Jutta Leerdam Won Gold And Immediately Became A Target Of Online Backlash

When Dutch speed-skating star Jutta Leerdam crossed the finish line in Milan at the 2026 Winter Olympics, her gold medal not only signified a win for her country but also a win for the world of sports more broadly. Leerdam dominated the women’s 1000 m, clocking 1:11.28, which set a new Olympic record. She had a textbook elite performance—an explosive start, flawless technique, and a stride so powerful that it made the incredibly talented competition look slow by comparison.

But within hours of her victory, the focus online devolved into anything but the ice. Instead of celebration, people started shooting hot takes left and right. On Dutch X, Reddit, and Instagram especially, users began dissecting Leerdam’s demeanor, social media presence, and her life off the rink.

Within hours of her victory, the focus online devolved into anything but the ice.

This behavior should be unusual for a gold-medal athlete. Except it’s not, because it’s the exact kind of scrutiny society seems to subject women in the spotlight to, particularly when they live large, look hot doing it, and refuse to make themselves small.

The Backlash Wasn’t About Her Performance, It Was About Policing Her Image

Almost immediately, the conversation moved away from Leerdam’s record performance and instead focused on her identity as a public figure. Commenters complained that she looked too polished and too self-promotional, as if having a curated social media presence should disqualify her from her accomplishments.

Others took issue with photos of her stepping off a private flight, accusing her of being excessive compared to her Dutch teammates’ more modest arrivals at the Games.

And then there was the inevitable fixation on her relationship with Jake Paul. BBC headlined her win as “Speed skating star Leerdam wins gold as fiancé Paul weeps.” The Washington Post similarly titled its article, “Jutta Leerdam won a gold medal, and Jake Paul cried and cried.”

Jutta and Paul’s connection has next to nothing to do with speed skating, but it has everything to do with how identities get weaponized online.

None of these reactions addressed the fact that she broke an Olympic record. Only a handful of athletes on the planet can ever claim such a feat, and yet discourse around her win hinged on whether she fit some perceived cultural mold of how a “normal” Dutch female athlete should behave.

And it’s not just the Netherlands. American publication Slate added Leerdam to its “Olympics Jerk Watch,” a roster that “subjectively rates the jerkiness (or lack thereof) of the Games’ biggest stars.” Naturally, most of the critiques of the star athlete centered around Paul, with writers balking at how “he’s become rather Trumpy of late.”

When Guilt by Association Goes Mainstream, Women Like Leerdam Pay the Price

Part of the reason Leerdam’s personal life became fuel for the social media fire is obvious. Her fiancé, Jake Paul, has spent the last year publicly wading into political culture wars despite his career having nothing to do with politics. The Vine star–turned–YouTube sensation–turned–professional boxer spoke out after the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show, where Puerto Rican musician Bad Bunny colored his headlining performance with pop-star activism.

Paul called Bad Bunny a “fake American citizen” because he publicly “hates America,” but people were quick to correct Paul on the fact that Puerto Rican residents are U.S. citizens and have been since 1917. Others noted that Paul actually lives in Puerto Rico. Paul later clarified his remarks, saying he considered Bad Bunny a “fake citizen” not because of where he’s from, but because of his public disdain for U.S. immigration laws.

So when images circulated of Paul cheering and crying as his girlfriend received her gold medal, online commentary pivoted away from her achievement and toward what Paul represents to very divided online communities.

For some, Paul’s presence overshadowed her success. For others, it was treated as proof of an ideological footprint she was supposedly carrying onto the world stage.

We’ve Seen This Pattern Before: Enter Sydney Sweeney

This kind of reaction, where a woman’s achievements are sidelined in favor of scrutiny rooted in mere association, isn’t new, but it is undeniably frustrating. A few years ago, when actress Sydney Sweeney posted innocuous photos from a family gathering, social media sleuths zoomed in on the background and began speculating about her family’s political leanings based on clothing and other subtle cues.

Within hours, threads circulated assuming Sweeney’s own beliefs based on who happened to appear in a snapshot with her. No policy statements from her, no public declarations, just proximity was enough to cause an uproar.

Of course, the backlash had nothing to do with her acting. It centered on the assumptions people felt entitled to make about her character and values.

The parallels to Leerdam are clear. In both cases, critics treated association as endorsement and identity as politics. In both cases, the woman at the center was left to navigate a backlash that had little to do with professional excellence and everything to do with the assumptions of critics with parasocial tendencies.

The logic behind the reaction to Leerdam’s gold medal is revealing of a clickbait, reactionary culture brewing online. If you look hot, you’re apparently vain. If you curate your social media feed, you’re apparently self-absorbed. If you have the opportunity to fly in a private jet, you’re apparently detached from reality. If you love someone with a controversial public persona, you’re morally suspect by association.

Notice what’s missing? Any meaningful engagement with the athletic feat itself.

This pattern reflects broader cultural expectations placed on women in highly visible arenas. You should stand out, but not too much. You should be exceptional, but not too loud. You should achieve, but don’t make others feel uncomfortable.

As Dutch political commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek put it on Instagram, “The girl won literal gold, but of course the Dutch left is bashing @juttaleerdam saying she’s a diva. Why? Because she’s beautiful, flew private, and above all because she’s engaged to @jakepaul, who spoke out in support of ICE.”

Vlaardingerbroek expressed love for her country but pointed out how Leerdam’s very normal behavior as a young, beautiful, talented athlete with an international presence did not warrant such scrutiny from fellow Dutch citizens.

“Jutta has extremely poor taste in men,” commented one Reddit user on a thread about how mildly infuriating some people found it that the buzz around her gold medal revolved around her boyfriend.

“Her fault for choosing to date someone who attracts constant negativity to themselves,” wrote another Reddit user, prompting a reply that read, “Partner with an attention whore of a person, will always be known as ‘Partner of [Attention Whore].’”

A gold medal doesn’t appear to be enough in the age of ideology.

A gold medal doesn’t appear to be enough in the age of ideology. While her victory should have been celebrated—after all, a female athlete broke a record—it became yet another case study in how modern celebrity culture conflates achievement with politics. In the social media age, victory is never just victory. It becomes a canvas for political projection.

And while the banter will fade, her time on the scoreboard will not. Long after the internet finds its next Jutta Leerdam, Sydney Sweeney, or even Taylor Swift and stokes pointless controversy, her record will still stand. Hopefully, a less divided global culture can learn to appreciate a woman making history.

She won because she was the fastest skater on the ice that day. Everything else is meaningless noise. She’s a woman at the peak of her athletic ability doing exactly what she trained to do, and doing it better than anyone else.