Jordan Stoltz Takes Silver in 1,500-Meter Speed Skating

American speed skater Jordan Stoltz had a bittersweet moment at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, where he secured a silver medal in the men’s 1,500-meter race. Stoltz finished 0.77 seconds behind China’s Ning Zhongyan, who set an Olympic record of 1 minute 41.98 seconds in the event. Stoltz’s time was 1:43.93, placing him ahead of Kjeld Nuis from the Netherlands.

This outcome was tough for Stoltz, especially given his impressive track record leading up to these games. Just last year, he captured the gold in the 1,500 meters at the Four Continents Championships and at the World Single Distance Championships in both 2023 and 2024. But, well, a silver medal in such a competitive field is still quite an achievement.

Earlier in the Olympics, Stoltz had already bagged two gold medals. He set new Olympic records in both the 500 meters and the 1,000 meters, demonstrating his dominance in the sport. Notably, he’s the first American to win two gold medals in speed skating since Eric Heiden did it back in 1980, and he also made history by winning the first American gold in the 500-meter event since Joey Cheek in 2006.

Stoltz entered the Olympics as a strong favorite, boasting an impressive lineup of 17 international titles, which made his participation highly anticipated. While it’s a bit disappointing not to have clinched that third gold, it’s important to acknowledge the hard work he’s put in and the heights he’s already reached in this competition.