for one lap, and shaving nearly three-tenths of a second off the record to win gold in 1:12.31.
Her stunning performance left Paul in tears as he watched on from the sidelines.
“I’ve had an obsession with skating,” Leerdam shared in her YouTube clip, adding “I’ve always been more than a skater. I am so multifaceted.”
Over the weekend, Leerdam attended the US Open women’s singles final in New York with Paul, which saw Elena Rybakina claim the trophy with a three-set victory over Aryna Sabalenka.
Leerdam indicated on Monday that she plans to publish further social media videos. She maintains 6.3 million followers on Instagram, making her one of the most popular athletes in winter sports.
Pausing her career this winter means Leerdam misses the home European Championships in Heerenveen as well as February’s world championships in Beijing, where she captured silver in the 1,000 at the 2022 Olympics.
Heerenveen will also stage the coming Olympic speedskating events for the French Alps hosts of the 2030 Winter Games, when Leerdam will be 31.
