Olympic speedskating star Jutta Leerdam says she won't race this season

NEW YORK (AP) — Olympic champion speedskater Jutta Leerdam, a global star at the Milan Cortina Winter Games watched by her fiance Jake Paul, is taking a season away from the ice.

“One thing is for sure, you will not see me skate this season,” Leerdam said in a video message on her YouTube channel that had more than 160,000 views Tuesday.

“I’m 27, life changes, feelings change, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable saying I’m fully retiring,” the Dutch skater said.

Leerdam won Olympic gold in February in the 1,000 meters at Milan cheered on by YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, her partner since 2023. She also took silver in the 500.

“I’ve had an obsession with skating,” she said in the YouTube post, adding “I’ve always been more than a skater. I am so multifaceted.”

Leerdam was in New York at the weekend attending the U.S. Open women’s singles final with Paul, and hinted Monday she would create more videos for social media channels. She has 6.3 million followers on Instagram.

By skipping this winter season, Leerdam will miss a home European Championships at Heerenveen and the world championships in February in Beijing, where she took silver in the 1,000 at the 2022 Olympics.

Heerenveen also will stage the next Olympic speedskating events for the French Alps hosts of the 2030 Winter Games, when Leerdam will be 31.

See full AP coverage of European sports here

Paris Hilton, second row right, Jutta Leerdam, from left, and Jake Paul, front right, attend a match between Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, and Elena Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - Jutta Leerdam, of the Netherlands, shows her gold medal after the women's 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United has been rocked by the news that one of its brightest prospects JJ Gabriel has asked to leave the club.

The 15-year-old youth player was the club’s Academy player of the year last season and is regarded as one of the hottest talents in his age group in Europe.

A person with knowledge of the situation said United was unclear why Gabriel wanted to leave and that the club remained hopeful the situation could be rectified.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

Gabriel, who is a striker, was due to be included in United's first team squad for the first time in a competitive match in Wednesday’s English League Cup game against Brighton.

Just last week United greats Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand spoke of Gabriel as an immense talent.

“He’s off both feet, ridiculous, getting a yard and just bang. So small, so slight, doesn’t allow people to make contact,” Ferdinand said.

Giggs added: “I think he is sort of a generational talent.”

Gabriel was named the Under-18 Premier League player of the year last year, scoring 20 goals in just 21 appearances. He started this season with a bang, scoring a hat trick when making his Uefa Youth League debut against Sabah.

United is famed for developing homegrown talent like Giggs, David Beckham and Marcus Rashford.

Ferdinand and Giggs spoke before news of Gabriel's request to leave.

Speaking on Ferdinand's ‘The Debrief’ podcast, Giggs said the teenager was at “the best club because (of) the history of young players coming through and how they’re looked after.”

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Man United team huddles just prior to kick off of the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Manchester City in Manchester, England, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)