February 21, 2026 – Milan, Italy – Two weeks of Olympic speedskating is in the books and 3 cheers for Jordan Stolz who walked away with some hardware including 2 gold and a silver and a respectible 4th-place finish in the Mass Start. For the 21-year-old from Washington County, Wi, it was a great ride.
“I’m super happy to get two gold and silver,” Stolz said. “There’s some things that could have gone better, but I’m pretty happy with coming home with three medals.”
Stolz competed in the Mass Start on Saturday afternoon. There were two heats in the semi-final. Stolz competed in the first round and finished in fourth place.
After the women trimmed their field in the Mass Start, the finals were held. Two skaters,
It was the only race where he did not podium, but the race, according to Stolz was a tricky scenario as the field splintered.
“There were two guys who went on a break and then the guys started trying to pull back a bit, but you know, there’s not much I could have done if I would have chased all the way back and blown myself up,” said Stolz.
By the final laps, the grind of multiple events had taken its toll.
“I was pretty dead after that, especially with sprinting the last two laps,” he said. “So, I think this was a successful Olympics. Obviously, I wasn’t 100%, but I can’t really complain about two golds and a silver.”
Of his two victories, each carried a different flavor.
“I think the thousand was kind of the biggest relief to win,” he said. “Then the 500 was the most fun. I think I skated so well in that race and it was going to be the closest one and yeah it was just, you know, a split second then it’s over and then you see you won against the favorite Jenning De Boo. So yeah that was super cool.”
Comparisons inevitably were made regarding 5-time Olympic gold medalist Eric Heiden and Stolz understands the magnitude of that company.
“Yeah, it’s super hard. It’s a different time, too,” Stolz said of matching historic feats. “And if you look back, I mean, the chances of somebody doing what Heiden did again is super low. So, yeah, he’s one of the best skaters ever.”
Back home in Washington County, fans packed bars and living rooms in strong Midwest fashion, some joking their legs felt like noodles just watching him sprint down the stretch. Stolz felt that energy all the way across the Atlantic.
“I actually was receiving some nice messages online,” he said. “So, it’s super cool that everybody back home is watching and very supportive and there’s quite a bit of people who are watching. So, I’m happy I could at least win two golds and a silver for them.”
Stolz is not finished yet. The Allround ISU World Cup competition still awaits, a final exam after weeks of high-speed tests.
“We’ll see what I can do in that,” he said. “Hopefully, it goes well. I think that’ll be the toughest part of the year. And then after that, I can take some good rest.”
For the women, chalk up a win for the USA and speedskater Mia Manganello. It was her last career Olympics and her first Olympic medal. Manganello secured the bronze in a challenging Mass Start.
Stolz is not finished yet. The Allround ISU World Cup competition still awaits, a final exam after weeks of high-speed tests.
“We’ll see what I can do in that,” he said. “Hopefully, it goes well. I think that’ll be the toughest part of the year. And then after that, I can take some good rest.”
The Allrounds begin at the Thailf in Heerenveen on March 5 – 8.
Thanks for all your reporting! We watched Jordan every race. What a great trip and experience for you, too, Judy!!