Jordan Stolz went into the men’s 1,500-meter final on February 19 with a chance to make history. The 21-year-old had already won gold in the 500-meter and 1,000-meter at the 2026 Winter Olympics. One more win would have given him three gold medals at a single Winter Games, something only a small number of U.S. athletes have ever done.
Instead, Stolz walked away with silver after China’s Ning Zhongyan delivered a record-breaking performance that stunned the field.
Jordan Stolz’s Triple-Gold Bid Ends in 1500m Silver
Stolz finished the 1,500 meters in 1:42.75, a time that eclipsed the previous Olympic record but was not enough to win. Ning posted a blistering 1:41.98, setting a new Olympic record and claiming gold.
Competing in the final pairing alongside Norway’s Peder Kongshaug, Stolz needed a near-record effort to surpass Ning’s time. He never closed the gap.
Had Stolz won, he would have become only the second U.S. athlete to win at least three gold medals in a single Winter Olympics. Eric Heiden remains the only American to accomplish that feat, winning five gold medals at the 1980 Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York.
Two-time reigning Olympic gold medalist Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands took bronze in 1:42.82. Nuis set the previous Olympic record in Beijing in 2022 with a time of 1:43.21 and still holds the world record of 1:40.17, set in 2019.
Ning, competing in his second Olympics, entered the race with momentum after winning bronze in the 1,000 meters and team pursuit. His performance in the 1,500 meters reset the Olympic standard.
Jordan Stolz’s Dominant Olympic Run Continues Despite Loss
Stolz had been favored to win the event. He swept all World Cup races at the 1,500-meter distance in late 2025 and early 2026, winning each by at least 0.21 seconds. He also owns 10 track records worldwide in the 1,500 meters, including a 1:41.22 in Calgary on January 25, 2025.
Earlier in the Milan-Cortina Games, Stolz won gold in the 1,000 meters and 500 meters, setting Olympic records in both events. His 1,000-meter victory marked the first medal for an American in that event since 2010. With his 500-meter win, he became the first American since Heiden to medal twice in speed skating at a single Olympics.
After winning the 500 meters, Stolz told CBS News he expected his remaining races to be strong.
“That’s what I’m looking for,” Stolz said.
The 1,500 meters was a new Olympic event for Stolz. At the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, he skated only the 1,000 and 500 meters, where he finished 14th and 13th.
Outside of the Olympics, Stolz holds the world record in the 1,000 meters and has won the World Cup title at that distance the past two seasons.
Heading into the 1,500-meter final, the Olympic record had already fallen earlier in the competition. Netherlands skater Joep Wennemars briefly took the lead with a 1:43.05 before Ning and Nuis surpassed the mark in subsequent heats.
Stolz now turns his focus to the final event of his Olympic schedule, the mass start, set for Saturday.
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