Jutta Leerdam, jealousy scene triggers.

As was, moreover, to be expected, it is the Dutch media that point this out forcefully: while Jutta Leerdam and Jake Paul are attracting attention for their relationship, there is something that baffles them, indeed more. According to the press in the Netherlands, especially abroad, people have a hard time recognizing Jutta for what she really is, namely a champion who has just won a very valuable gold medal at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics. And, by the way, she did so by placing ahead of a compatriot, Femke Kok. Too often Jutta is labeled simply as “the girlfriend of,” as if in the international narrative the real star of the couple was Jake.

One example cited by the Dutch media, who are jealous of their champion, even though they have often criticized her for some extra-sports attitudes, is the Fox News headline, “Jake Paul bursts into tears as girlfriend Jutta Leerdam shatters Olympic record.” Not “the skater,” not “the champion,” but “the girlfriend.” As if the gold in the 1,000 meters was a secondary element to her partner’s reaction.

Even ESPN, they point out in the Netherlands, chose a similar cut: “Excited, Jake Paul congratulates Jutta Leerdam on Olympic gold.” Once again the emphasis falls on him, his tears and emotions, rather than on her sporting feat. Yet it is Jutta who trained for years, who braved the ice, who pushed her body beyond limits to achieve that result. She is the one who won the gold and confirmed herself among the best in the world.

Aldo Seghedoni

It is true, the Dutch media admit, that outside the national borders Jake is better known. But to continue to present Jutta as a decorative presence is, in their view, reductive and unfair. After an Olympic gold medal, it should be clear that she is not a shadow or an extra. She is not an accessory and she is not just “the girlfriend of.”

Also ABC News headlined, “Jake Paul sits in second row to support his girlfriend Jutta Leerdam during Olympic skating.” Sure, he is there to cheer. But now the question they are asking themselves in the Netherlands is simple: why not finally put the real star in the center, with her outstanding performance?