In a stunning final heat under the bright lights of the Milan Speed Skating Stadium, Dutch star Jutta Leerdam delivered a golden performance for the ages on Monday, February 9, 2026, setting a new Olympic record to win the women’s 1000-meter speed skating event and claim her first individual Olympic gold medal.
The 27-year-old from ‘s-Gravenzande finished in a blistering time of 1 minute and 12.31 seconds, shattering the Olympic record that had been set just minutes earlier by her teammate, Femke Kok, by 0.28 seconds.
Racing in the final pairing against Japan’s defending champion Miho Takagi, Leerdam powered through her signature long, steady strides to not only secure the top spot but also lead a Dutch one-two finish on the podium.
Kok took the silver medal, while Takagi earned the bronze with a time of 1:13.95.
The victory marked a triumphant four-year journey of redemption for Leerdam, who won silver in the same event at the 2022 Beijing Games after being bested by Takagi.
The emotional weight of the moment was visible immediately after she crossed the finish line. She pulled off her racing hood, shook her long hair loose, and eventually collapsed over a trackside barrier, weeping tears of joy as her eyeliner streaked down her cheeks.
“She can’t believe she’s done it. Last race, last chance, the perfect performance,” one report observed of the scene.
The celebration extended to the stands, where Leerdam’s fiancé, American influencer and boxer Jake Paul, was seen crying tears of joy. Leerdam skated over to his section of the arena to blow kisses, sharing the personal milestone with him.
Paul had posted support on social media ahead of the race, telling their future children in a video, “Your mom is about to go for gold”.
Leerdam’s path to the top of the podium was a masterclass in handling pressure. With the knowledge of Kok’s record time, she skated a technically demanding race.
Though slightly off the pace on her first lap split, she used her formidable top speed, reaching nearly 35 miles per hour, to surge ahead in the final stretch. The victory delivered the Netherlands its first gold medal of the 2026 Winter Games.
A dominant force in sprint speed skating, Leerdam’s trophy case includes two World Single Distance championships in the 1000m (2020 and 2023) and the 2022 World Sprint championship.
She entered the Milan Games in peak form, having won three of the four World Cup 1000m races she competed in during the 2025-26 season.
With the gold medal secured, Leerdam now turns her attention to the women’s 500-meter race, where she will seek another Olympic medal next Sunday.