The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games were a dream come true for Jutta Leerdam. After completing her Olympic campaign, the Dutch speed skater left the Olympic Village not only on the shoulders of her boyfriend, Jake Paul, but also with two medals and a luxury designer handbag.
Leerdam’s achievements were historic. She captured gold in the 1000 meters and silver in the 500 meters, cementing her place in Olympic history.
Her victory in the 1000 meters was especially memorable, as she set a new Olympic record with a time of 1:12.13, surpassing compatriot Femke Kok’s previous mark by 0.28 seconds.
After two unforgettable weeks, Leerdam departed the Olympic Village in style, as seen in a video shared by Paul on social media.
Jake carries Jutta outside Milan-Cortina
In an Instagram post, Paul showed himself carrying Leerdam on his shoulders as they boarded the private jet home.
He captioned the video with humor: “From now on, call me Jutta Leerdam’s fianc.”
Leerdam echoed the sentiment in a TikTok video: “It has been a wild ride, and I’m leaving with gold, silver, and a [Herms] Birkin.”
Reflecting on her journey, Leerdam added:
I decided two years ago not to sign with any big team, but to create my own. They did amazingly, and we really are a family now.
The controversy surrounding Jutta and Paul
Her Olympic journey wasn’t without criticism. She faced backlash for arriving in Italy on a private jet, competing while wearing makeup, and her relationship with Paul.
Nevertheless, Leerdam silenced critics with two medals, an Olympic record, and a performance that has fans wondering what’s next for the 27-year-old skater.