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When Dutch speed skater Jutta Leerdam broke an Olympic record in her gold medal-winning run on Monday, her fiance Jake Paul couldn’t contain his emotions.
He cried with joy.
Paul was on her feet in the stands, bawling her eyes out as Leerdam not only lived up to expectations to win gold at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games – she also broke the 1,000m speed skating record with a time of 1:12.31.
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Jake Paul of the United States cries for joy for his fiancee Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands who won after the women’s 1000m speed skating on day three of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium on February 9, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Henk Jan Dijks/Marcel ter Bals/DeFodi)
Leerdam broke the previous record set by teammate Femke Kok, who got her time just moments before Leerdam’s race.
While the 27-year-old skater was brought to tears after watching his last time, Paul was in the stands doing the same, surrounded by his family, who also couldn’t help but cry with joy.
This marked Leerdam’s first ever gold medal at the Olympics and her second medal overall after winning silver in Beijing in 2022.
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This one was extra special given Leerdam’s surprise fall during the Dutch Olympic Trials, which forced her out of the race. There was talk that her place in Milan Cortina was in doubt, but she made it to the Dutch team in the end.
It was the right move.
Boxer Jake Paul celebrates in the stands after his fiancee Jutta Leerdam of Team Holland (not pictured) won gold after breaking the women’s 1000m speed skating Olympic record on day three of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium on February 9, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
Before Leerdam’s record run, Kok clocked an impressive time of 1:12.59, which ultimately resulted in a silver medal for the Netherlands. Kok is also expected to be in contention for the gold medal in the 500 meters later in the Games.
Rounding out the podium in the 1,000 meter sprint was the Japanese Miho Takagi, who finished third with a time of 1:13.95.
As for the Americans, Erin Jackson was in first place with a time of 1:15.00. But when the skaters kept falling down the list.
Brittany Bowe, Jackson’s teammate, finished just fourth to miss out on a medal with a time of 1:14.55.
Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands celebrates winning the gold medal in the women’s 1,000-meter speed skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Photo Luca Bruno/AP)
Paul, the polarizing boxer, has been no stranger to showing emotion. And while this was pure joy, he fired off a tweet that seemed angry as he talked about another massive sporting event back in the US.
Paul called Super Bowl LX halftime show performer Bad Bunny a “fake citizen” ahead of the Puerto Rican’s performance at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday night. Paul took exception with Bad Bunny due to the Grammy Award-winning artist speaking out against things like US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“To clarify: I did not call someone a ‘fake citizen’ because they are from Puerto Rico. I live in Puerto Rico and I love Puerto Rico,” Paul said in his latest tweet, clarifying what he wrote Sunday night. “I have used my platform to support Puerto Rico time and time again and always will. But if you publicly criticize ICE doing their job and openly hate America, I will speak up. Period. It’s the same reason I called Hunter Hess out.
Jake Paul of the United States, center, cries after his fiancee Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands won the gold medal in the women’s 1,000-meter speed skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Antonio Calanni/AP Photo)
“If you take advantage of a country and the platform it gives you, but publicly disrespect it at the same time, that’s what I mean by being a fake citizen. And I agree that love is stronger than hate. Love America.”
Paul and Leerdam announced their engagement in March 2025 with a joint Instagram post.
