Lightning on Ice: Wisconsin Native Jordan Stolz Sets Olympic Mark, Wins 1,000-meter Gold

Kewaskum speedskating phenom finishes in record time to claim his first individual gold medal of 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina, Italy.

Feb 11, 2026; Milan, Italy; Jordan Stolz of the United States celebrates winning gold in men's speed skating 1000m during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Speed Skating Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

It was a record-blazing day for Wisconsin native Jordan Stolz at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina, Italy.

The 21-year-old long-track speedskating phenom from Kewaskum, Wis., won the men's 1,000 meters in a time 1 minute, 6.28 seconds to establish a memorable, statement-making Olympic record on Wednesday.

Skating in the next-to-last pairing at Milano Speedskating Stadium, Stolz got off to a slow start, posting the fourth-slowest opening 200-meter split (16.18) in the competition.

He displayed his determination, gradually found his groove during the third and final lap, showcased his explosiveness, and crossed the finish line half a second ahead of second-place competitor Jenning de Boo of The Netherlands.

The meaningful individual accomplishment came on the fifth day of the Olympics, ultimately etching his name in the record books.

Jordan Stolz competes in the men's 1,000 meters during the U.S. Olympic long track speed skating Olympic team trials on Saturday January 3, 2026 at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. / Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It was the fifth victory in five 1,000-meter races this season (three coming in track-record time) for Stolz, who now owns a 14-race unbeaten streak in the distance on the World Cup level, according to a story by NBC's Julia Yohe.

Although his record-breaking time didn’t threaten his world record of 1:05.37, it did improve upon the prior Olympic mark of 1:07.18 set in 2002.

Stolz is also scheduled to compete in the 500m (Feb. 14), 1,500m (Feb. 19), and mass start (Feb. 21) events.

He became the first United States men's speedskater to strike gold in the 1,000 since Shani Davis accomplished the feat during the Vancouver Games in 2010.

For Stolz, maintaining an even-keel approach has helped in dealing with the pressure of competing in his second Olympics.

“I try to deal with it as if it’s just another race, so everything else around you is just extra noise,” said Stolz, as referenced in a story by Greg Rosenstein of NBC News. “There’s more pressure on this competition because you’ve been training for it for four years, but at the end of the day, it’s about going to the line and competing like usual.”

He made his Olympic debut at age 17 during the Beijing Winter Games in 2022, finishing 13th in the men's 500 meters and 14th in the 1,000 meters.

Stolz was a home-school student who began skating on a pond behind his family house and went on to train at the respected Pettit National Ice Center in West Allis, Wis.

Stolz is one of six Wisconsin natives competing for Team USA. The elite group of athletes also includes Deedra Irwin of Pulaski (biathlon), Ben Loomis of Eau Claire (nordic combined) Marcus Mueller of Brookfield (luge), Jadin O' Brien of Pewaukee (bobsled), and Paul Schommer of Appleton (biathlon).

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-- Jeff Hagenau | jeffreyhagenau@gmail.com