MILAN — Jordan Stolz is now a two-time Olympic gold medalist in speedskating — midway to his aim of 4 on the Milan Cortina Games — after successful the five hundred meters on Saturday to associate with his victory in the 1,000.
Stolz, a 21-year-old from Wisconsin, is simply the second man to finish the 500-1,000 double at one Olympics. He joins Eric Heiden, the American who did it as a part of his report sweep of all 5 particular person males’s speedskating occasions on the 1980 Lake Placid Video games.
DANIEL MUNOZ by way of Getty Photographs
Stolz completed the five hundred in an Olympic-record time of 33.77 seconds, after additionally setting a Video games mark in his win within the 1,000 on Wednesday. Each instances, the silver went to Jenning de Boo of the Netherlands, who clocked 33.88 within the shortest speedskating occasion. Each instances, they raced head-to-head in the identical warmth.
Stolz was main Wednesday as they got here out of the ultimate curve, then they have been even getting into the final stretch. However Stolz, who overcame a deficit within the 1,000, turned on the pace and leaned throughout the road first once more within the 500. De Boo slipped and fell into the wall afterward, whereas Stolz skated previous and shook his proper fist overhead.
Canada’s Laurent Dubreuil acquired the bronze in 34.26.
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The final American to win Olympic gold within the males’s 500 was Casey FitzRandolph in 2002.
Usually thought of one of the best on the planet at his sport proper now, Stolz is to date dwelling as much as the outsized expectations and accompanying strain that comply with his each stride on the ice on the Milano Velocity Skating Stadium, a short lived facility created for this occasion.
Two races, two golds, two Olympic information.
Now there are two extra to go: the 1,500 meters on Thursday, and the mass begin on Feb. 21.
The final man with three gold medals in speedskating at one Winter Video games was Norway’s Johann Olav Koss, who gained the 1,500, the 5,000 and the ten,000 on the 1994 Lillehammer Video games
Stolz took to the ice to heat up Saturday about 2 1/2 hours earlier than his race. He paused at one level to plop himself down for a seat on the low boards alongside the ice, retying his black-and-green skates and smiling whereas chatting together with his coach, Bob Corby.
No signal of nerves. None in any respect.
Dean Mouhtaropoulos by way of Getty Photographs
