Jake Paul pays birthday tribute to speed skater fiancee Jutta Leerdam as she awaits news on her Olympics fate
Jake Paul has given his fiancee Jutta Leerdam a birthday shout out amid her anxious wait to find out if she will make next year's Winter Olympics in her signature event.
Speed skater Leerdam stunningly crashed out of Netherlands qualify for the 1,000m race that she specializes and left the ice in tears before the next day clinching a place in the 500m event at next year's games in Milan.
She is now waiting on the verdict of the Netherlands' selection committee who could decide to pick her to compete in the 1,000m and she is likely to learn her fate in the first few days of 2026.
In the meantime, she has her 27th birthday celebrations to enjoy and Paul sent a tribute to her on social media to help her enjoy her big day.
Sharing an array of pictures of their time together, Paul wrote: 'Happy birthday to my baby Jut. I love you.'
Leerdam shares her December 30 birthday with two of the all-time greats in American sporting history. Tiger Woods turns 50 on the same day, while Los Angeles Lakers and NBA star LeBron James turns 41.
Jake Paul paid tribute to fiancee Jutta Leerdam as she celebrated her 27th birthday
Paul wrote on a gushing Instagram post: 'Happy birthday to my baby Jut. I love you.'
Paul traveled to the Netherlands to suppport Leerdam in her Winter Olympics trials just days after having his jaw broken in two places during his boxing match with Anthony Joshua.
Speaking to reporters after her tearful exit from the 1,000m qualifying, Paul said: ''I know this is her whole life. Her whole dream. And everything she's worked so hard for. My heart is broken.'
Leerdam herself made a desperate plea to the selectors, saying: ''I'm skating so well in practice. What those girls are skating here, I could have easily skated today.
'I've won the past World Cups. I've always been at least in the top two at the world level. I hope they (the selection committee) will look at my level, including today, how I was skating before I fell, and the growth I'm making.'
She added on social media: '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.'
Leerdam was not ringside for Paul's battering at the hands of British heavyweight Joshua due to her speed skating commitments.
It comes days after Leerdam crashing out of Winter Olympics qualifying for the 1,000m
The speed skater has made it in the 500m event but now needs a selection decision for 1,000m
On Monday, Joshua was involved in a car crash in Nigeria where two of his close friends - Sina Ghami and Kevin Latif Ayodele - were killed.
'Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident,' Paul wrote on social media when it first emerged that Joshua was involved in the crash.
When fatalities were confirmed, he added: 'RIP Sina Ghami and Kevin “Latif / Latz” Ayodele. My thoughts and prayers are with their families and friends and AJ.'
