Whether Jake Paul continues to box at the elite level after getting his jaw broken in two places by Anthony Joshua is yet to be seen. However, his fiancée Jutta Leerdam doesn’t plan on giving up after her “very unfortunate” incident during Friday’s 1000-meter speed skating Olympic trials.

The trials unfolded at Heerenveen, Netherlands, last Friday when she lost her balance on the second bend of the race. It resulted in her falling to the ice and crashing into the boards. This means her spot in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan & Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, is uncertain. Or is it?

Jake Paul shows his support

After the incident, the 26-year-old returned to competition and took part in the 500-meter trials on Sunday, securing a second-place finish. She clocked 37.242 seconds, finishing behind Femke Kok, who set a track record with 36.873. Following the race, she took to Instagram to share an optimistic message. “I will most likely see you at the Olympics in Milan for the 500m,” she wrote while sharing pictures from the trials.

Reflecting on what happened earlier, she added, “A very unfortunate moment during my best distance, the 1000m on Friday.” The Selection Committee, which determines Olympic qualification, bases its decisions largely on an athlete’s medal prospects. “Now we wait and hope I get the opportunity to skate the distance I’ve won multiple World Cup golds in this season.”

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Notably, Leerdam won a silver medal in the 1000-meter event in 2022 and added two more 1000-meter victories during the 2025–26 World Cup season. In the aftermath of the accident, she has received an outpouring of support and expressed her gratitude for it. “I’m still in shock, I never had my messages flooded like this before,” she shared. 

“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,” she concluded. A decision regarding Olympic selection is expected in early January. The Olympic Games are set to begin on February 4, with speed skating scheduled to start on February 7. 

The 1000-meter and 500-meter events Leerdam competed for will take place on February 9 and February 15, respectively. Among those showing support was Jake Paul. After Leerdam secured second place in the 500-meter race, Paul—who was in attendance on Sunday—shared a post on Instagram. 

“So proud of you warrior @juttaleerdam,” Paul wrote while posting a video of her skating on the ice. Regardless, the question is, what exactly caused Leerdam’s fall? 

Jutta Leerdam reveals what happened on ice

When Leerdam was asked about what went wrong on the ice, she admitted she wasn’t entirely sure what caused the fall. “I don’t know if there was anything on the ice, but it felt like I was standing on something. I completely slid,” Leerdam told Dutch outlet Schaatsen[dot]nl. “[I’ve been] riding so well in practice.”

Emphasizing her consistency at the highest level, she added, “I’ve won the past World Cups. I’ve always finished at least in the top two at the world level … I really want to win that medal for the Netherlands.” Leerdam is now hoping the selection committee takes her overall body of work throughout the season into consideration before making a final decision.

Jake Paul and Jutta Leerdam have been officially dating since April 2023. Nearly two years later, in March 2025, the couple got engaged and announced the news on Instagram, sharing images from the ceremony.

That said, while Leerdam is hopeful about qualifying for the Olympics, a second-place finish does not automatically guarantee selection. Complicating matters further, her fall in the 1000-meter race buried her chances in that category. Do you think she will make it?