Stolz Falls Short of Third Gold
Jordan Stolz came close to adding a third gold medal to his collection but settled for silver in the 1,500 meter race at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
China’s Ning Zhongyan delivered a standout performance, winning the race in an Olympic record time of 1 minute, 41.98 seconds. Stolz, skating in the final heat of the day, crossed the line 0.77 seconds behind. As a result, he added a silver medal to the two golds he already earned in the 500 and 1,000 earlier in the Games.
The 21 year old from Wisconsin will compete once more in the mass start race on Saturday.
Historic Company Within Reach
Only two long track speedskaters have ever claimed at least four gold medals at a single Winter Games. American legend Eric Heiden won five at the 1980 Winter Olympics, while Soviet star Lidiya Skoblikova captured four in 1964.
Stolz had hoped to join rare company. After setting Olympic records in both the 500 and 1,000 in Milan, he became the only man besides Heiden to sweep those two sprint events at one Games. Therefore, expectations were high that he might complete a golden triple.
Norway’s Johann Olav Koss was the last male skater to win three golds at a single Olympics, doing so in 1994 at Lillehammer. On the women’s side, Irene Schouten achieved a three gold sweep at the Beijing Games four years ago.
A Record Setting Rival
When Stolz’s finishing time appeared on the arena screen, Ning celebrated with teammates before wrapping himself in the Chinese flag for a victory lap. Meanwhile, Stolz bent forward with his hands on his knees, taking in the result.
Even so, his overall Olympic campaign remains impressive. He is a two time world champion in the 500, 1,000 and 1,500 distances. In addition, he holds the world record in the 1,000.
Before the race, Stolz admitted that winning the 1,500 meant a great deal to him because he has dominated that distance in recent years. Still, he acknowledged that his trip to Italy would be a success regardless, though not a complete one without that gold.
Praise From Peers
Canadian skater Laurent Dubreuil, who won bronze behind Stolz in the 500, offered high praise earlier in the Games. He described Stolz as the greatest speedskater of all time.
Although Stolz did not capture a third gold on Thursday, his silver medal keeps him among the standout athletes of these Winter Olympics. With one race remaining, he still has a chance to close his campaign on a high note.
