Kewaskum, WI – The U.S. speed skating season kicks off in November, marking the start of what promises to be a defining stretch for Kewaskum’s own Jordan Stolz, the 20-year-old phenom who has quickly become America’s brightest gold medal hope heading into the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
And when one legend calls another a “phenom,” it carries weight. WashingtonCountyInsider.com sat down with 5-time Olympic gold medalist Eric Heiden, widely regarded as the greatest speed skater in history. He said he sees something special in Stolz — not just in his talent, but in his mindset.
“Jordan’s a phenom of speed skating,” said Heiden. “The problem is the sport has changed a lot since I was there. Back then, you had to skate every distance — sprints, middle, and long — just to survive. Now, there’s so much specialization. But Jordan? He’s a very good short and middle-distance skater. The 1,000 meters is his forte. He can dabble at the 500 and 1,500 and be very competitive.”
Heiden, who famously won all five individual events at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, said Stolz’s range and power give him a rare versatility. But conquering the long distances — the 5,000 and 10,000 meters — would be another mountain entirely.
“I’d like to see what he could do if he really invested some time into those long distances,” Heiden said. “Maybe not a lot, but if he did, he’d be pretty darn competitive. Maybe not a winner, but he’d be on the podium every once in a while.”
While Heiden acknowledged the sport has evolved — with athletes now hyper-focused on specific distances and training programs — he sees in Stolz a kind of throwback spirit: raw determination combined with a relentless drive to improve.
“I don’t even think Jordan knows how high he can set the bar yet,” Heiden said. “He’s still exploring what he can do.”
When asked what traits Stolz shares with him, Heiden didn’t hesitate.
“I think the physiology is similar — a good anaerobic engine that can be trained to become more aerobic,” he said. “He’s got a great body for skating those kinds of races. But more than that, he’s got the mental fortitude. The guy likes skating. That matters. You can have all the physical gifts in the world, but it’s the mental side — the ability to suffer, to push yourself — that separates the best.”
Heiden knows that mindset well. His dominance in 1980 came from a deep personal competitiveness, a willingness to push himself to the edge of exhaustion every single day.
“Speed skating is racing the clock,” he said. “The guy who can suffer the most is going to win. Every day in training, you push yourself to the limit and see what your abilities are. That’s what Jordan does, too. He enjoys the challenge of seeing how good he can get.”
That pursuit of perfection, Heiden said, never really ends — even after a win.
“Even if you win, you’re never fully satisfied,” he said. “You get the medal, the applause, but you’re already thinking, ‘Man, I made a small mistake in that second turn, and it cost me.’ At that level, you’re not chasing results — you’re chasing perfection.”
As Stolz heads into the Olympic season, carrying the expectations of a nation and the hopes of his hometown, Heiden sees a skater cut from the same cloth as the legends before him.
“He’s got the talent, he’s got the build, and most importantly, he’s got the mindset,” Heiden said. “That’s what it takes to be great. That’s what it takes to win.”
Watch for live coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy on WashingtonCountyInsider.com starting February 6, 2026.
October 3, 2025 – Kewaskum, WI – Washington County’s own speed skating phenom Jordan Stolz is wasting no time as he prepares for the upcoming ISU World Cup season and, more importantly, the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The reigning world champion says his summer has been all about sharpening his strength, improving endurance, and staying healthy after a challenging finish to last season.
“The training has been going really good,” Stolz said during a recent one-on-one interview. “I’ve gotten a lot stronger over the summer and I’ve made some improvements on both my endurance and my sprint training. Hopefully I can put that onto the ice and have maybe an even better season. The beginning of last season was strong; obviously, the ending wasn’t so great, but I think this one’s going to be even better.”
The end of Stolz’s previous season was derailed by an untimely illness just weeks before the World Championships. The 20-year-old reflected on what he’s learned about recovery and resilience.
“Obviously, you try to avoid sickness, but there’s so much you can do in that time frame after you get sick to have a better recovery. For me, it was about learning to rest more to bounce back from the antibiotics. That situation really killed things off last year. Hopefully I don’t have that again, but if I do, I’ll be more prepared just from experience.”
This year, Stolz has set his sights squarely on his Olympic races.
“It’s just more specific,” Stolz said. “Every day’s training is focused on what I’m going to be racing at the Olympics. I’ll be doing the 500 and 1,000, and possibly the 1,500. We’re not adding extra things like the 5Ks, and Team Pursuit is still up in the air. The national team wanted me to do it, so we’re still debating that. But really, the focus is sharp. My body’s in really good shape right now. It’s not like I built a huge endurance base over the summer and now need to build it back on the ice. My body’s right where it needs to be to do well in February.”
While the grind of international travel is part of a top athlete’s life, Stolz admitted he appreciates the balance between the road and time at home in Wisconsin.
“I like both,” he said. “I like being home in the summer to get a break from traveling all over the place. That gets exhausting, so it makes being home more refreshing — not boring.”
As the ISU World Cup season begins, Stolz’s fine-tuned approach suggests he’s not just aiming for podiums but for the top step — and he’s determined to arrive in Italy next February in peak condition.
The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina will mark Stolz’s second Olympic appearance, and with a dialed-in training plan and valuable lessons learned, he’s hoping this time the road leads to gold.
A couple side notes:
The ISU World Cup Speed Skating season starts November 14 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
– The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy begin February 7, 2026. Jordan Stolz is expected to skate the 500m, 1000m, and 1500m. He could also participate in the Team Pursuit…. but that’s yet to be determined. The ISU provided this description of Team Pursuit, “Teams of three skaters compete. Skating together increases the pace because skaters can make use of each other’s draft and push each other. The men’s competition comprises eight laps, and the women’s six. The Team Pursuit is held in pairs, but without inner or outer lanes. The two teams start simultaneously on opposite sides of the track.”
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There is a shot of an Olympic flag in the video before the blooper outtake about all the background noise (birds chirping) during the interview. The flag was actually a gift from Jordan – a kind ‘thank you’ for the extensive media coverage we’ve provided since he competed in his first Olympics in 2022.
The 2026 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Long Track will be held at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on January 2-5, 2026. That means speedskating favorite and current world record holder Jordan Stolz will be looking to qualify in front of hometown fans. “Having Olympic trials this year with a full crowd from my home state, with my family and friends all there will be amazing,” he said.
Stolz has dominated the international competition for the past three years, and he continues to train at the Pettit in Milwaukee.
Stolz is the current World Record holder in the 1000m and 7x World Champion, he looks to return to the Olympics for the second time as a medal favorite.
This Olympic Trails will be a unique opportunity for community members to cheer on Team USA as their Olympic dreams become reality.
Ticketing for the event will open to the public in early October.
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This past August during the benefit for the 16th Avenue Flood Victims, Stolz donated an autographed photo, US flag, and The Pettit Ice Center donated two tickets to the U.S. Olympic qualifier in January 2026. The raffle was made extra special because the person who won was also named Jordan.
Below is a photo of the famous leg injury Stolz suffered over the summer when he tumbled over the handlebars of his bicycle while out on a training ride. Sixteen stitches later, he’s healed up nicely. Coach Bob Corby said he wasn’t too concerned, and the injury won’t impact Jordan’s performance. PS – After the crash, a fan of Jordan’s donated a new bike.
Do you remember the video from two years ago after Stolz won the World Cup and his first Oscar Mathisen Award? How many familiar faces do you recognize?
