Jordan Stolz Wins Gold and Sets Olympic Record in 1,000-Meter Speedskating

MILAN — Renowned U.S. speedskater Jordan Stolz claimed his inaugural Olympic medal on Wednesday by capturing gold in the 1,000-meter event, alongside establishing a new Olympic record.

Stolz completed the race with a remarkable time of 1:06.28, slicing nearly a second off the previous record. He finished ahead of Jenning de Boo from The Netherlands, who took the silver, and Zhongyan Ning of China, who earned the bronze medal.

“During the last lap, Jenning was leading at the 600-meter mark, and I started worrying that he might actually win,” Stolz shared with NBC News. “However, I focused on pushing myself to the limit, using both arms as powerfully as possible, and successfully overtook him.”

After demonstrating his extraordinary skills as a young contender in the 2022 Winter Olympics at just 17 years of age, Stolz has been celebrated as the best speedskater globally. Despite finishing 13th in the 500-meter and 14th in the 1,000-meter events then, he has since become dominant in the sport.

Stolz achieved significant victories at the World Championships in 2023 and 2024, winning in the 500-meter, 1,000-meter, and 1,500-meter events. His accomplishments were punctuated by becoming the youngest male World Allround champion in nearly half a century. Although he set the world record for the 1,000-meter in January 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah, with a time of 1:05.37, he expressed that Wednesday’s record was more satisfying given it was achieved without the advantage of high altitude.

“Winning the Olympic gold feels even more extraordinary than I imagined,” Stolz said. “I’ve dedicated extensive training over the past four years since the last Olympics. You have only one chance to secure the gold in the 1,000, and achieving it feels surreal.”

Anticipated to vie for gold in the 500-meter, 1,000-meter, and 1,500-meter events in Milan, Stolz is also a potential competitor in the men’s mass start. Securing at least three gold medals would place him alongside Eric Heiden as the only American, regardless of sport, to achieve such a feat at a single Winter Games.

Stolz expressed relief at having secured his first gold medal, saying, “It’s a great relief to have the first one. It’s about understanding the experience of that setting with the crowd, the pressure, and the preparation. Now I have a clear idea of what to anticipate.”

Greg Rosenstein, sports editor for NBC News Digital, reports on this achievement.