USA speed skater breaks record to surpass rivals

Jordan Stoltz Shines at Winter Olympics

Jordan Stoltz, set to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics, is already gaining attention as one of Team USA’s standout athletes. His early performance has only reinforced those expectations.

Over the last few seasons, Stoltz has excelled in sprint speed skating. He swept all the 1,000m and 1,500m races during the World Cup season, and claimed five victories out of nine in the 500m. This impressive track record has secured his place in the upcoming Winter Olympics. Following his victories in both the 2023 and 2024 World Championships, he also won titles for the full season across all three sprint distances last year.

Stoltz kicked off his Olympic journey with a 1,000-meter race in Milan-Cortina. He was widely regarded as the favorite, entering the competition as the current world record holder in that distance, having set the record in January 2024.

In this event, Stoltz had to wait for his turn, being placed 14th among 15 participants. Local favorite Daniele Di Stefano led the fifth group with a time of 1:08.17, followed by Dutch skater Kyjerd Nuis from the tenth group and Joep Wenemar from the eleventh. Nuis briefly took the lead with a time of 1:07.65, only to be surpassed by his fellow countryman, who clocked in at 1:07.58.

China’s Ning Zhongyan, a 1,500-meter specialist and one of the nation’s flag bearers for the 2026 Olympics, performed an impressive race in the 12th pairing. He set a strong time of 1:07.34, surpassing the Dutch skaters and moving into a medal-contending position.

Then, it was Stoltz’s moment to shine.

In a thrilling matchup with his biggest rival, Jenning de Vu from the Netherlands, Stoltz took an early lead after a strong start. However, de Vu surged ahead in the final lap. Stoltz responded with an incredible final push, finishing in 1:06.28—nearly a second faster than the existing Olympic record and half a second ahead of Des Boux.

Stoltz’s win wasn’t sealed until the final pairing concluded. Estonia’s Marten Lib and Poland’s Damian Zurek had previously faced Stoltz in the 500 meters, with Zurek besting him then. But in this race, Zurek finished in 1:07.41, securing only fourth place.

Stoltz started off his 1,000-meter campaign with a significant lead, the largest seen since the 1984 Winter Olympics.

Yet, there was still some uncertainty.

He had to wait while Wenemar re-skated, due to being obstructed during their initial run. This led to some tense moments as they prepared for the re-run, accompanied by music from the venue’s DJ. Wenemar, now with all eyes on him, gave it his all but couldn’t better his initial time and ultimately joined Stoltz on the podium.