Feb. 11 (UPI) — American speed skater Jordan Stolz surged by rival Jenning de Boo in record fashion for gold Wednesday in his 2026 Winter Olympics debut, the 1000-meter final.
Stolz, who owns the world record (1:05.37) in the distance, clocked a new Olympic record time of 1:06.28 on Wednesday in Milan. The time was 0.50 ahead of his Dutch rival.
Stolz’s time was nearly a second faster than the previous Olympic record of 1:07.18, which was set in 2002 by Gerard van Velde of the Netherlands.
Stolz trailed early on in his matchup with de Boo. He exchanged the lead with de Boo, but fell behind again before the last lap. Stolz then traveled nearly 40 MPH to overcame a deficit of nearly a full second, ripping through the final inside corner and scorching to the finish line.
Olympic GOLD, Olympic RECORD. What a start for Jordan Stolz. pic.twitter.com/KeWwLjBcoL— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) February 11, 2026
Stolz set a record for the largest margin of victory in the event at the Olympic level since 1984. China’s Ning Zhongyan was third, with a time of 1:07.34.
Americans Conor McDermott-Mostowy and Cooper McLeod placed 9th and 19th, respectively.
Stolz, who is the favorite to win at least three gold medals at Milan-Cortina, will continue that quest with the 500-meter final Saturday in Milan. He also plans to compete in the Feb. 19 1,500-meter finale and the Feb. 21 mass start.
A NEW SPEED SKATING STANDARD.
Jordan Stolz wins GOLD with a men’s 1000m #WinterOlympics RECORD. pic.twitter.com/qW3DSj2vP0— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 11, 2026
With two more victories, Stolz would match Eric Heiden as the only American in any sport to win at least three gold medals at a single Winter Olympics.
Holden won a still-standing record five gold medals at the 1980 Winter Olympics. Those wins came in the 500-, 1,000-, 1,500-, 5,000-, and 10,000-meter distances.
The men’s 500-meter final will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in Milan. The race will air on NBC.
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