Jutta Leerdam, Jake Paul's fiancée, wins second Olympic medal in women's 500m

The Dutch speedskater takes silver, finishing behind teammate Femke Kok's gold medal performance.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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Jutta Leerdam, the world-famous Dutch speedskater and fiancée of YouTube star Jake Paul, won her second medal of the 2026 Winter Olympics by taking silver in the women's 500 meters. Leerdam finished behind her teammate Femke Kok, who set a new Olympic record with her gold medal-winning time. Despite the pressure and media attention, Leerdam was able to focus on her skating and was pleased with the silver medal, calling it "the ideal result."

Why it matters

Leerdam is one of the biggest stars in speedskating, with over 6 million social media followers. Her success at these Olympics, including a gold medal in the 1,000 meters and now a silver in the 500, has captivated audiences beyond just the sport's traditional fanbase in the Netherlands.

The details

In the 500m final, Kok set a new Olympic record with a time of 36.49 seconds, while Leerdam finished nearly seven-tenths of a second behind her in second place. Leerdam said she knew she wouldn't be able to beat Kok, the world record holder in the event, so she was happy to secure the silver medal. Leerdam has faced some media scrutiny during the Olympics, including reports of a rivalry with Kok that both skaters dismissed as fabricated.

  • Leerdam won gold in the 1,000m event on February 9, 2026.
  • The women's 500m final took place on February 15, 2026.

The players

Jutta Leerdam

A 27-year-old Dutch speedskater who is one of the biggest stars in the sport, with over 6 million social media followers. She is the fiancée of YouTube personality and boxer Jake Paul.

Femke Kok

Leerdam's Dutch teammate, who won gold in the women's 500m event by setting a new Olympic record.

Jake Paul

A YouTube influencer-turned-boxer who is engaged to Jutta Leerdam.

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What they’re saying

“This is such a win for me. I already felt complete after the win in the 1,000 and now I have this one. So, yeah, very grateful.”

— Jutta Leerdam, Dutch Speedskater (Yahoo Sports)

“She has a different life. She's a different person than me. But we're still good. Sometimes in the beginning, when we were coming up, the media was making it like she's this, you're that, they're like this, but we're not like this. We have respect.”

— Femke Kok, Dutch Speedskater (Yahoo Sports)

The takeaway

Despite the immense media attention and pressure, Jutta Leerdam was able to focus on her skating and deliver another medal-winning performance at the Winter Olympics, cementing her status as one of the biggest stars in the sport of speedskating.