In the past few weeks, there’s been a lot of buzz about the boxing match between Jake Paul and legendary Mike Tyson. The event also took the interest of many celebrities and sports stars who were present at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Among them was also Paul’s girlfriend, Jutta Leerdam, who had her stay in Dallas to watch her boyfriend compete against the boxing legend. However, it was a risky move!

So why was it risky? The ISU Speed Staking World Cup match in Nagano, Japan, was scheduled to take place just a few days after the boxing game, so Leerdam had to travel 11,364 miles to get ready and showcase her talent to the crowd there. Her hectic schedule did affect her performance in Nagano, but recently in Beijing, China, the Dutch speed skater has bounced back with an epic display of her form, defeating her rival in the process.

Shining brightly in the Chinese capital

On Friday, Jutta Leerdam showcased her full potential, aiming for an act of revenge for what happened to her speed skating journey in Japan. The speed skater was determined to have a good finish, and she did achieve a silver medal with a time of 37.86 seconds. The Dutchwoman was only behind Japanese speed skater Yukino Yoshida by a few margins, while she was able to easily hold off fellow countrywoman Dione Voskamp.

Voskamp and Leerdam’s dueling on the skates goes back to the 500m sprint in Nagano. According to NU.nl, due to the 25-year-old’s lack of preparation and continuous traveling, and owing to her boyfriend Jake Paul’s boxing match; she couldn’t perform at her best. So, during the game in Japan, the crowd saw Leerdam trailing Voskamp, eventually getting lost among the grid to capture a podium place finish.

However, this time, it was different, as the Dutch speed skater had her time with her training and was a dominant force on the grid. Leerdam also got caught up in a duel with Naomi Verkerk, who tried to take away her position but was unable to do so. While trying to battle her, Verkerk eventually lost her pace and finished eleventh with a time of 38.26 seconds.

Beijing did display how results can change in speed skating in no time, as the gold was taken by Yukino Yoshida, who was followed by Jutta Leerdam. Surely, Dione Voskamp did give a fight to her fellow Dutch speed skater, but this time she had to settle for the bronze with a time of 37.90 seconds. However, Suzanne Schulting was right behind her at a time of 37.98 seconds. These athletes are separated by such a small amount of margins, which shows the importance of speed and focus on the sport.

Since this was the first sprint, the second 500m sprint in Beijing would take place on Sunday, and it would act again as the proving grounds for Leerdam, who would look forward to turning that silver medal into gold. All the recent events have been overwhelming for the Dutch speed skater, but she isn’t shy to acknowledge her performances and is looking forward to improving.

Juggling between Jake Paul’s boxing match and skating priorities

Since Jake Paul and Jutta Leerdam confirmed their relationship to the public, the fame has been overwhelming for the Dutch speed skater. However, both of them have been supportive of each other’s aspirations and different career paths. So, Leerdam attended Paul’s recent exhibition match against legend Mike Tyson, for which she had to sacrifice her time for training for the ISU Speed Skating World Cup. Eventually, it impacted her 500m sprint, which also raised many questions among her fanbase.

The speed skater, though, is aware of these concerns and has acknowledged them in a post-race interview, stating, “I was closer to gold yesterday than expected. I think I’m at 75 or 80 percent. The speed is still lacking.” Leerdam is aware of what the future of speed skating has for her, and while she did get distracted due to some other priorities, she is still looking forward to giving her best in preparing for the 2026 Winter Olympics.