Jordan Stolz has already made a splash at the Olympics, breaking records and earning two gold medals alongside a silver. However, he’s not done competing in Milan just yet.
Today, February 20th, Stolz is set to compete in the mass start speed skating event. Just less than two weeks ago, he secured his first Olympic gold in the 1,000 meters while also claiming gold in the 500-meter race. Recently, he won a silver medal in the 1500 meters, which is, notably, his longest event apart from the mass start.
So, what do you need to know about this mass start event at the Winter Games?
Men’s Mass Start Speed Skating Schedule
The men’s mass start event kicks off today, February 21, starting with the semifinals at 9 a.m. ET on USA Network, which then transitions to NBC at 10 a.m. ET. The finals are scheduled to begin at 10:40 a.m.
Watching the Men’s Speed Skating Mass Start
If cable isn’t your thing, and you’re looking to catch the Olympics without it, a live TV streaming service could do the trick. Personally, I’ve found DIRECTV to be a solid choice—it even offers a 5-day free trial, along with plans starting from $69.99 per month that include both USA Network and NBC. With a subscription, you can enjoy all Olympic moments. Another option is Peacock, with subscriptions beginning at $10.99 monthly.
Understanding Speed Skating Mass Start
The mass start is a 16-lap race where all skaters start simultaneously from a single point, which makes it quite different from the usual pair races. The outcome isn’t decided by just time but includes “sprint points.” These points are awarded during intermediate sprints that occur after laps 4, 8, and 12, with the last, most critical sprint happening on lap 16.
During the initial sprints, the top three finishers get points (5, 3, and 1, respectively). But in the final sprint, points are multiplied significantly—first, second, and third earn 60, 40, and 20 points. In this method, rankings can be surprising. For instance, the skater who finishes fifth might have amassed more points than the sixth, due to performance in intermediate sprints.
Mass Start Competitors
Semi-final 1
- Jorit Bergsma (NED)
- Jung Jae Won (Korea)
- Jordan Stoltz (USA)
- Felix Marie (GER)
- Antoine Gelinas Beaulieu (CNA)
- Victor Half Solap (DEN)
- Indra Medard (BEL)
- Shomu Sasaki
- Mathieu Beloire (France)
- Sigurd Holbo Dyrset (NOR)
- Daniele Di Stefano (Italy)
- Alexander Faltfer (AUT)
- Li Wenhao (China)
- Vladimir Semirny (POL)
Semi-final 2
- Andrea Giovanni (ITA)
- Bert Swings (BEL)
- Livio Wenger (SUI)
- Metdesi Zirek (CZE)
- Gabriel Odor (AUT)
- Timothy Rubineau (France)
- Fridtjof Petzold (GER)
- Ethan Seplan (USA)
- Cho Seung-min (Korea)
- Didrik en Strand (NOR)
- Kim Min Seok (HUN)
- Daniel Hall (Canada)
- Arito Motonaga
- Stein van de Vandt (NED)
- Yu Wu (China)
2026 Winter Olympics Recap
Current World Record in Men’s 1000m Speed Skating
Right now, the world record for men’s speed skating in the 1,000 meters, held by Jordan Stolz, is 1:05.37. He broke the previous record of 1:05.69 on January 26, 2024. Notably, the Olympic record for this distance, set by Dutch skater Gerard van Velde in 2002, is 1:07.18—two seconds slower.
Closing Ceremony of the Winter Olympics
The 2026 Winter Olympics are set to wrap up with a closing ceremony on February 22nd at 2:30 p.m. ET.
