Overview
- Leerdam confirmed late Monday that she will not compete in the upcoming season, calling the decision an indefinite pause rather than a final retirement.
- She made the announcement in a twelve-minute YouTube “Life Update” in which she grew emotional and said she 'follows her feeling' about stepping away from competition.
- The 27-year-old is coming off her peak winter: she won gold in the 1,000m and silver in the 500m at the 2026 Milan Olympics.
- Leerdam said she will focus on producing social‑media content, exploring the world and learning new skills during the break, and she explicitly declined to 'close the door completely' on speed skating.
- The pause will remove a top sprinter from the next season and shift public attention to Leerdam’s large online following and her engagement to influencer Jake Paul, factors that could shape her off-ice career and sponsorship choices.