MILAN – Jordan Stolz, a 21-year-old American speed skater, claimed his first Olympic gold medal Wednesday in the men’s 1000 meters at the Milano Cortina Games, setting a new Olympic record of 1 minute, 6.28 seconds. The victory, secured at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium, was initially met with a period of uncertainty as Stolz awaited the results of a re-skate by another competitor.
Stolz’s winning time surpassed the previous Olympic record of 1:07.18, set by Gerard van Velde of the Netherlands in 2002, a time that predates Stolz’s birth in May 2004. The performance marks the largest margin of victory on the Olympic level since 1984, according to NBC Olympics. Whereas Stolz holds the world record in the event at 1:05.37, set in 2024, his Olympic record performance still represented a significant achievement.
The race unfolded with Stolz initially posting the fourth-slowest opening 200m split (16.18). He then rallied, overtaking Dutch skater Jenning de Boo, who finished with the silver medal in 1:06.28, by half a second. Ning Zhongyan of China secured the bronze medal with a time of 1:07.34.
“I thought I was feeling good in the beginning, and then Jenning just came by me, and I thought, ‘Wow, maybe he’s good enough to win the gold, and then I’ll be getting second,’” Stolz told NBC Sports’ Lewis Johnson after the race. “And then in that second-to-last turn, I was like, ‘No, I can’t let this happen.’ So, I threw two arms down and I just went as hard as I possibly could, and I made it.”
This win represents the first Olympic gold medal for an American man in speed skating since Shani Davis won the 1,000m in 2010, and the first individual Olympic speed skating medal for a U.S. Man in the same span. Stolz’s success builds on a rapid ascent in the sport, having burst onto the scene with wins at the 2022 Olympic Trials at age 17. He currently holds two world titles, two World Cup titles, and a 14-race unbeaten streak in the 1000m on the World Cup level.
Stolz is coached by Bob Corby, a former speed skater. He is scheduled to compete in the 500m and 1500m events in Milan, seeking to add to his medal count. All four long track speedskating races contested so far in Milan have been won in Olympic record time.
