Surreal scenes as Dutch star fiancée of Jake Paul wins gold
Moderated by Tomas Kauer 
YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul showed up for speedskating at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on Tuesday (AEDT) and was standing at his second-row seat in the stands while his fiancée, Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands, took the gold medal in the women's 1000 metres.
Wearing a scarf on his shoulders with the orange colour of the Dutch team, he walked past a reporter without answering questions before the race.
During the race, he was the very picture of focus, alternating between clapping or wringing his hands while standing to watch Leerdam compete.
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When she was done, and had won, she went over to the sideboards in front of where Paul was and paused, crying. She blew a kiss and made a heart shape with her hands while looking up toward Paul.
In the stands, a teary Paul was so overcome by emotion that he was just about shaking.
Later, the American boxer posted to social media a photo of him holding Leerdam, captioned: "we just witnessed one of the most important sporting moments ever. the doc will tell. words cant [sic] describe how proud of you i am."
Leerdam collected a silver in the 10000 four years ago at the Beijing Games and owns a pair of world titles at the distance. She also won three of the four World Cup 1000m races she entered this season. She was scheduled to compete in the last of 15 heats on Tuesday (AEDT).
Watch the Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026 live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now. Plus, every event live & on demand, every medal in 4K, and exclusive international coverage on Stan Sport.
Separately, Leerdam and Paul draw big crowds to their social media sites — her Instagram page has about five million followers; his has more than 28 million. Together, they draw a lot of eyeballs, and he had been expected to attend her events in Milan.https://x.com/jakepaul/status/2020936161477480576?s=20
Leerdam and Paul posted news about their engagement on Instagram in March.
Earlier at these Olympics, Paul sat with US Vice President JD Vance at a women's hockey game that the United States won 5-0 against Finland.
Leerdam is a 27-year-old Dutch athlete who also is scheduled to participate in the 500m on Monday (AEDT).
Her trophy collection includes 12 world championship medals, including six golds. Two of those titles arrived in the 10000 — in 2020 and 2023.
Now she has an Olympic gold, too.
Paul is a 29-year-old American influencer who first gained fame for his YouTube videos and then made his way into the world of boxing about five years ago.
He most recently had his jaw broken during a sixth-round knockout loss to former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua at Miami in December.
Paul has also gone up against a 58-year-old Mike Tyson in November 2024, plus Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., retired UFC fighters Anderson Silva and Nate Díaz and former NBA player Nate Robinson.
