Jutta Leerdam, the fiancée of Jake Paul, faced a heartbreaking turn of events on Friday during the Dutch Olympic Trials. The 26-year-old speed skater, who clinched an Olympic silver medal in Beijing in 2022, was left in tears after a crash in her strongest event, the 1000m distance, derailed her hopes of qualifying for the upcoming Winter Games in Milan.
Leerdam’s fall into the barrier means she now depends on the national selection committee’s decision to secure her spot in next year’s competition. Her disappointment was palpable as she reflected on the missed opportunity.
“I’m skating so well in practice. What those girls are skating here, I could have easily skated today,” lamented Leerdam. Despite her setback, she expressed hope that her consistent past performances, including victories at World Cups, would sway the committee’s decision. “I’ve always been at least in the top two at the world level. I hope they will consider my level today, how I was skating before I fell, and the progress I’ve been making.”
This setback came as her teammates Femke Kok and Suzanne Schulting capitalized on her misfortune, securing their own places in the upcoming games. Meanwhile, Jake Paul watched from the stands, still recovering from a recent bout with British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua, which left him with a broken jaw in two places.
‘I’ve won the past World Cups. I’ve always been at least in the top two at the world level. I hope they (the selection committee) will look at my level, including today, how I was skating before I fell, and the growth I’m making.’
Her partner Paul was watching on from the stands a week after having his jaw broken in two places in his fight against British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua.
Jake Paul’s fiancee Jutta Leerdam left Dutch Olympic Trials in tears after crashing
Paul watched from the stands, a week after taking a nasty defeat in his Anthony Joshua fight
The 26-year-old Leerdam was visibly upset at what could prove to be a really costly error
A devastated Leerdam was at a loss for words to explain how she slipped and crashed into the barrier.
‘I don’t know if there was anything on the ice, but it felt like I was standing on something. I completely slid,’ she said.
Days earlier, in a short interview after the Joshua fight with his brother Logan, Jake said how much he was looking forward to cheering Leerdam on at the Winter Olympics.
Talking about what the near future holds, Paul said: ‘I’m going to take some time off to go support Jutta [Leerdam] at the Olympics.
‘Then she’s going to move to Puerto Rico (where Paul lives). Move her here. Maybe go snowboarding or something.’
But now those plans have been left hanging by a thread.
In a plea to the skating authorities that will decide her fate, Leerdam added: ‘I really belong at these Games. I feel so good, I’m skating so well, I’m opening so hard.
‘And this is truly the most frustrating moment for this to happen, because I almost never fall. I really want to win that medal for the Netherlands.’
Paul took six rounds of punishment at the hands of Joshua last Friday night in Miami
Paul and Leerdam have been together since 2023, after Paul messaged her with an invite to appear on his podcast.
‘I never, ever expected to date him, like never,’ Leerdam said on the documentary profiling Paul’s fight against Mike Tyson.
‘Of course, I didn’t know a lot about him. I could only scroll on his Instagram and form an opinion like the whole world does. But he is the complete opposite.’
Paul, who had four plates inserted into his broken jaw and lost teeth during the procedure, told his brother after the Joshua fight that we wants a family sooner than later.
He had to go in for surgery soon after the fight and lost teeth in the procedure on his jaw
‘I feel ready bro, I have such baby fever,’ he said. ‘Like I want kids so bad.’
The couple announced back in March that they had gotten engaged.
Paul earned an estimated $92million from the Joshua fight, which lasted six rounds in Miami, and insisted that he is going to remain in fighting despite such a painful loss.
‘I did have fun. I love this sport and I love this job, it doesn’t even feel like a job. This sport has done so much for me,’ he said.
