Kewaskum, WI – When Dutch journalist Thijs Niemantsverdriet stepped into the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee this week, he wasn’t just visiting another rink — he was walking into the story of one of the Netherlands’ most-watched athletes… who just happens to be from Kewaskum, Wisconsin.
Niemantsverdriet, a writer from Amsterdam, made the trip across the Atlantic to meet Jordan Stolz, the 21-year-old speed skating phenom whose rise has captivated fans worldwide — and especially in the Netherlands, a country where skating is closer to a national religion than a pastime.
“He’s a phenomenon — very well known in Holland, I think even better known there than in the U.S.,” Niemantsverdriet said.
“We see him as the main candidate to win a lot of medals at the coming Olympics in Milan, Italy. And that makes his story fascinating.”
For Niemantsverdriet, the story goes beyond medals. What caught his attention was the simplicity — and the romance — of Stolz’s beginnings.
“I saw a Dutch TV report where they went to his parents’ house and showed the pond where he learned to skate,” he said.
“That really struck me. Who learns to skate on their own pond, and then turns out to be this talented? It’s a story that feels very pure, almost old-fashioned in the best way.”
In a country like the Netherlands, where Olympic skaters are household names, Stolz’s rise has sparked both awe and friendly rivalry. The Dutch have long dominated the sport, with vast resources, deep tradition, and packed stadiums.
But Niemantsverdriet said Stolz represents something new — a humble American shaking up a sport that once seemed untouchable by outsiders.
“Every once in a while, someone comes from abroad and beats the Dutch,” he said. “It looks like this is going to happen with Jordan. Honestly, I don’t know who’s going to beat him in Milan.”
Back home in Europe, Stolz’s face is familiar — appearing on TV, sports pages, and skating broadcasts across the continent. But in the U.S., he can still shop at the grocery store unnoticed.
“It’s kind of weird,” Niemantsverdriet said. “In Holland, Norway, or Germany, people will recognize him. Here, he can walk into a supermarket, and no one will know who he is. But if he wins a few gold medals in Milan, that will change. He’ll become an American star.”
In the February 2026 Olympics, Stolz has his sights set on competing in the 500-meter, 1,000-meter, and 1,500-meter events.
Click HERE to order your tickets to see Stolz skate in the Olympic qualifier January 2 – 5, 2026 at The Pettit National Ice Center
This would be Stolz’s second trip to the Olympics. He competed in 2022 in Beijing, where, according to NBC Sports, he was the third-youngest American male at 17 years old to compete in long track speed skating.
For now, Niemantsverdriet is happy to tell a story that Americans are only just beginning to appreciate — about a quiet, modest young man from rural Wisconsin who might be the best skater in the world.
“He’s not someone who brags,” he said. “He’s calm, modest, but inside you can see there’s this fire — this competitiveness that drives him. That’s what makes him special.”
As for predictions, Niemantsverdriet is cautious.
“The Olympics are unpredictable. There’s always some surprise,” he said. “But if all goes well, I think he could win three gold medals — 500, 1000, and 1500 meters. That would be truly unique.”
Stolz currently holds the track record for the 500m at the Pettit National Ice Center. In February 2025 he clocked in a sub-34-second time finishing in 33,91 seconds.
During that same ISU World Cup Speed Skating event, Stolz also set the track record in the 1000m with a time of 1:06.16 and a track record in the 1,500m with a time of 1:41.46.
At the Olympic Oval in Calgary, Stolz holds the track record in the 500m (33,69 seconds), the 1,000m (1.06,05) and the 1,500m (1.41,22).
At the U.S. Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City, Utah, Stolz holds the world record and the track record in the 1,000m with a time of 1:05.37 set January 26, 2024.
“It’s amazing, really,” he said. “A boy from a pond in Kewaskum might just conquer the Dutch at their own game. That’s the kind of story you fly halfway around the world to tell.”
