Jordan Stolz Concludes Winter Games with Two Gold, One Silver Medal

American speedskater Jordan Stolz, 21, completed his participation in the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics with a total of three medals: two gold and one silver. Stolz secured gold medals in the 500m and 1000m events, setting new Olympic records in both, and earned a silver medal in the 1500m race. His Games concluded with a fourth-place finish in the men's mass start.

Athlete Profile: Jordan Stolz

Jordan Stolz, hailing from Kewaskum, Wisconsin, embarked on his skating journey at age five. His early interest in speed skating was profoundly influenced by the 2010 Olympics. He trained at the Pettit National Ice Center and won his first US national title at just 16. Stolz has also benefited from collaboration with Shani Davis, a two-time Olympic 1000m champion. He skates professionally for the Dutch team Albert Heijn Zaanlander.

Stolz holds an impressive seven world championship titles, having swept the 500m, 1000m, and 1500m events at the World Championships in both 2023 and 2024. He is the world record holder in the 1000m with a time of 1:05.37 and a two-time world champion in the 1500m distance, where his personal best stands at 1:40.48. His prior Olympic appearance at the 2022 Beijing Games saw him place 14th in the 1000m and 13th in the 500m.

Olympic Performance Overview

Stolz competed across four challenging events at the Milan Cortina Games: the 1000m, 500m, 1500m, and the mass start.

Stolz secured his first Olympic gold medal in the men's 1000m speedskating event, completing the race in 1 minute, 6.28 seconds, establishing a new Olympic record. Jenning de Boo of the Netherlands claimed the silver medal, with Zhongyan Ning of China receiving the bronze.

This victory marked the first medal for the United States in the men's 1000m since the 2010 Vancouver Games.

Stolz entered the Games with an undefeated record in all five 1000m World Cup circuit events, signaling his formidable form.

The 500m event saw Stolz achieve his second gold medal, finishing with a new Olympic record time of 33.77 seconds. He finished a mere 0.11 seconds ahead of Jenning de Boo, who once again secured a silver medal. Laurent Dubreuil of Canada, who initially set an Olympic record of 34.26 seconds in the event, earned the bronze.

Stolz stated after the race that it was a "toss up," acknowledging that both he and de Boo executed clean races. De Boo, in turn, recognized Stolz's exceptional discipline and medal record.

Stolz earned a silver medal in the 1500m event. His time of 1:42.75 surpassed the previous Olympic record, though the record itself had already been broken twice during the event by other competitors. Zhongyan Ning of China ultimately won the gold medal with a new Olympic record time of 1:41.98. Dutch skater Kjeld Nuis clinched the bronze medal in what was his final career race.

Post-race, Stolz reported that he "did not have it today," attributing it possibly to the accumulated events, but affirmed he was "still happy with silver."

Despite not feeling his best, Stolz demonstrated resilience, recording the fifth-fastest opening split and significantly reducing a 1.35-second deficit by over half a second before the final 400 meters. This marked the first time a U.S. skater reached the 1500m podium since Shani Davis in 2010.

Stolz concluded his Olympic participation with a fourth-place finish in the men's mass start finals. He was in third position during the second-to-last lap before Andrea Giovannini of Italy moved past him. Stolz completed the race in 8:04.51, following Giovannini's time of 8:04.42. Jorrit Bergsma of the Netherlands secured the gold medal (7:55.50), with Viktor Hald Thorup of Denmark earning the silver (8:00.52).

Overall Achievements and Context

With two gold and one silver medal, Jordan Stolz was the sole American athlete to claim three medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics. His exceptional performance has drawn comparisons to speedskating legend Eric Heiden, who won five individual gold medals at the 1980 Winter Olympics. Heiden himself observed notable similarities in their Wisconsin origins and career development.

The sport of long track speedskating has seen significant evolution since 1980, most notably with the adoption of clap skates in the mid-1990s, which contributed to increased speeds. Modern speedskaters often specialize in specific distances, a shift from past practices.