Jutta Leerdam Makes History: Wins Gold and Breaks Winter Olympics Record

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Jutta Leerdam, the pride of the Netherlands, made history at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

She won the gold medal in the women's 1000 meters on Monday, February 9, 2026.

This victory was not just a medal, but also an extraordinary achievement, breaking a new Olympic record.

This brilliant achievement marked Jutta Leerdam's first Olympic gold medal in her career after previously won a silver medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics in the same event.

Jutta Leerdam's years of dedication and hard work finally paid off on the biggest sporting stage.

In a fiercely contested women's 1000-meter speed skating event, Jutta Leerdam recorded an impressive time of 1 minute 12.31 seconds.

This time officially broke the Olympic record and secured her the gold medal.

She competed in the final pair against reigning Olympic and world champion Miho Takagi of Japan in a thrilling battle.

Before Leerdam's performance, her compatriot, Femke Kok, had broken the Olympic record with a time of 1 minute 12.59 seconds, heating up the competition on the track.

However, Leerdam surpassed that time, beating Kok to silver and Takagi to bronze.

The victory was an emotional moment for Leerdam, who was seen crying upon realizing her achievement.

Leerdam expressed her feelings after the race, "After the finish line, I was just hoping to see green [on the scoreboard]. When I saw green next to my name, I thought, 'Oh my God, this is a dream come true.'"

Jutta Monica Leerdam, born on December 30, 1998, is a Dutch speed skater.

She is known for specializing in short-distance sprint events, particularly the 500-meter and 1000-meter races.

Before entering speed skating, Leerdam initially played field hockey, but at the age of 11, she decided to switch to speed skating.

Her first global success came at the age of 18, when she won the world junior title at the 2017 World Junior Championships held in Helsinki, Finland.

Off the ice, Jutta Leerdam also has a life that attracts public attention.

She studied commercial economics at the Johan Cruyff Academy of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen.

Regarding her love life, Leerdam was in a relationship with fellow Dutch speed skater Koen Verweij from 2017 to 2022.

Since 2023, she has been in a relationship with American social media personality and professional boxer Jake Paul.

The couple announced their engagement on March 22, 2025.

Jake Paul was seen in the stands at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, giving his full support and appearing emotional when Leerdam won the gold medal.

Jutta Leerdam's career is studded with numerous impressive achievements.

At the Olympics, in addition to the gold medal at Milano Cortina 2026, she also won a silver medal at the 1000 meters at the Beijing 2022 Olympics.

At the World Championships, Leerdam has demonstrated her dominance.

She is the 2022 World Sprint Champion in the 500 meters and 1000 meters combined.

In the 1000 meters, she was the World Single Distance Champion in 2020 and 2023.

She was also the World Single Distance Team Champion in 2019 and 2020.

Leerdam is also a six-time European Champion.