U.S. speedskater nabs silver for third Olympic medal : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4328x2885+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd0%2F86%2F28f474c64a179e2e4c27f216f4f6%2Fgettyimages-2261923250.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4328x2885+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd0%2F86%2F28f474c64a179e2e4c27f216f4f6%2Fgettyimages-2261923250.jpg" class="img" alt="Jordan Stolz took silver in the men's 1500 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday." fetchpriority="high"/> Jordan Stolz took silver within the males's 1500 meters speedskating race on the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday. Daniel Munoz/AFP through Getty Photos cover caption

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Daniel Munoz/AFP through Getty Photos MILAN — 21-year-old American speedskater Jordan Stolz received his third medal on the Milan Cortina Olympic Video games Thursday. Stolz got here in second, getting a silver medal within the 1500m — his hopes of successful 4 gold medals at these Winter Video games foiled by a extremely aggressive discipline.

The time it took him to skate 3.75 laps across the observe — 1:42.75 — would have damaged the earlier Olympic report, had the report not already been damaged twice within the occasion.

Chinese language skater Zhongyan Ning skated a number of pairs forward of Stolz and delivered a time of 1:41:98, smashing the Olympic report set simply minutes earlier than by Dutch skater Joep Wennemars.

In an indication of how robust the competitors was, Wennemars got here in fourth. His teammate Kjeld Nuis clinched the bronze medal and jumped for pleasure on the rostrum.

Stolz has yet one more probability to develop into the primary American since 1980 to win no less than three gold medals at a single Winter Olympics. His final occasion is the mass begin on Saturday.

Hype In the beginning of the Video games, earlier than Stolz had received a single medal, some have been already calling him the "Michael Phelps of speedskating." Followers and friends describe him as probably "the best speedskater of all time."

Did Stolz really feel the strain? For certain. "I felt it at first earlier than the 1000m," Stolz mentioned, about his first race February 11, "but it surely's one thing you simply must take care of and get out of your thoughts."

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4605x3070+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F31%2F73%2Fe46c7c0d42f4a72f12555f9802f6%2Fgettyimages-2262496919.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4605x3070+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F31%2F73%2Fe46c7c0d42f4a72f12555f9802f6%2Fgettyimages-2262496919.jpg" class="img" alt="Silver medalist Jordan Stolz of the United States (L) celebrates on the podium as Gold medalist Zhongyan Ning of China (C) and Bronze medalist Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands (R) applaud him during the Olympic medal ceremony for the Speed Skating Men's 1500m on Thursday." loading="lazy"/> Silver medalist Jordan Stolz of the USA (L) celebrates on the rostrum as Gold medalist Zhongyan Ning of China (C) and Bronze medalist Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands (R) applaud him through the Olympic medal ceremony for the Velocity Skating Males's 1500m on Thursday. Joosep Martinson/Getty Photos cover caption

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Joosep Martinson/Getty Photos He additionally felt assured in his skating. "I've received so many [races]. It isn't one thing the place I do not know what to do," Stolz mentioned. However till Milan, he hadn't received them on the Olympic Video games. "To have the timing proper and do it on the Olympics, that is one thing that takes a variety of planning. And I believe I did it properly," he mentioned.

At his first Olympics in 2022, Stolz, then 17, competed within the 500m and the 1000m and didn't end within the high ten in both occasion.

Prior to now 4 years, Stolz's skating profession has skyrocketed. In 2023, he grew to become the primary male velocity skater to comb the 500m, 1000m and 1500m occasions on the World Championships, organized by the Worldwide Skating Union, and repeated the feat in 2024. Final yr, he reached the rostrum in these occasions whereas recovering from pneumonia and strep throat. He additionally skates professionally for the Dutch group, Albert Heijn Zaanlander.

Stolz's accomplishments draw comparisons to Eric Heiden and his previous dominance within the sport. On the 1980 Winter Olympics, Heiden received 5 particular person gold medals in every of the distances. Heiden sees similarities too, beginning with the truth that they're each from Wisconsin. "[Stolz] grew up skating on a pond behind his household's home. I grew up skating on a lake behind my grandparents' home. I used to be within the Olympics for the primary time at 17, after which my profession took off. He was within the Olympics for the primary time at 17, his profession took off," says Dr. Eric Heiden, now an orthopedic surgeon primarily based in Utah, "It is scary. It is nearly like Eric Heiden reincarnated, you realize?"

What makes him so good On the ice, Stolz's energy, endurance, and good approach develop into a successful mixture.

"This child within the weight room can push a lot weight," says KC Boutiette, a 55-year-old speedskater and four-time Olympian, "His particular energy is his energy." Boutiette says Stolz can also be extremely tactical, always adjusting to do "every part he can to make the most of each ounce of vitality to go as quick as he can."

Heiden highlights Stolz's "nice turns" and his means to outlast the competitors. "When you watch him skate [in the] 1000m or 1500m, he could not open up as rapidly as a few of the guys who're often known as sprinters," Heiden says, "He may even be down by 20 meters with a lap to go — however I hold watching him come again."

Stolz's competitor, sprinter Laurent Dubrueil from Canada, marveled at his robust finishes. "It isn't one thing we are able to copy — he is simply bodily superior to us," he mentioned, after Stolz beat his Olympic report within the 500m on February 14.

How issues have modified The game of lengthy observe speedskating has modified since Heiden swept 5 particular person gold medals, in distances starting from 500m to 10,000m on the 1980 Lake Placid Video games.

Clap skates, adopted within the mid-1990's, cut back friction and drag. "You may skate quite a bit quicker with simply that change in expertise," Heiden says.

Skaters now specialise in quick, center or lengthy distances, making it unlikely for skaters at the moment to copy Heiden's gold sweep throughout the vary of occasions, although "Jordan will most likely be the one to present it an excellent attempt," Heiden says. Whereas Stolz is at present targeted on the short- and center distances, "If he explored the alternatives within the 5000m and 10,000m, I believe he'll shock lots of people throughout the skating world and perhaps even himself."

The game has additionally develop into professionalized, due largely to its recognition within the Netherlands. "Skaters these days can do fairly properly professionally and make some fairly good cash," Heiden says, lending longevity to their skating careers. He may see a future through which Stolz continues to dominate the game via the Salt Lake Metropolis Winter Video games in 2034.