Team USA has begun to find its rhythm at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and the latest gold is iconic. Team USA is collecting gold medals across events as the Games move deeper into the schedule and the pressure starts to rise.
On February 14, the latest surge came on the ice. An American speedster ripped through the men’s 500-meter medal event and shattered the Olympic record. At a time when the United States was searching for a Winter Olympic spark, speedskater Jordan Stolz rose to the moment.
MORE: 2026 Winter Olympics medal count, standings entering February 14
At just 21, Stolz captured his second gold medal on Saturday at the Milano Speed Skating Arena in a tightly packed 500-meter final. He crossed the line in 33.77 seconds, breaking the Olympic record in the process and finishing only 0.12 seconds shy of his own personal best.
Stolz ended a two-decade drought for the United States in the 500 meters, becoming the first American since Joey Cheek to claim Olympic gold in the event. Per The New York Times’ The Athletic, he narrowly held off Dutch rival Jenning de Boo by 0.11 seconds, just days after beating him again in the 1,000 meters. Canada’s Laurent Dubreuil rounded out the podium with a time of 34.26.
Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
With two more races still ahead, the 21-year-old now finds himself chasing the kind of historic company few ever reach. Per stats, Eric Heiden’s five-gold sweep at the 1980 Games remains the benchmark for American speedskating greatness. And Stolz has already taken a step toward that territory after setting an Olympic record in the 1,000-meter race with a 1:06.28 comeback win.
That race showcased his trademark late acceleration, the ability to surge when others begin to fade. But the 500 meters offers no such margin for recovery. In a distance where the start often decides everything, there’s little room to hunt for an extra burst down the stretch.
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