Stolz Claims Gold in Men’s 500m Speed Skating, Gao Tingyu Finishes Seventh
Milan, Italy – February 14, 2026 – American speed skater Jordan Stolz captured the gold medal in the men’s 500m event at the Milan Winter Olympics on Friday, setting a fresh Olympic record with a time of 33.77 seconds. The performance marks Stolz’s second gold medal of the Games, following his victory in the men’s 1000m.
Defending champion Gao Tingyu of China finished seventh with a time of 34.47 seconds, according to China News. The result came despite a strong effort from the Chinese skater, who was looking to repeat his success from the Beijing Olympics.
Canada’s Laurent Dubreuil initially broke Gao Tingyu’s previous Olympic record of 34.32 seconds, set in Beijing, with a time of 34.26 seconds. Though, Stolz and Netherlands’ Jening de Boo ultimately surpassed Dubreuil’s mark in the later heats. De Boo secured the silver medal, while Dubreuil took bronze.
Gao Tingyu, skating in the 12th group alongside Korean skater Kim Jun-ho, had a quick start, ranking second overall at that point. However, he was unable to maintain his momentum through the latter half of the race and the final sprint.
Also representing China, Xue Zhiwen finished 11th with a time of 34.66 seconds, and Lian Ziwen placed 14th at 34.76 seconds, as reported by CCTV Sports.
Gao Tingyu’s coach, Liu Guangbin, acknowledged the strong competition, stating that Stolz and other competitors had made significant progress throughout the Olympic cycle. He also emphasized that Gao Tingyu had given his best effort, performing at his current level, but the competition proved to be exceptionally strong, according to Xinhua News. The result underscores the increasing depth of talent in men’s speed skating on the world stage.
