Jordan Stolz came up just short in the men’s 1,500-meters competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics and on Thursday and settled for silver. Stolz, 21, came to the starting line needing an Olympic record to win gold and finished less than a second behind gold medalist Ning Zhongyan from China.
Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands, who took gold in the two previous Winter Olympics in the 1,500 meters, finished third. He was one of the four skaters to best the previous Olympic record in the 1,500 meters at Milano Speed Skating Stadium.
The excitement started when Joep Weenemars set an Olympic record in his pairing. Then Zhongyan and Nuis both beat it. Stolz, in the final heat of the competition, posted a time of 1:42:75.
This was Stolz’s third medal at this year's games as he already captured gold in the 500 meters on Sunday and the 1,000 meters last week. He set Olympic records in both competitions. Stolz had finished 13th in the 500 meters in 2022 Beijing Olympics and 14th in the 1,000-meter.
With the silver, Stolz failed to join Eric Heiden as the only other American athlete to win three or more gold medals in any sport at a single Winter Olympics. Heiden won five speedskating events at the Lake Placid Olympics in 1980.
Stolz has one event remaining at the Milan Cortina Games with the speedskating men’s mass start scheduled for Saturday.
More Winter Olympics on Sports Illustrated
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jordan Stolz Takes Silver in Shocking Men’s 1,500-Meter Speedskating Event.
