MILAN, Italy – In some circles, Jutta Leerdam is best known as Jake Paul’s fiancée. But here at the 2026 Winter Olympics, she is a speed skating star.
Leerdam, a 27-year-old from the Netherlands, will compete in the women’s 1,000 meters at 11:30 a.m. ET Monday, Feb. 9. Peacock will provide coverage.
In a field of 30 speed skaters that includes American Erin Jackson, Leerdam is expected to win a medal. It would not be her first.
She won a silver in the 1,000m at the 2022 Winter Olympics and and has captured six European championships and seven world championships.
During the 2025-26 season, she won two out of the first three World Cup events and three out of the first five.
Watch the Winter Olympics on Peacock
Femke Kok sets new Olympic record
Femke Kok vaulted the Netherlands back to the top of the leaderboard, and in Olympc record time. Kok, the top speedskater in the world at 1,000 meters posted a time of 1:12.59 in her pairing against American Brittany Bowe. Bowe was also fast, skating to a time of 1:14.55 to put her in second.
American Erin Jackson bolts into first
Jackson took over the lead in the 11th pairing by completing the race in 1:15.00, .46 seconds lead over Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands. Jackson finished strong, sizzling through the backstretch.
Jake Paul posts support for Leerdam
Jake Paul showed support to fiancee Jutta Leerdam on social media ahead of her race today.
Speed skating halftime
The Zambonis are out on the ice to resurface the lanes for the 1,000 meters with 8 of 15 pairings now complete. The Netherlands’ Suzanne Schulting remains in gold medal position, with Czechia’s Nikola Zdrahalova in silver medal position and Natalia Czerwonka in bronze medal position.
Jutta Leerdam will be in the 15th and final pairing and will race after knowing the time to beat for 28 of 30 racers.
Dutch skater takes early lead in 1,000 meters
One of Jutta Leerdam’s teammates, Suzanne Schulting, has sped to the top of the leaderboard after four pairings (8 skaters). Schulting was in the very pairing and posted a time of 1:15.46. She currently holds a +0.71 lead with many of the top skaters, including Leerdam, still to come.
How to watch Jutta Leerdam in Olympic speedskating 1,000 meters
The women’s 1,000-meter speedskating race begins at 5:30 p.m. ET. The race and will be televised on USA Network and can be streamed on Peacock.
When does Jutta Leerdam skate in Olympic speedskating 1,000 meters?
Jutta Leerdam will be in the 15th and final pairing of the event, racing against Japan’s Miho Takagi. Leerdam is the No. 2 ranked speedskater in the world in the 1,000 meters, while Takagi is ranked fourth in the distance.
Orange crush
The Milano Speed Skating is beginning to look like the Denver Broncos Stadium at Mile High. Which is to say lots of orange, the color in which Netherland fans are decked out. And, of course, the color proud Broncos fans wear. The fans from Netherlands are here in particular to cheer on one of their speed skating stars, Leerdam.
Why do they wear orange? According to the Dutch Amsterdam website, here’s why: ‘Orange is the color of the Dutch Royal Family, which hails from the House of Orange.” Wearing orange is a way to pay tribute to the Dutch Royal Family.
How old is Jutta Leerdam?
The Dutch speedskating star is 27. She was born Dec. 30, 1998 in ‘s-Gravenzande, Netherlands.
Jake Paul delivers flowers
On Sunday, Paul posted a video on his Instagram page showing him presenting flowers to Leerdam at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.
“Thank you for coming,’’ Leerdam told Paul after kissing him.
Paul, indicating he was addressing the couple’s future children, looked at the camera and said, “Hey little kids. You guys are not even born yet but we’re making a video for you. …Your mom is about to go for gold.’’
The couple started dating in the spring of 2023 and got engaged in March 2025.
In recent years, Leerdam has supported Paul during his boxing matches. Now Paul will be the cheerleader.
He is expected to be among the spectators at Milano Speed Stadium to watch Leerdam’s first race of these Olympics. Leerdam also will compete in the 500m Feb. 15, when Jackson, the American star, will try to defend her Olympic title in the event.
