Olympic champion Jutta Leerdam hangs up her skates, for now

Olympic champion Jutta Leerdam will not compete in any events during the upcoming season, but she has not decided to retire from the sport. The 27-year-old, who secured gold in the 1,000 meters and silver in the 500 meters at the Milan winter games, announced her decision via her YouTube channel, stating that she will follow her feelings.

She clarified that she will not be skating this year, adding, "You won’t see me on the ice." Despite her engagement to American social media influencer Jake Paul, Leerdam expressed that retirement does not feel final to her. "It would feel like closing the door on something I really love," she said. Currently residing in the US, Leerdam plans to concentrate on creating content for social media – she boasts 6.3 million Instagram followers – and other exciting projects.

In her 11-minute video, Leerdam discussed the pressure of winning and her determination to become an Olympic champion. She added, "What feels right, right now, is choosing me." Other Dutch skating champions expressed sympathy for Leerdam's decision, as Dutch women sprinters are expected to play a prominent role in the upcoming season.

However, former champion and analyst Mark Tuitert believes she will return to competitive skating. "The Olympics take place in the Netherlands in four years' time," he told broadcaster NOS. "So the door has not been shut completely… she would be 31 then, and I think she can do it."