Jordan Stolz Delivers Again: American Speedskater Wins Second Gold in Milan with Record-Breaking 500m Sprint
When the U.S. needed a jolt of energy at these Winter Olympics, Jordan Stolz didn’t just show up-he took over.
The 21-year-old speedskating sensation captured his second gold medal in Milan on Saturday, blazing through the 500-meter sprint in 33.77 seconds. Not only did he set a new Olympic record, but he also did it in the event many didn’t expect him to dominate.
That’s right-this was supposed to be his weakest race. Turns out, nobody told Jordan Stolz.
Coming off a tough night for Team USA-where Ilia Malinin, a favorite in figure skating, stumbled to an eighth-place finish-Stolz gave American fans something to rally around. With injuries sidelining stars like Lindsey Vonn and Chloe Kim, and others like Mikaela Shiffrin still searching for their Olympic rhythm, Stolz stepped into the spotlight and owned it.
Let’s talk about the race itself. The 500m is a sprint in every sense-there’s no room for error, no time to recover.
If you’re not on from the first stride, you’re out. Stolz knew that.
And while his start was solid-clocking 9.55 seconds in the opening 100 meters-it was his finish that separated him from the pack. He closed with a blistering 24.22-second final lap, the fastest split of the day, and enough to edge out his Dutch heatmate Jenning de Boo by 0.11 seconds.
Canada’s Laurent Dubreuil claimed bronze with a 34.26.
With that win, Stolz became the first American to top the podium in the 500m since Joey Cheek did it two decades ago. And he’s not done yet-there are still two more events on his schedule.
The buzz? He’s chasing greatness on the level of Eric Heiden, who famously won five golds in 1980.
That’s not just hype. It’s a real possibility.
Earlier in the week, Stolz already made headlines with his 1,000-meter gold, where he surged from behind to clock a 1:06.28-another Olympic record. That race showed off his signature style: go hard early, then find another gear when it matters most.
But in the 500m, there’s no time for a comeback. You either lead or you lose.
Stolz didn’t blink.
After crossing the finish line, he raised his arms-calm, composed, almost businesslike. There was still one skater left who could threaten him: Poland’s Damian Zurek, who had beaten Stolz in the last two World Cup races at this distance.
But Zurek’s 34.35 wasn’t enough. And when the final pair failed to top Stolz’s time, the arena erupted.
Even though the crowd leaned heavily Dutch, there was plenty of love for Stolz. He’s a familiar face in the Netherlands, where he skates professionally and has become something of a cult hero. After his 1,000m win, he celebrated with an American flag draped across his back and a multi-colored helmet-a nod to his Dutch fan base.
How popular is he over there? Let’s just say he once got out of a parking ticket because of who he is. Stolz may be a household name in the Netherlands, but back home in the U.S., his legend is just starting to grow.
And he’s got the mindset to match the moment. Eric Heiden, the gold standard of American speedskating, summed it up perfectly: “He’s a race horse.
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 has been there since the beginning. Stolz first got hooked on the sport after watching Apolo Ohno and Shani Davis at the 2010 Olympics.
He was five. Soon after, he convinced his dad, Dirk, to let him and his sister skate on their frozen lake in Wisconsin.
The next year, he joined a local speedskating club. And he didn’t just dabble-he obsessed.
Dirk used to plow a clean circle on the lake so Jordan could practice crossovers under the stars. When he was 12 and home sick one day, Dirk found him watching Pavel Kulizhnikov’s world-record race on an iPad, trying to figure out how to beat him.
That’s who Jordan Stolz is. A student of the sport.
A grinder. A quiet competitor with the kind of mental edge you just can’t teach.
“He’s got it in the head, right?” Dirk said earlier this week.
“You got the gift of physical ability and mental ability. Put the two together and that’s him.”
The U.S. had two other skaters in Saturday’s 500m final. Cooper McLeod (34.90) and Zach Stoppelmoor (35.43) finished 22nd and 27th, respectively.
Both were making their Olympic debuts and gaining valuable experience. McLeod also competed in the 100m earlier this week, finishing 19th.
But this night belonged to Jordan Stolz. Two races.
Two golds. Two Olympic records.
And he’s just getting started.