Leerdam, 27, of the Netherlands, claimed victory at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium with a time of 1 minute, 12.31 seconds, setting a new Olympic record. In the final moment against reigning Olympic champion Miho Takagi of Japan, Leerdam surged ahead in the closing meters. She finished nearly a full second ahead of the winning time from the 2022 Beijing Games.
Her Dutch teammate, Femke Kok, took silver with a time of 1:12.59, while Takagi of Japan earned bronze. American Brittany Bowe finished fourth, and fellow U.S. skater Erin Jackson placed sixth.
The win marked Leerdam’s first Olympic gold medal after she captured silver in the same event in Beijing four years ago.
After her win, she went over to the sideboards in front of where Paul was and paused, crying. She blew a kiss and made a heart shape with her hands while looking up toward Paul.
Leerdam entered the Milan Cortina Games as one of the favorites in the 1,000 meters after a dominant World Cup season in which she won three of four races at the distance.
Her career includes 12 world championship medals, six of them gold, with titles in the 1,000 meters in 2020 and 2023.
She is also scheduled to compete again on Sunday in the 500 meters, where she is considered a medal contender.
She explained that only nine Dutch women can qualify for the Games: “I was one of the nine through my 500m. With one spot on the 1000m still available, the KNSB decided to add me to the 1000m! 🙏 What makes me happiest is that this decision doesn’t affect any other woman in the process. So grateful that everything worked out. Milan, here we come.”
As of his December 2025 match with Anthony Joshua, Paul holds a 12-2 professional boxing record. His notable wins include Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva, Nate Diaz, Mike Perry, and a unanimous decision over former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in November 2024.