02/09/26 02:38:00
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02/09 14:36 CST Dutch speedskater Jutta Leerdam wins women's 1,000 Olympic gold
with fianc Jake Paul in the stands
Dutch speedskater Jutta Leerdam wins women's 1,000 Olympic gold with fianc
Jake Paul in the stands
By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP National Writer
MILAN (AP) --- There is little question that Jutta Leerdam and her fianc,
YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, have brought new eyeballs to speedskating with
all of their millions of followers on social media. Now all of those people who
have been introduced to her sport saw Leerdam become an Olympic champion.
Stepping to the line well aware that her talented Dutch teammate, Femke Kok,
had bettered the event's existing Winter Games record two heats earlier Monday,
and with Paul getting out of his second-row seat to cheer, Leerdam lowered that
mark even further and won in 1 minute, 12.31 seconds at the Milan Cortina
Olympics.
"Everyone saw how hard of a position I had in the last pair, after a super good
time. For everyone, it was surreal," said Leerdam, who was up against defending
champion Miho Takagi of Japan in the day's final heat. "It feels very amazing.
Just like a cherry on top of my career, basically. It's amazing. It's perfect."
In front of a raucous crowd of orange-clad fans from her speedskating-loving
nation, 2022 silver medalist Leerdam never strayed from her steady strides
until she'd crossed the finish line. Then she threw an arm overhead and let out
a shout.
Soon, she was along the boards near where Paul was. Leerdam blew him kisses and
formed a heart shape with her hands as tears --- and mascara --- streaked her
cheeks.
"My makeup was everywhere," Leerdam said later with a laugh. "But that's a good
thing, I think."
Kok was next, a little more than a quarter of a second behind, in 1:12.59 ---
also quicker than the 1:13.19 Takagi skated to defeat Leerdam at the Beijing
Games and record the previous best 1,000 at an Olympics. Takagi wound up with
the bronze this time.
"After Femke hit the Olympic record, then SHE breaks the Olympic record," Paul
said about Leerdam. "Just the best thing ever."
The winning times in all three speedskating races so far in the temporary arena
built for these Olympics have been new Winter Games marks.
Kok thought hers might stand up.
"I knew it was a good time, so maybe it was enough for gold," Kok said. "But
she was just a little bit faster. I can only respect that."
Brittany Bowe, the American who still holds the 1,000 world record that she set
in 2019, was fourth Monday, missing out on what would have been her third
career bronze in what she says, at age 37, is her final trip to an Olympics.
Another U.S. skater, Erin Jackson, the 500 gold medalist four years ago, was
sixth.
Leerdam will seek another medal next Sunday in the 500. Her trophy case already
includes 12 world championship medals, with six golds. Two of those titles
arrived in the 1,000 --- in 2020 and 2023.
She's been superb in the 1,000 this season, winning three of the four World Cup
races she entered at that distance. That included beating Kok in Germany last
month.
Her results bring extra attention. So does the massive amount of people who
track every move by her --- and by Paul --- via social media.
"She's one of one. She obviously has a platform that nobody else has had in the
speedskating world," Bowe said. "And I have to just give my hat off to her and
give her her flowers today. I can't even imagine the amount of pressure and
expectation that has been put on her the past couple of years --- and then,
really, in this moment. And so for her to be able to deliver an Olympic-record
performance like that is really commendable. ... I know the pressure, the
stress, everything, it takes to be able to fight for that."
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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