January 3, 2025 – Milwaukee, Wi – Four-time Olympic medalist Shani Davis is back in familiar territory this week, watching the next generation take center ice at the U.S. Olympic Long Track Trials at Pettit National Ice Center. For Davis, the moment carries extra weight. One of the skaters rewriting the record books is Jordan Stolz, an athlete Davis once coached, now eclipsing marks that stood for more than a decade.
Stolz recently broke the 1500-meter track record in Hamar, Norway, a record Davis set himself nearly 16 years ago in the buildup to the 2010 Olympic season. Watching that milestone fall did not come as a shock to the former Olympic champion.
“Well, he’s definitely on the right track,” Davis said. “I remember breaking that record. I think it was 16 years ago before the 2010 season, Olympic season. So, it took a big effort to make a result and it stood for a long time and many people have tried and then Jordan gets it by a little under attempt and he was surprised actually that he did it but it’s not surprising to me knowing how strong and how prepared he is going into the season based on what he’s been doing.”
Davis said the timing of the record is especially telling with the 2026 Winter Olympics rapidly approaching.
“So, it’s definitely a good sign that he’s able to be that strong,” he said.
With Olympic Trials underway, Davis believes Stolz’s biggest challenge now is not speed, but staying healthy and composed through the final steps.
“I think now it’s just getting through trials in one piece,” Davis said. “It’s remaining injury-free and healthy. And I think the rest of it kind of takes care of itself as we get closer to the Olympics.”
Davis also weighed in on the concept of tapering, a strategy Stolz’s coach Bob Corby has referenced as part of the Olympic buildup. It is a process Davis knows well from his own career.
“So tapering is when you take rest from your training and give yourself a little bit extra rest for things to start to come together,” Davis said. “All the work you did to put yourself in the hole, you take rest a little bit extra and you start coming out of that hole and you have like a stimulus and you’re stronger than you’ve been.”
Timing, however, is everything.
“So, timing that rest and recovery with hard training and competing is probably what Bob’s talking about,” Davis said. “I think personally we’ll see another big jump out of Jordan once these trials are done.”
Given Stolz’s recent dominance on the World Cup circuit, Davis acknowledged that expectations are sky-high, but consistency is the anchor that keeps champions’ steady.
“I think that if he’s done it once, he can do it again,” Davis said. “Consistency is a big reminder of things that you work hard for. And he’s proven himself again and again, World Cup after World Cup, race after race, that he’s the best in the world.”
For Davis, the ultimate hope is simple and deeply familiar.
“And I’m hoping more than anything that it comes to life at the Olympics where it matters most.”
Below are previous articles of when Stolz broke Davis’s record in the 1500m.
December 13, 2025 – Hamar, Norway – Two more track records at the ISU World Cup on Friday for American phenom Jordan Stolz. One of the track records, he wished would have stood the test of time. “Couldn’t leave my track record alone, huh?” said Stolz reading a text from former 1500m track-record holder Shani Davis. “I was hoping he would be able to keep his track record … because it was a really fast time from 16 years ago.”
“I was hoping he would be able to keep his track record … because it was a really fast time from 16 years ago.”
Stolz hit the ice in Hamar with a one-two punch on Friday night, taking a gold in the 500m and knocking down competitor Jenning De Boo’s record set at last year’s World Championships. Stolz finished with a time of 33,97.
“I was more so really surprised with the 500 today,” Stolz said. “That was pretty fast.”
De Boo agreed. “He beat my track record from last year,” said the Dutch sprinter. “Both times were really quick. He’s in very good shape right now. I’ll try and beat him in the future. We’ll see.”
Stolz followed up that performance a short 45 minutes later with another one for the record books, this time topping his friend and idol Shani Davis’s 1500m record with a 1:44,16.
This marks Stolz’s fifth consecutive race with a track record. “Maybe it’s the first time that’s been done,” he said. “I’m on a good one right now.”
Stolz credited rest, rhythm, and the mileage built up across the World Cup circuit.
“Calgary and Salt Lake, I was just a little bit fatigued from the training,” he said. “Now I got a little bit of rest and all the racing built in really helped me in these last two. Now I’m looking forward to going home and getting a training block in and maintaining what I have right here.”
He also acknowledged the sting of the previous World Championships, where illness derailed his season. “Here I have a lot more confidence because I wasn’t sick, sitting in bed for two and a half, three weeks,” he said. “Now I have a really good base under me. I just feel super strong. I think I’m on a good path.”
Asked whether the triumphs in Hamar carried a flavor of revenge, he weighed it carefully. “It feels like it a little bit,” he said. “But it’s not something I planned. Nothing like ‘I want to get my revenge.’”
De Boo, eyeing the showdown ahead, put it plainly: “Now I’m just focusing on the chase. He’s the one to chase. I’ll try to beat him hopefully in February.”
Stolz’s coach, Bob Corby, said the training regime he planned, is working to a T.
“Of course he’s in very good shape right now,” Corby said. “He’s skating at a really high level… This wasn’t planned. It happened because of all the World Cups in a row, then traveling to Europe, and not being able to skate for a couple days when we got here. It just kind of happened and then he took off.”
Corby praised Stolz’s resilience in the tight 500/1500 double. “They all bounce back. He’s just the better bouncer,” he said. “I could see he was tired because the high-end speed in the beginning wasn’t there.”
As for comparisons to legends, Corby keeps the conversation and speculation grounded.
“In the races they share — 500, 1000, 1500 — yes, he’s dominated as Eric Heiden did. But no one’s ever in Heiden’s class until they win all five races at the Olympics. You’d be a fool to say you’re a Heiden.”
For now, Stolz is content with the streak, the speed, and the playful texts from the man whose record he hoped would live a little longer.
Stolz skates the 1000m on Saturday. He is the current World Record holder with a time of 1:05,37. He will line up again in the ninth pairing against familiar rival Jenning De Boo. De Boo’s best is 1:06,05 and the track record, held by Joel Wennemars is 1:08.05.
December 12, 2025 – Hamar, Norway – A fourth individual race and a fourth track record and gold-medal finish in a row for American speedskater Jordan Stolz who is just leaving coaches and the competition speechless.
Stolz clipped off the second fastest 100m opener on the day (9,51) and then showing off his strong finishing kick, Stolz crossed the tape in 33,97.
The previous track record held by Dutch sensation Jenning De Boo who finished trailing Stolz at 34,21.
This has been the second track record of De Boo’s that Stolz has broken in the last eight days.
“He’s just in very good shape right now,” said De Boo.
Comments from Stolz will come after his 1500m competition, where he skates ninth against Dutch standout and hometown favorite Peder Kongshaug.
On a side note: There’s lots of fun personality in the crowd at Hamar as young fans show their true colors.
December 12, 2025 – Hamar, Norway – A big weekend on tap in Hamar, Norway as Jordan Stolz skates in his last ISU World Cup, December 12 – 14, before the Olympic qualifier at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, January 2 – 5, 2026.
Stolz is coming in to this weekend riding a sweep of races and new track records in Heerenveen where he secured gold-medal finishes in the 500m, 1000m, and 1500m.
His name was also added to the leader board at The Thialf, as Stolz set new track records in all three events.
“Pretty phenomenal,” said coach Bob Corby of the 500m record. “It was not planned or expected. So it was pretty surprising.”
“Amazing couple weeks for Jordan, especially Heerenveen,” said 1994 Olympic gold medalist Dan Jansen. “Possibly the best I’ve ever seen him look.”
Jansen is very familiar with this weekend’s skate in Hamar, it’s the same ice where he secured his 1000m gold and set a world record in 1994 at 1:12,43.
Stolz is slated to compete in four races this weekend including the 500m and 1500m on Friday, the 1000m on Saturday, and on Sunday the men’s Mass Start.
“He will definitely need rest after this week in Hamar,” said Jansen. “More than most as he is unique in racing three individual distances plus the Mass Start…. So at least five races each weekend compared to two (or max three) for others.
“The good thing for him is he does not need to peak for the US Trials. Most of the Dutch skaters need to be at their best for their own trials so they basically need to peak twice. Having said that, they are as good or better than any country I’ve ever seen at peaking at the right time.”
The last time Stolz was in Hamar was March 2025 and he was definitely coming down with something. In the 500m he secured a silver medal, followed by bronze in the 1000m and silver in the 1500m.
Interesting to note the podium appearances even while he was suffering pneumonia and strep throat.
2006 and 2010 Olympic gold and silver medalist Shani Davis has also been keeping an eye on Stolz. Earlier this season he was in attendance at the ISU World Cup in Salt Lake City.
“Jordan is doing unbelievable things right now. 3 victories, 3 track records in Heereneven; wonderful,” said Davis. “The best is still yet to come.”
Stolz seems to have found another gear this season. “Performing at a high level weekend after weekend is challenging but he seems to be handling it quite well,” said Davis.
“Going into the Olympics he’s definitely the most consistently competitive athlete we have; I haven’t heard about any others from different sports.”
TIMES TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND:
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The old 500m track record of 34.31 was set in January 2008 by Canadian Jeremy Wotherspoon. In March 2025 Jenning De Boo topped that with a skate of 34.24. The World Record set in March 2019 in the 500m is held by Paul Kulizhnikov at 33.61.
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Stolz will skate in the eighth pairing against track record holder Jenning De Boo.
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Stolz enters the race with a personal best of 33.690. Last week in Heerenveen he skated a track record at The Thialf of 33.905
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In the 1500m Stolz will skate in the ninth pairing against powerhouse Peder Kongshaug of Norway. The 24-year-old’s best time is 1:41,34, where he finished fourth in Salt Lake City in November.
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Stolz enters the 1500m with a personal best of 1:40,480.
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The 1500m track record holder is Shani Davis; set in November 2009 with a time of 1:44,27. Nuis Kjeld holds the world record at 1:40,17.
Jansen echoed Stolz current status saying he “is obviously very sharp at the moment, both physically and technically.”
Looking ahead, Jansen speculated, “I’m not his coach, but my thought would be to recover for two weeks (post Hamar), then do a six-week program leading up to the Games.”
That upcoming timeframe, according to Jansen can be tricky.
“Rest is so important for the body to recover and to improve. But the key is not to lose that “sharpness” as you rest. Your body still craves the hard work so you have to continue some hard, fast work right up to “Go time” or you can feel flat,” he said.
“He already has a solid base, so he doesn’t need as much volume as he did this Fall. Now it is just maintaining his endurance base and keep doing speed work all the way into February.”
Stay tuned for live coverage this weekend at WashingtonCountyInsider.com
