American Speed Skater's Quest for Historic Treble Ends in Silver
In a stunning turn of events at the Milan Winter Olympics, Jordan Stolz's ambitious pursuit of four speed skating gold medals came to an abrupt halt during Thursday's fiercely contested 1500-meter race. The 21-year-old American phenom, who had already secured gold in both the 1000-meter and 500-meter events earlier in the Games, was forced to settle for silver after China's Ning Zhongyan delivered a breathtaking Olympic record performance that left the capacity crowd in awe.
Ning's Golden Moment Arrives in Record Time
Ning Zhongyan, a 26-year-old Chinese skater who previously earned bronze medals in the 1000-meter and team pursuit events, crossed the finish line in an astonishing 1:41.98 seconds, establishing a new Olympic benchmark that eclipsed Stolz's time by 0.77 seconds. This remarkable achievement not only secured Ning his first career Olympic gold medal but also marked China's inaugural speed skating medal of the 2026 Winter Games.
"When Jordan was skating in the last pair, I still did not think the gold was mine," an emotional Ning confessed during post-race interviews. "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 and Surprise
The men's 1500-meter speed skating event has long been celebrated as "the race of kings" within the sport, demanding both the explosive power of a sprinter and the enduring stamina of a distance specialist. This particular competition lived up to its formidable reputation, producing multiple Olympic records throughout the afternoon session.
Dutch skater Joep Wennemars initially set the pace with a record-breaking time of 1:43.05 from the 11th pairing, only to see his achievement surpassed just two heats later when Ning delivered his historic performance. Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands, the two-time defending Olympic champion competing in his final Winter Games, captured the bronze medal with a time 0.84 seconds behind Ning's winning pace.
Stolz's Conservative Strategy Falls Short
Stolz, who entered the final pairing as the overwhelming favorite, adopted an unexpectedly conservative approach that ultimately proved insufficient against Ning's aggressive front-running tactics. The American completed his opening lap ranked fifth at 300 meters and maintained that position through 700 meters, never challenging the blistering early pace established by his Chinese rival.
Although Stolz delivered the fastest final lap among all medalists with a closing time of 27.60 seconds, his late surge arrived too late to overcome Ning's commanding lead. The visibly disappointed American skated slowly around the oval with his head bowed after the results were displayed, while Ning celebrated triumphantly with his coaching team before taking a victory lap draped in the Chinese flag.
"When I saw Ning's time, I thought that was really fast," Stolz acknowledged. "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. Ning had the race of his life. I didn't have one of my best, but I am still happy with silver."
Historical Context and Future Prospects
Stolz had entered these Olympics carrying immense expectations as a seven-time world champion and favorite across three individual distances. Had he completed the 500-1000-1500 meter treble, he would have become the first male speed skater to achieve this feat at a single Games since Norway's Johann Olav Koss accomplished it at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics.
The American's remarkable trajectory since his Olympic debut in Beijing 2022 has been nothing short of meteoric. At just 17 years old, he finished 13th in the 500-meter and 14th in the 1000-meter events. Four years later, he has already secured two gold medals and one silver, with one final opportunity remaining in Saturday's mass start competition.
Ning's victory represents the seventh Olympic record established during the speed skating competition in Milan, following record-breaking performances by:
- Francesca Lollobrigida in women's 3000-meter
- Sander Eitrem of Norway in men's 5000-meter
- Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands in women's 1000-meter
- Jordan Stolz in both 1000-meter and 500-meter events
- Femke Kok of the Netherlands in women's 500-meter
"After the Beijing Winter Olympics, the level in speed skating just kept getting higher and higher," Ning reflected on his journey to gold. "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. Today was that day. Even now, it still feels a little unreal that I was able to do this."
