Milwaukee, Wi – There was a crowd on hand at the Pettit National Ice Center over the weekend as the No. 4 time trials were held on the cusp of the 2025-26 ISU speedskating season. Olympic hopeful Jordan Stolz of Kewaskum drew the attention of many in attendance. Stolz, dressed in a skinsuit with white arms and legs, he skated a time trial in the 500 meter and the 1,000 meter.
In the 500m Stolz finished with a time of 34,99. During the October 4 time trial, Stolz clocked in at 34,51. While it seems far off his track-record pace of 33,91 set in February 2025, the 20-year-old said this weekend time trials are an early benchmark in the road to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
“It’s hard to say how well I did because I was pretty tired,” Stolz said after finishing his races. “I’ve been training a lot the last three weeks, so it’s hard to judge how fast I’ll be when I’m rested. But I’m actually pretty happy with where I’m at right now.”
Stolz is widely recognized as one of the sport’s brightest stars after his record-breaking performances last season. While his times at the Pettit weren’t his fastest, Stolz and his longtime coach Bob Corby said that’s all part of the plan.
“The amount of training he’s done in the last two weeks is pretty phenomenal,” Corby said. “To skate… some of the things he did today were really good. In the 1,000-meter, his two-lap times were 25 seconds and 26 seconds — only a one-second drop from first to second lap. That’s really good, especially when you’re that tired.”
Corby said Stolz’s focus is on conditioning and endurance, not early-season speed. “The finish times were okay — 34.99 and 1:07 — but we’re not worried about that right now. Training is more important than fast times in October. It’s not important to go fast on October 24. It’s important to go fast in February.”
For Stolz, that long-range mindset comes naturally. “My endurance is really good right now,” he said. “My second lap in the thousand today was really well. The opener was off, but once I start resting more and racing more, that opener is going to get faster, and the laps will stay the same.”
Stolz will next compete in Salt Lake City, where trials will determine the skaters selected for the first four World Cup events.
Corby said Stolz’s spot is secure, but the meet serves as a key measuring stick. “He’s so fast he doesn’t have to worry about it too much,” Corby said. “That’s why we trained right up to a week before. His goal is to peak later in the season.”
Unlike most skaters, Stolz often trains solo — a challenge he embraces. “I try and put as much effort in as I can whether or not someone’s in front of me,” he said. “I don’t want to start rushing and scrapping all over. I want to maintain good technique. Some teams have more training partners, but the last couple of years it’s been working pretty well just by myself.”
Corby said there aren’t many athletes capable of pushing Stolz, even internationally. “He doesn’t really have people close to him to race against anywhere in the world,” he said. “He’s that fast.”
Click HERE to see what the Dutch are saying about Stolz and his chances at the 2026 Olympics
As for Stolz, his focus remains on consistency, recovery, and continuing to build on his foundation from last season. “My openers aren’t faster yet, but my endurance and my last lap in the 1,500 and 1,000 are,” he said. “That shows the endurance training has paid off. Once the opener comes down, everything else will follow.”
In the 1000m time trials Stolz finished with a time of 1:07,92. It’s two seconds and change off his world record pace set in Salt Lake City in 2024 when he finished with a time of 1:05,37.
There will be one more time trial in Utah on October 24, 2025. Stolz will then take off for a media day in New York the week of October 26, 2025. He then returns to Utah to prepare for the start of the ISU World Cup on November 14 – 16. Click HERE for details.
Click HERE for an ISU long-track speedskating schedule. The Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy start February 6, 2026.
Stolz will skate in Milwaukee at the Olympic Trials January 2 – 6, 2026. Click HERE for tickets. Stolz will be skating in the men’s 500m, 1000m, and the 1500m. He will likely skate in two races on Sunday, January 4, 2026.
