Jake Paul’s fiancee Jutta Leerdam has admitted that she’s ‘still in shock’ over the shock fall that has threatened to derail her Olympic dreams.
Dutch speed skater Leerdam crashed out of her signature event, the 1000m distance, last Friday and missed a chance to qualify for the Winter Games in Milan as a result.
Her boxing beau Paul, a week on from his brutal defeat to Anthony Joshua, watched on from the crowd as Leerdam slipped and agonizingly fell into a barrier on the day.
Two days later, she returned to the ice and put those woes behind her as she came second in the 500m Olympic qualifier, behind already-qualified Femke Kok.
It now remains up to the Dutch Olympic committee to decide whether Leerdam will be going to Milan in February, however, many expect that she will be part of the team.
Leerdam had remained quiet on social media after the fall but broke her silence on Monday after writing an emotional letter detailing her rollercoaster weekend.
Jake Paul’s fiancee Jutta Leerdam has spoken out after suffering a fall at her Olympic trials
Dutch speed skater Leerdam crashed out of the 1000m distance on Friday afternoon
She took to Instagram on Monday to admit she’s ‘still in shock’ over the ordeal
Taking to Instagram, she said: I will most likely see you at the Olympics in Milan for the 500m! A very unfortunate moment during my best distance, the 1000m on Friday.
‘Now we wait and hope I get the opportunity to skate the distance I’ve won multiple World Cup golds in this season.
‘I’m still in shock, I never had my messages flooded like this before. I feel everyone’s support so much and I’m very grateful for that. I read everything and I appreciate it more than you know’.
Thankfully for Leerdam, she was able to bounce back on Sunday afternoon, where she produced an impressive time of 37.42s in the 500m qualifier.
Paul, fresh off the back of his knockout loss to Joshua, was spotted in the crowd and posed for a thumbs up to the cameras after Leerdam’s impressive run.
He later posted a video of Leerdam onto his Instagram story after her race, writing: ‘So proud of you warrior @juttaleerdam’.
Speaking to NOS after the race, Leerdam reflected on Friday’s fall and how she managed to bounce back for the 500m event just two days later.
‘It was a really tough day and a half for me,’ she explained. ‘You’re feeling so good and riding so hard, then you fall and it’s all over. You couldn’t finish it, and that’s a very frustrating feeling.
Leerdam returned to the ice just two days later and put in a stunning performance in the 500m
Social media star Paul and speed skater Leerdam have been together since 2023
‘You can kind of play the victim, but that’s not me. I have to keep going, I want to show what I can do in the 500 meters again. I have a good mentality for that.’
Fans were quick to rush to social media and praise Leerdam for the way she managed to bounce back from the heartbreaking fall just two days prior.
Taking to X, one fan said: ‘So much respect for Jutta Leerdam. The pressure is so high after her fall on the 1000 meters and then she delivers this on the 500 meters. Hats off!’
‘I saw the relief and the stress fly away from Jutta Leerdam. And what a fantastic 500m from Femke Kok,’ another said shortly after the event.
