Jordan Stolz of the United States begins his Olympic campaign at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games focusing on the 1000m speed skating event, where he has demonstrated outstanding performance in recent seasons.
According to ISU Skating, Stolz has been dominant in the 1000m distance, winning all five World Cup races this season. He aims to improve on his results from the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where he finished 14th in the 1000m and 13th in the 500m as a 17-year-old junior skater. Now a six-time World Champion, Stolz is considered the strong favourite in the 500m, 1000m, and 1500m events in Milan.
Reflecting on his growth since the last Olympic Games, Stolz noted that he has gained a better understanding of race preparation and feels confident going into the competition. While he acknowledges the 1000m as his most consistent distance, he prefers to focus on delivering a strong performance rather than speculating about medal outcomes.
Historically, the 1000m Olympic gold medallist has come from the Netherlands for the past three Games, including skaters Stefan Groothuis (2014), Kjeld Nuis (2018), and Thomas Krol (2022). Nuis, undefeated in Olympic races over the 1000m and 1500m distances until now, acknowledged Stolz’s current dominance and predicted a highly competitive event with multiple contenders for the podium.
Among Stolz’s closest competitors are Damian Zurek of Poland and Jenning de Boo of the Netherlands, who ranked second and third respectively in the World Cup standings this season. Zurek previously finished 13th in the 1000m at the Beijing Olympics, while De Boo is making his Olympic debut in Milan, supported by his experienced teammate Nuis.
The competition format includes 30 skaters from 15 nations, with the event scheduled to begin at 18:30 on February 11, 2026, at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium. Notable participants include 2022 Olympic silver medallist Laurent Dubreuil of Canada and reigning World Champion Joep Wennemars of the Netherlands.
Jordan Stolz currently holds the world record for the 1000m with a time of 1:05.37, achieved in Salt Lake City in January 2024. The Olympic record stands at 1:07.18, set by Gerard van Velde of the Netherlands in 2002.
