April 10, 2026 – Town of Wayne, Wi – Olympic speedskating sensation Jordan Stolz is back home in Wisconsin, and if the crowds gathering around him are any indication, life has changed a bit for the young man from the Town of Wayne, WI.
Fresh off an Olympic run that brought home two gold medals, a silver, and elevated him into international stardom, Stolz will serve as the featured attraction in a hometown parade Friday, April 10 in Kewaskum, celebrating one of the area’s fastest-ever athletes.
Before the parade, Stolz added another memory to his whirlwind post-Olympic schedule by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Milwaukee Brewers’ Opening Day.
“I had a decent amount of notice,” Stolz said. “But I decided to practice only the night before. Last time I threw a ball was like three years ago, so I just had a little practice.”
The first pitch assignment was another surreal moment in what has become a blur of public appearances since his Olympic triumph, though Stolz’s schedule was complicated by the fact he still had major world championship races to complete after the Games.
Foto; Jenning de Boo Wereld Kampioen
Vlnr Jordan Stolz, Jenning de Boo en Zhongyan Ning.
“World Sprints and the World Allrounds were super important for speed skating history,” Stolz said. “I was going to try and win the sprints. I could be the only guy besides Shani Davis and Eric Heiden who have a world sprint title and a world all-around title. I wasn’t able to do it, but I still tried in the all-arounds.”
Though the grueling stretch did not end exactly as he hoped, Stolz noted one remarkable distinction.
“I’m still the only person who’s ever competed in both on the same weekend,” he said.
That challenge came at a cost physically.
“I kind of felt it for the whole week,” Stolz said of the recovery. “Yeah, it was rough.”
Still, he believes the feat can eventually be done successfully.
“I still think it’s possible to do both,” Stolz said. “Some of the Dutch coaches think that, too. The fans think it seems outrageous to do it, and it is, but I still think there is a possibility it can be done.”
Now back in Wisconsin, Stolz is enjoying a rare chance to slow down, at least briefly.
“I’m enjoying the break. I wouldn’t say I miss it,” he said of time away from the ice. “I like going out there and skating just a little bit for fun.”
Even then, the competitive switch never fully shuts off.
“I’m actually going to do a little time trial on the weekend,” he added. “Just for fun, just to see what I can do after sitting around and doing nothing.”
His return home has also brought a new experience locally: celebrity.
“It’s super nice being able to walk around and have people recognize me,” Stolz said. “Before, I’d be able to walk around and not many people were asking for photos. But I feel like there’s a lot of recognition now with the two gold medals, which is great for the sport.”
The recognition, he says, is not just meaningful personally, but important for speedskating’s visibility in Wisconsin and beyond.
“All the things that have come out about me in the media and everything, it’s been nice to have that,” Stolz said. “Not just for me, but for speed skating in general and in Milwaukee, too.”
Among the most memorable moments of his homecoming has been sharing his medals with fans, especially younger athletes.
“I just try to put myself in their shoes,” Stolz said. “To see the gold medal and kind of how I was the first time I saw it. It was really nice. Felt pretty heavy.”
Watching kids hold the hardware has brought things full circle for the Olympic champion.
“They’re looking up to the skater,” Stolz said. “Kind of like how back in the day I was.”
As for his future, Stolz said he likely has two more Winter Olympics ahead of him.
“If it weren’t for 2034 being in Salt Lake City, I probably wouldn’t do it. But being it’s going to be on home soil, it’s something that I should probably do.”
He also left the door cracked open to a potential crossover into cycling someday.
“If it’s something where I can see pretty good results right away, like track cycling, then maybe I’ll try for the Summer Olympics,” Stolz said. “But I’m not going to change too much in my body that it takes away from skating.”
For now, however, Stolz’s focus remains on enjoying the moment, reconnecting with home, and embracing the fanfare surrounding a career that is already moving at full speed.
On a side note:
-The parade begins at the Public Library on Fond du Lac Avenue at 4 p.m. but local business owners say traffic starts to get heavy around 2:45 p.m. when school lets out, so you may want to plan ahead and get into town early. The parade will make its way to the high school.
