Jordan Stolz’s Historic Gold Medal Win in Speedskating at Milan Olympics

In an impressive display of speedskating prowess, Jordan Stolz, a prominent U.S. athlete, clinched his first Olympic medal by securing gold in the 1,000-meter event at the Milan Olympics. His remarkable performance set a new Olympic record with a time of 1:06.28, nearly a second faster than the previous record.

Stolz surpassed Jenning de Boo from The Netherlands, who took silver, and China’s Zhongyan Ning, who earned bronze. Reflecting on the intense race, Stolz recounted to NBC News, “In the last lap, Jenning was leading at the 600-meter mark, and I was concerned he might win. But I decided I couldn’t let that happen, so I pushed hard with everything I had to overtake him.”

Recognized as one of the top skaters globally, Stolz had participated in the 2022 Winter Olympics at just 17 years old, where he was the youngest male athlete representing the U.S. team. Although he placed 13th in the 500-meter and 14th in the 1,000-meter during those games, Stolz has since dominated the speedskating scene.

He has triumphed in sweeping the 500-meter, 1,000-meter, and 1,500-meter events at the World Championships in both 2023 and 2024. Notably, Stolz became the youngest male World Allround champion in 46 years. Furthermore, he set a world record in the 1,000-meter with a time of 1:05.37 in January 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, he remarked that his Olympic accomplishment was more fulfilling because it wasn’t achieved at high altitude.

Stolz has maintained an impressive unbeaten streak across 14 races in the 1,000-meter category at the World Cup level. After his victorious performance, Stolz shared, “Winning the Olympic gold medal feels even more rewarding than I anticipated. It’s an immense achievement after years of rigorous training since the last Olympics.”

In Milan, the Wisconsin native is positioned as a strong contender for gold in the 500-meter, 1,000-meter, and 1,500-meter events. There’s also potential for him to participate in the men’s mass start. Achieving at least three gold medals would position Stolz alongside Eric Heiden as the only American athlete to do so in a single Winter Games event.

Expressing satisfaction with his achievements, Stolz commented, “It’s great to secure the first gold. Experiencing the crowd, the pressure, and the buildup gives you a clearer idea of what to expect going forward.”

Greg Rosenstein serves as the sports editor for NBC News Digital.