4 high U.S. speedskaters to look at on the Olympics : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4842x3228+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F93%2F85%2Fc022188544339bca57c892ec80d3%2Fap26024529933367.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4842x3228+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F93%2F85%2Fc022188544339bca57c892ec80d3%2Fap26024529933367.jpg" class="img" alt="Jordan Stolz of United States reacts during the men's 1000 meters at the World Cup speedskating event in Inzell Germany, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)" fetchpriority="high"/> Jordan Stolz of United States reacts through the males's 1000 meters on the World Cup speedskating occasion in Inzell Germany, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. Matthias Schrader/AP cover caption

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Matthias Schrader/AP Present Group USA velocity skaters are drawing comparisons to previous legends, and large hopes for a brand new gold streak in Milan.

The U.S. has its share of historic velocity skating Olympic heroes, like Eric Heiden, who received gold in all 5 particular person velocity skating occasions on the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Video games; Bonnie Blair, a four-time Olympian who dominated velocity skating within the late 1980's and early 1990's; quick observe velocity skater Apolo Ohno, who stays essentially the most adorned U.S. Winter Olympian in historical past, with an collected eight medals over three Olympics.

The U.S. has nice probabilities for medals on this 12 months's video games, too.

Pace skating is among the longest-running sports activities within the Winter Olympics - a part of the unique set of 9 sports activities on the first 1924 Winter Video games in Chamonix, France.

The normal, lengthy observe model (typically simply known as "velocity skating") options athletes skating towards a single opponent, racing towards the clock, round a 400m oval – although the group pursuit, added to the Olympics in 2006, and the mass begin, added in 2018, begin with extra skaters on the observe

Quick observe speedskating, distinguished by the a lot shorter 111.12-meter oval and plenty of skaters on the observe without delay, began as an official Olympic sport in 1992. Racers say it is a very completely different sport.

"Whereas we additionally skate quick and switch left, there's far more variability to it," says Kristen Santos-Griswold, a brief observe skater who's competing within the 2026 Winter Video games. The races are in crowded heats towards different individuals, as a substitute of a single race towards the clock. The skate blades are shorter and extra maneuverable, and the kits they put on embody helmets, as a result of threat of crashing.

Listed below are 4 velocity skaters to look at, as they search redemption and glory on the 2026 Milan Cortina Video games, beginning in the present day:

Jordan Stolz (21 / Kewaskum, WI) Dominant because the final Olympics

Jordan Stolz did not medal at his first Olympics, the 2022 Beijing Winter Video games. However prior to now 4 years, he is received ten world championship medals — together with three final February whereas recovering from pneumonia — and he set the present world document within the males's 1000 meters.

Stolz's easy, aggressive skating has drawn comparisons with Eric Heiden and his gold medal sweep. Heiden himself informed NBC "Jordan is the most effective I've ever seen." Some say he might grow to be the "Michael Phelps of velocity skating" for his versatility and dominance.

Stolz, 21, hasn't received a single medal but. "Clearly, in the most effective case situation, I want to have 4 medals," he says, one for each occasion he is competing in, "However I might be completely happy if it simply goes nicely."

Occasions: Males's 1000m (2/11), Males's 500m (2/14), Males's 1500m (2/19), Males's Mass Begin (2/21)

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3940x2627+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F47%2Fe1%2F5bd1d01b4df6bc6ccc7a969ab051%2Fap25046543067146.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3940x2627+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F47%2Fe1%2F5bd1d01b4df6bc6ccc7a969ab051%2Fap25046543067146.jpg" class="img" alt="U.S. Kristen Santos-Griswold, right, gold medal, is congratulated by silver medal U.S. Corinne Stoddard during the women's 1000 meters final of the ISU Short Track World Tour and Olympics Milano-Cortina 2026 test event, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)" loading="lazy"/> U.S. Kristen Santos-Griswold, proper, gold medal, is congratulated by silver medal U.S. Corinne Stoddard through the ladies's 1000 meters ultimate of the ISU Quick Monitor World Tour and Olympics Milano-Cortina 2026 take a look at occasion, in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. Luca Bruno/AP cover caption

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Luca Bruno/AP Kristen Santos-Griswold (31 / Fairfield, CT) <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3282x3282+767+0/resize/100/quality/100/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fea%2F3d%2Fb1046e1b48419dc6951401c5da99%2Fgettyimages-2260215321.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3282x3282+767+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fea%2F3d%2Fb1046e1b48419dc6951401c5da99%2Fgettyimages-2260215321.jpg" data-format="jpeg" class="img lazyOnLoad" alt="Ellie Kam and partner Danny O'Shea of Team United States compete in the Pair Skating - Short Program at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 06, 2026 in Milan, Italy." loading="lazy"/>

A brief-track star in search of redemption

Kristen Santos-Griswold was in medal place through the quick observe 1000 meter finals on the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Then a competitor bumped her within the final lap and he or she crashed, ending fourth.

Santos-Griswold contemplated quitting the game. "I needed to take a second and sit again and resolve if I might deal with one thing like that once more, as a result of that is one thing that may be actually unforgiving with the game," she says. With remedy and help from household and mates, she determined to maintain going.

Within the years since, Santos-Griswold has been on a profitable streak. She's been topped world champion and acquired the Crystal Globe, an award for constant excellence, final season.

And he or she's approaching these Video games otherwise. In rewatching the tape from the crash, Santos-Griswold felt like she'd been contentedly cruising in the direction of a third-place end. "I used to be like, all proper, I've received a medal in my palms – let's play this protected kind of factor. And clearly that did not work out for me," she displays. "This time, going into the Video games, I wish to be certain that I go away each race feeling like I gave it my all and I did completely every thing that I might."

Occasions: Quick Monitor Blended Group Relay (2/10), Quick Monitor Ladies's 500m (2/12), Quick Monitor Ladies's 3000m Relay (2/18)

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7614x4283+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F1c%2Fb3%2Facc7df4f4778a838131c268975b7%2Fap26037782208506.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7614x4283+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F1c%2Fb3%2Facc7df4f4778a838131c268975b7%2Fap26037782208506.jpg" class="img" alt="Erin Jackson, flag bearer of United States arrives during the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)" loading="lazy"/> Erin Jackson, flag bearer of United States arrives through the Olympic opening ceremony on the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. Natacha Pisarenko/AP cover caption

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Natacha Pisarenko/AP Erin Jackson (33 / Ocala, FL) and Brittany Bowe (37 / Ocala, FL) Mates and Olympic champions / Podium buddies

On the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Erin Jackson turned the primary American since Bonnie Blair to win the gold medal within the ladies's 500 meters, and the primary Black lady to win a person velocity skating occasion.

However she would not have been there with out an help from her good friend and teammate, Brittany Bowe.

Jackson had gone into the 2022 U.S. Olympic Trials because the world's top-ranked 500m skater, however slipped on the straightaway and completed third – one spot in need of qualifying. Bowe, who had certified in three occasions, gave up her spot within the 500m so Jackson might compete.

In Milan, each shall be racing within the ladies's 500m and the ladies's 1000m occasion, for which Bowe holds the world document.

Bowe, 37, has two bronze medals from earlier Video games. At her fourth and final Olympics in Milan, she's hoping for a gold.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8640x5760+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F40%2Fd7%2Ff3b477f049bba578ac2c69c568b9%2Fap25303636383568.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/8640x5760+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F40%2Fd7%2Ff3b477f049bba578ac2c69c568b9%2Fap25303636383568.jpg" class="img" alt="Olympic hopeful U.S. speedskater, Brittany Bowe, poses for a photo at Team USA Media Summit, on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)" loading="lazy"/> Olympic hopeful U.S. speedskater, Brittany Bowe, poses for a photograph at Group USA Media Summit, on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in New York. Yuki Iwamura/AP cover caption

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Yuki Iwamura/AP The longtime mates each began as inline skaters from Ocala, Florida. One other accomplishment they share is being flag bearers for the U.S. on the Opening Ceremony: Bowe on the 2022 Beijing Olympics and Jackson, just some days in the past, in Milan.