Jordan Stolz Delivers Second Gold in Milan, Cementing His Place in U.S. Olympic History
When Team USA needed a spark, Jordan Stolz lit the fuse.
The 21-year-old speedskating phenom from Wisconsin delivered a second gold medal in Milan on Saturday, winning a wild, razor-tight 500-meter race that not only added to his growing legacy but also gave American fans a much-needed jolt of Olympic pride. In what was considered his least dominant event, Stolz didn’t just win-he shattered the Olympic record with a blistering time of 33.77 seconds, just 0.12 off his personal best.
To put that in perspective: this was the event many thought might trip him up. Instead, he turned it into a showcase.
Coming off a rough night for U.S. figure skating-where Ilia Malinin, a gold medal hopeful, finished a disappointing eighth-and a Games marked by injuries (Lindsey Vonn, Chloe Kim) and underwhelming performances (Malinin again, plus Mikaela Shiffrin), Stolz's triumph brought a wave of relief and celebration back to the red, white, and blue.
Quiet and composed off the ice, Stolz became the first American to win Olympic gold in the 500m since Joey Cheek did it two decades ago. He edged out Netherlands rival Jenning de Boo by just 0.11 seconds-yes, the same de Boo he outpaced in the 1,000-meter earlier in the week. Canada’s Laurent Dubreuil claimed bronze with a time of 34.26.
Stolz now has two golds in Milan and isn’t done yet. With two more events to go, he’s chasing a lofty benchmark: Eric Heiden’s five-gold haul from the 1980 Winter Olympics. That’s rare air, but Stolz is skating like someone who belongs in the conversation.
His win in the 1,000m earlier this week came in dramatic fashion-a come-from-behind surge that ended with a new Olympic record of 1:06.28. That race was a masterclass in pacing and power, but the 500m is a different beast.
There’s no time to build into it. You either explode out of the gate or get left behind.
Stolz knew that. He clocked 9.55 seconds through the first 100 meters-not the fastest start, but enough to keep him in the mix.
From there, he did what he does best: close like a freight train. His final lap split was 24.22, the fastest of the day, and it was that late-race speed that vaulted him to the top of the podium.
He raised his arms at the finish, but that was about it. No wild celebration.
No theatrics. Just a quiet nod to the work still ahead.
And there was still tension in the air-Poland’s Damian Zurek, who had beaten Stolz in the last two World Cup 500m races, was still to skate. But Zurek’s 34.35 wasn’t enough. The final heat couldn’t touch Stolz either, and just like that, the gold was his.
The crowd in Milan leaned heavily Dutch, but Stolz is no stranger to skating in the Netherlands-he competes professionally there, and he’s a fan favorite. After winning the 1,000m, he celebrated with an American flag draped across his back and wore his signature multi-colored helmet, a staple of his Dutch league appearances.
He’s so well-known in the Netherlands that he once got out of a parking ticket. That’s the kind of fame we’re talking about. But now, finally, the buzz is building back home too.
Stolz isn’t just winning-he’s doing it with the kind of dominance that draws comparisons to legends. And Eric Heiden, the man who set the gold standard in 1980, sees it too.
“He’s a race horse,” Heiden said. “He goes to the line, and he just wants to race and see his ability. He doesn’t have a lot of concerns about what other people are doing.”
That tunnel vision started early. Stolz was just five when he saw Apolo Ohno and Shani Davis skate at the 2010 Olympics. That was enough to get him and his sister Hannah out on the family lake in Wisconsin, where their dad, Dirk, would clear a circle of ice so they could practice crossovers under the stars.
Jordan didn’t just skate-he studied. At 12, while home sick, Dirk found him watching Pavel Kulizhnikov’s world-record 500m race on an iPad, analyzing every stride, trying to figure out how to beat him.
That’s when Dirk knew his son had something special.
“He’s got it in the head, right?” Dirk said after the 1,000m win.
“You got the gift of physical ability and mental ability. Put the two together and that’s him.”
This is Stolz’s first Olympics, but he’s carrying himself like a veteran-and skating like a champion. He’s already made history. And he’s not done yet.
As for the rest of Team USA, Cooper McLeod and Zach Stoppelmoor made their Olympic debuts in the 500m, finishing 22nd and 27th, respectively. McLeod also placed 19th in the 1000m earlier in the week. For both, these Games are just the beginning.
But for Stolz, Milan is already a moment. And if he keeps skating like this, it might just become a legacy.