Jake Paul and Jutta Leerdam are one of those power couples that many look forward to. Both of them are supportive of each other’s separate sports careers and have also been spotted watching each other from the stands. However, sometimes career responsibilities become a bigger priority than their relationship, letting them make some tough decisions in their life.

This time, it was the Dutch speed skater who had come up with her Christmas plans for the holiday season. She will be away from her boxer boyfriend for the holiday season, as she recently announced her speed skating plans right after her trip to Asia for the ISU Speed Skating World Cup came to an end. Surely, it was in a determined way, as Leerdam wants to clear up the concerns for her that have been built up by the community, owing to her drop in performance in the recent games.

Set to enjoy a cozy Christmas

Just like most of the athletes from many sports, Jutta Leerdam has also planned her holiday season at her home in the Netherlands. But why did she not choose to be in the United States with her boyfriend, Jake Paul? Recently, the Dutch speed skater has been on a hectic travel schedule. During the World Cup matches, she had to take multiple flights, first from Dallas, Texas, to Nagano, Japan, and then to Beijing, China. 

Traveling from North America all the way to Asia’s different locations in a span of a few days is no easy task, even if she has the luxury to do so. This schedule also impacted her training, eventually hampering her performances in the 500m sprints in Nagano. Surely, she did bounce back in Beijing with a silver, but the Dutch speed skater knew that she had much more potential in her, which was limited due to her physical condition at that time.

“Time to go home. Asia World Cup trip. It was better than expected & Mostly great races, besides 2 races where couldn’t show my power. Still struggling to have my body right some racedays. Just frustrating, but we keep working on it,” Leerdam wrote on her recent Instagram story, highlighting her recent mixed performance in the Asia leg of the World Cup. However, she is determined for her future in the sport, stating, “Already so happy I have great days where I can finally show my power again this season! Time for some off ice training and see you all end of December in Thialf!”

The World Cup isn’t over yet, as it will resume in January, when the event’s third leg will take place in Canada. Leerdam knows what she needs to train for, and she is optimistic about the opportunities that will be coming her way in the upcoming events. But since it’s the holiday season, the Dutch speed skater will be taking her time off from the sport and having a cozy one in her home with families and friends. 

Surely, her plans are all set for the holiday season. Leerdam will be on many off-sport adventures, but she won’t deviate from her goals. The 25-year-old has never shied away from discussing her troubles, and recently, when many noticed her drop in performance, owing to her hectic travel issues, she also addressed them, as she is currently working on her speed skating abilities.

Jutta Leerdam’s awareness of her issues

Mostly, people tend to avoid addressing their issues publicly, especially professional athletes. However, that is not the case with Jutta Leerdam, who is quite open to her fans’ concern about her recent performance decline, as seen at the ISU Speed Skating World Cup’s Asia leg. Nagano and Beijing were the two cities where the athlete participated, and both of her performances showed a huge contrast. While in Nagano she completely struggled, even to make it to the podium, in Beijing, she was challenging her rivals for the gold but had to settle for the silver in the 500m sprint. 

Eventually, this gap in her speed skating talent caused many questions in the community, which she noticed, and she addressed her speed skating troubles, stating, “Last week I was struggling with my feet. I wasn’t in the race. I worked on it a lot this week. I noticed during the warm-up that I can collapse with my ankle again. That makes a difference of almost a second, I think.” These tiny little details can make a ton of impact on the results, and Leerdam was aware of it. However, she has promised her fans that she will be working on it and will be in her best form whenever she gets back in the rink.