Featured Image Credit: Gerrit van Keulen/Soccrates/Getty Images
Topics: Jake Paul, Olympics, Netherlands, Sport
Phoebe Tonks
Topics: Jake Paul, Olympics, Netherlands, Sport
Fresh from his defeat at the hands of Anthony Joshua, boxer Jake Paul had a new reason to weep after his fiancée suffered a heartbreaking setback during her Winter Olympics trial.
The athlete’s girlfriend Jutta Leerdam suffered an unfortunate fall during the Netherlands speed skating trials on December 26, which could potentially leave her Winter Olympic dream in tatters.
“It’s really, really hard. And I know this is her whole life. Her whole dream. And everything she’s worked so hard for. My heart is broken,” Paul told reporters. “This sport is so bizarre. She could just show up at the starting line and go again. And she had such a fast opening.”
Leerdam, 26, had been taking part in the 1000m qualifying race to try and secure a place in next year’s Winter Olympic team, but suffered a tumble shortly after the race began.
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With so much riding on her performance, Leerdam was reduced to tears as she left the ice, with the national selection committee due to issue a decision on whether she can compete at the Milan Winter Olympics, in the new year.
“It felt like there was something on the ice,” Leerdam told reporters after the race. “Or a blunt spot on my skate. You just don’t want this. I’m so bummed.”
She continued: “I don’t even know what happened. It felt like I was standing on something. I just completely slid away. I’m skating so well in practice and I was so excited.”
Despite suffering his own injury during his Netflix fight against British Olympian Anthony Joshua, Paul was still at his girlfriend’s side on Friday as he cheered her on despite suffering from a broken jaw.
While her performance may not have gone quite the way she had hoped, Paul was still optimistic about her chances of taking part in the Winter Olympics.
“We all know this is her race,” Paul said. “She’s won multiple World Cups, so hopefully justice will be done for her and she can be there to represent the Netherlands at the Olympics.”
He continued, “I know how hard she works and how good she skates. It’s just so sad.”
Leerdam had been hoping to compete and achieve her dream of securing Olympic gold at the next games, which are due to kick off in Italy in February. She previously competed at the Beijing games and secured a silver medal, and has won the 1000m distance twice at the Speed Skating World Cup.
Although Friday’s race did end in tears, Leerdam did return to the ice on Sunday to compete in the lesser distance of 500m, this time coming in second place.