Jutta Leerdam Sets Olympic Record, Wins 1,000m Speed Skating Gold

Fiancée of Jake Paul leads Dutch 1-2 finish as U.S. skaters Bowe and Jackson miss podium

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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Jutta Leerdam, the fiancée of YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, set a new Olympic record in the women's 1,000-meter speed skating event at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Leerdam skated a time of 1:12.31 to edge out her Dutch teammate Femke Kok and secure the gold medal, while Japan's Miho Takagi took bronze. American world record holder Brittany Bowe and reigning 500m gold medalist Erin Jackson finished off the podium.

Why it matters

Leerdam's victory continues the Netherlands' dominance in speed skating, a sport in which the country has won the most Olympic medals. The disappointing finishes for Bowe and Jackson, two of the top U.S. skaters, raise questions about the state of American speed skating heading into the 2026 Games.

The details

Leerdam and Takagi were both trailing Kok's pace midway through the race, but Leerdam pulled away from Takagi around the 600-meter mark and began to challenge Kok's time. Leerdam crossed the finish line first, setting a new Olympic record and leading a Dutch 1-2 finish. Bowe, the world record holder, and Jackson, the reigning 500m gold medalist, were unable to medal in the event.

  • Leerdam set the new Olympic record of 1:12.31 on February 9, 2026.
  • Bowe set the current world record of 1:11.61 in 2019 at the ISU World Cup in Salt Lake City.

The players

Jutta Leerdam

A Dutch speed skater who won gold in the women's 1,000-meter event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, setting a new Olympic record. She is also the fiancée of YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.

Brittany Bowe

An American speed skater who holds the world record in the women's 1,000-meter event, but finished off the podium at the 2026 Olympics.

Erin Jackson

An American speed skater who won gold in the 500-meter event at the 2022 Olympics, but placed sixth in the 1,000-meter race at the 2026 Games.

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What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

Jackson will seek to repeat her 500-meter gold medal performance from Beijing on Feb. 15.

The takeaway

Leerdam's victory continues the Netherlands' dominance in speed skating, while the disappointing finishes for Bowe and Jackson raise questions about the state of American speed skating heading into the 2026 Games.