Jordan Stolz's Golden Sweep Dream Shattered by Ning Zhongyan's Record
On a dramatic afternoon at the Winter Olympics, American speed skater Jordan Stolz's ambitious bid for a historic four gold medals came to a crashing halt in the men's 1500m event. The 21-year-old, who had already secured gold in the 1000m and 500m races, was forced to settle for silver as China's Ning Zhongyan delivered a breathtaking performance to claim the top spot on the podium.
Olympic Record Falls in Stunning Upset
Ning Zhongyan, a 26-year-old Chinese skater who previously won bronze in the 1000m and team pursuit, shattered expectations by crossing the finish line in an Olympic record time of 1:41.98 seconds. This remarkable achievement placed him 0.77 seconds ahead of Stolz, who finished with a time of 1:42.75. The victory marked China's first speed skating medal of these Olympic Games and Ning's inaugural Olympic gold medal.
"When Jordan was skating in the last pair, I still did not think the gold was mine," Ning confessed after the race. "He has been in incredible form all season. Even after he crossed the line, I was still not completely sure. It was only when the result was confirmed that it started to sink in. It is an amazing feeling."
The Race of Kings Delivers Drama
The 1500m distance in speed skating is often referred to as the "race of kings" due to its demanding combination of sprinting power and endurance stamina. This particular event lived up to its reputation, producing intense competition and record-breaking performances throughout the afternoon.
Dutch skater Joep Wennemars initially set an Olympic record of 1:43.05 from the 11th pair, igniting cheers from the orange-clad Dutch supporters in the stands. However, his benchmark was short-lived as Ning, skating two heats later, delivered a masterclass in front-foot racing strategy. He posted impressive splits of 22.99 seconds and 47.86 seconds before taking control at the 1100m mark with a field-best time of 1:13.80, never relinquishing his lead.
Stolz's Conservative Approach Falls Short
Jordan Stolz, competing in the final pair, faced deafening roars from a crowd anticipating another historic victory. However, his approach proved surprisingly conservative. He completed the opening lap ranked fifth at 300m with a time of 23.36 seconds and remained in that position at 700m with 48.82 seconds, never challenging the blistering early pace established by Ning and Dutch skater Kjeld Nuis.
Although Stolz closed with the fastest final lap among the medalists at 27.60 seconds, his late surge proved insufficient to overcome Ning's commanding lead. After his time flashed on the screen, the American circled the oval slowly with his head bowed while Ning celebrated with coaches before taking a victory lap wearing the Chinese flag as a cape.
"When I saw Ning's time, I thought that was really fast," Stolz admitted. "I thought, 'I can skate that time in Inzell, at the last World Cup.' But here, that's a really fast time. I just didn't quite have the legs. The beginning part was a little slow. I thought I could maybe get it back, but I was just beginning to die off."
Historical Context and Future Prospects
Stolz entered these Olympics under immense pressure as a seven-time world champion and favorite across multiple distances. Had he completed the 500-1000-1500 treble, he would have become the first male speed skater to win three golds at a single Games since Norway's Johann Olav Koss achieved the feat at the Lillehammer Olympics in 1994.
The American's trajectory since his Olympic debut in Beijing 2022 has been nothing short of meteoric. At just 17 years old, he finished 13th in the 500m and 14th in the 1000m. Four years later, he has already collected two gold medals and a silver, with one final medal opportunity remaining in Saturday's mass start event.
Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands, the two-time defending Olympic champion competing in his final Winter Games, secured the bronze medal with a time 0.84 seconds behind Ning's record pace. Joep Wennemars finished fourth, missing the podium by just 0.26 seconds despite briefly holding the Olympic record earlier in the competition.
Record-Breaking Competition Continues
Ning's victory marked the seventh Olympic record set during these speed skating competitions, following records by Francesca Lollobrigida in the women's 3000m, Norway's Sander Eitrem in the men's 5000m, Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands in the women's 1000m, Stolz in both the 1000m and 500m, and Dutch star Femke Kok in the women's 500m.
"After the Beijing Winter Olympics, the level in speed skating just kept getting higher and higher," Ning reflected. "It felt like there was a mountain in front of me, and no matter what I did, I just could not get past it. But I never stopped believing in myself. I kept telling myself to stay patient, to keep putting in the work, to trust that all the effort would add up one day. Today was that day."
Despite the disappointment of missing out on a third gold medal, Stolz maintained a gracious perspective on his silver medal performance. "Ning had the race of his life. I didn't have one of my best, but I am still happy with silver. I have two golds and I was actually really happy that Ning was able to pull it off. I really like Ning," the American skater concluded.
