Jutta Leerdam won the Olympic gold medal this year. © APA/afp / WANG ZHAO

End of career? Jutta Leerdam takes a break.

Dutch Olympic speed skating champion Jutta Leerdam will take a break from competition next season.

September 14, 2026

From: dpa

The 27-year-old will be taking a temporary break, she announced on her YouTube channel. The glamour girl ruled out a permanent retirement – ​​at least for now.

“I’m following my gut feeling,” Leerdam said. “Will I end my career? That feels too final. One thing I know for sure: I won’t be competing this season. You won’t see me on the ice.”

Gold and silver at the Olympics

Leerdam won gold in the 1.000 meters and silver in the 500 meters at the Olympic Games in Milan in February. "I don't want to completely close the door to something I love so much – speed skating," said the sprinter, who is a star on social media. Leerdam has more than six million followers on Instagram. The Dutchwoman said she now wants to focus on producing videos for social media, among other things.

Jutta Leerdam at the US Open with her boyfriend Jake Paul. © APA / JULIAN FINNEY

Her partner is the controversial US influencer Jake Paul. The 29-year-old Trump supporter has over 28 million followers on Instagram and is also known for his boxing matches. He lost to former world champion Anthony Joshua at the end of 2025.