MILAN, Italy – Jordan Stolz saw his bid for a third gold medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics fall short on Thursday, as China’s Ning Zhongyan claimed victory in the men’s 1,500-meter speed skating event.
Ning skated a Games-record time of 1 minute, 41.98 seconds in the 13th of 15 heats, a performance that left even himself surprised. “I was really happy with a silver medal,” Ning said, anticipating Stolz’s strong performance.
Stolz finished with a time of 1:42.75, securing the silver medal. Even as nearly a half-second quicker than the previous Olympic record, it wasn’t enough to overcome Ning’s blistering pace. The American speedskater had previously won gold in the 500 and 1,000 meters at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium.
“I didn’t have it today,” Stolz said. “Not sure why.” He was off the pace from the first checkpoint, trailing by 1.35 seconds with one lap remaining, and despite a strong closing speed, he couldn’t close the gap.
Stolz’s coach expressed surprise at the outcome, stating, “I thought he would beat Ning by .5. I really don’t know why he didn’t perform well. It for sure wasn’t mental. … He didn’t have his best race and Ning did!”
“The beginning part was a little bit off. … I thought I was pushing a bit harder than that,” Stolz explained, reflecting on his race. He acknowledged Ning’s exceptional performance, saying, “I thought that was a super fast time for him. Probably the best race of his life. And I didn’t have my best race. So it was kind of hard to compete with his. He was just really good today. … I was attacking as hard as I could. I thought it was going to be kind of close. He was just better.”
Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands took the bronze medal in the event. This result marks a significant moment in the Olympic speed skating competition, showcasing the rising talent of Ning Zhongyan and the continued strength of American speed skating with Jordan Stolz’s silver medal. More details on ESPN.
Read the full story from the Associated Press.
Stolz finished the race at 1:42.75, according to MSN Sports.
