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You won’t believe what happened in the men’s 1,500 meters
Jordan Stolz added a silver to his growing collection at the Milano Cortina Games on Feb. 19, clocking 1:42.75 in a dramatic final pair. It was an impressive effort—yet just short of China’s Zhongyan Ning, who ripped through the oval in an Olympic-best 1:41.98 to take gold.
Stolz’s Milan run so far has been nothing short of sensational. The 21-year-old from Wisconsin arrived having already taken gold in the 500 and 1,000 meters, and his podium finish in the 1,500 makes him Team USA’s most decorated athlete at these Games to date. He still has one race left: the mass start.
How the race played out
The 1,500 unfolded at the temporary Milano Speed Skating Stadium, a fast surface that helped produce quick times all day. Ning set the pace early, delivering a blistering race that reset the Olympic standard. Stolz skated later in the final pair; he started a touch conservatively, built speed through the middle, and unleashed a blistering last lap. The push narrowed the gap, but the deficit—about 0.77 seconds—proved just out of reach. Dutch veteran Kjeld Nuis rounded out the podium in bronze, narrowly trailing Stolz.
A young athlete balancing disappointment and perspective
Stolz admitted afterward that he “didn’t have my best race,” saying he felt off from the opening split. Still, he was quick to praise Ning’s performance and framed the silver as an important result for his His composure during the mixed emotions of the podium moment spoke to a maturity beyond his years—an athlete learning to manage expectations while still charging forward.
What’s next: the mass start
All eyes now turn to the mass start, where tactics, pack positioning and sprint timing matter more than pure lap speed. Team coaches have already signaled adjustments to his pacing and start strategy based on today’s splits. For Stolz and Team USA, the mass start is a final chance to convert momentum into another medal before they leave Milan.
Historical context and rivalries
Stolz’s haul—two golds and a silver so far—invites inevitable comparisons to past greats, though such dominant multi-distance runs are rare. Eric Heiden’s five golds at Lake Placid in 1980 and Johann Olav Koss’s sweep in 1994 remain towering benchmarks. Still, Stolz’s double in the 500 and 1,000 meters echoes a feat not seen since Heiden, and his rapid rise has shifted conversations about the modern era’s top performers.
Meanwhile, Ning’s victory in the 1,500 wasn’t a one-off. He’s already stood on the podium in the 1,000 meters and the team pursuit, and his gold lap in the 1,500—celebrated with a flag-waving victory lap—underscored how deep and international the field has become. Kjeld Nuis’s bronze, too, reminded spectators that experience and resilience remain potent forces in Olympic speedskating.
Why the mass start matters
The mass start’s unpredictable nature makes it a fitting stage for the finale of Stolz’s Milan story. Unlike time trials, it rewards savvy: positioning inside the pack, timely sprints and the ability to read opponents. For Stolz, it’s one last chance to add to an already remarkable medal tally; for fans, it’s a reminder that even the fastest skaters must wrestle with strategy as much as speed. 19, Jordan Stolz has stamped himself among the sport’s elite—not by erasing the past, but by adding a bold new chapter. One race remains, and whether he finishes his Milan campaign with another medal or not, his breakthrough here has already reshaped conversations about contemporary speedskating.