America's Next Huge Olympic Star Is a 21-Year-Old Throwback From Wisconsin

"On Wednesday at the Milan Cortina Games, America's long national speedskating nightmare finally came to an end. With an exhilarating come-from-behind sprint in the last lap of the 1,000-meter race, 21-year-old Wisconsinite Jordan Stolz passed Dutch superstar Jenning de Boo to set a new Olympic record and win gold, to boot. Before Wednesday, Team USA hadn't won an individual men's long-track speedskating Olympic medal in 16 years. Stolz's medal doesn't just mark the end of a long fallow period."

"For decades, American long-track and short-track speedskaters were an international force, with skaters such as Bonnie Blair, Dan Jansen, Shani Davis, and Apolo Anton Ohno racking up Olympic titles. You probably still recognize these names, which speaks to the outsized cachet that speedskating long enjoyed in the United States. Despite the sport's relative obscurity, America's top speedskaters have often become crossover celebrities."

"Twelve years ago, this stretch of dominance came to an abrupt end. Team USA failed to win a single long-track medal at either the 2014 Sochi Games or the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, and only won a single short-track medal at each. The Americans did a little better in 2022-Erin Jackson won gold in the 500 meters and the men won a bronze in the team sprint-but won no medals at all in short track."

Jordan Stolz won the 1,000-meter race at the Milan Cortina Games with a late sprint, setting a new Olympic record and earning gold. The victory ended a 16-year drought for U.S. individual men's long-track speedskating medals. American speedskating historically produced champions such as Bonnie Blair, Dan Jansen, Shani Davis, and Apolo Anton Ohno. Results declined after 2014 and 2018, with only limited success in 2022 when Erin Jackson won the 500 meters and the men's team won bronze in the team sprint. Analysts offered varied explanations for the downturn, including equipment, leadership, and coaching issues. Stolz idolized Ohno and practiced on a backyard pond.

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