MILAN — Jordan Stolz did more than reach the halfway point of his pursuit of four Olympic gold medals at the Winter Games.
He left the skating world agog Saturday, Feb. 14.
For the second race in a row, Stolz set a new Olympic record while holding off rival Jenning de Boo of the Netherlands. This time it came in the men’s 500 meters, three days after Stolz made Olympic history in the 1,000 meters.
“We just watched some special, historic skating,” said Cooper McLeod, the American speed skater, who finished 22nd in the 30-skater field. “We saw the Olympic record lowered by almost half a second today. That doesn’t happen.”
With two Olympic gold medals in hand, Stolz faces simple math if not a simple assignment. To get four golds, he must win his final two races: the 1,500 meters Thursday, Feb. 19 and the mass start Feb. 21.
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“I think if I have a good 1,500 — it should turn out well — I’m hoping for gold in that,’’ Stolz said. “Mass start’s just kind of a toss up. It’s more like a bonus. It’s so hard to say what’s going to happen in that …”
What’s happened so far bodes well for the 21-year-old American from Wisconsin. Stolz has joined Eric Heiden as the only U.S. men to win the gold in the 500 and 1,000 at the same Olympics. American legendary speed skater Bonnie Blair did it twice.
It started Wednesday when he overtook de Boo down the stretch of the 1,000 meters while setting a new Olympic record. The rivals were paired up again in the 500 and both men beat the Olympic record. But it’s a record now held by Stolz witth a time of 33.77
‘He’s the man to beat right now,” de Boo said.
Pressure? What pressure?
After his victory in the 500, Stolz was asked a couple of times about how he’s dealing with the pressure. At which point it became clear he’s not feeling much, if any, pressure.
“I kind of felt in the beginning before the 1,000,” he said. “It’s something you just have to deal with and get out of your mind because if it’s going to affect your racing, you can’t be letting things like that affect you. And especially now you only have one chance to win. So it’s something you just have to put out your mind.’’
Apparently that’s easier said than done.
“I admire his discipline and his medals, of course, and also how he handles the pressure,” de Boo said of Stolz. “He’s been in a favorite role for a very long time and he’s been able to keep a steady pace and keep on winning. So yeah, a lot of respect for that.”
When it comes to handling pressure, Stolz wasn’t divulging any secrets about how he does it. Or maybe how doesn’t have any secrets.
“There’s nothing too specific,” he said when asked how he does it. “I just try and focus on the things that I can control. And in skating when I’m on the ice, it’s more about feeling. So there’s not too many things you can’t control outside of it.
“But yeah, I just try not to think about skating when I’m back at the rink as much.”
Historical context
Stolz is seeking to become only the third athlete to win four gold medals in a single Winter Olympics.
Ole Einar Bjørndalen of Norway did it in the biathlon in 2002 and Lidiya Skoblikova of Russian did it in speed skating in 1964.
American speed skater Eric Heiden in 1980 became the only person to win five gold medals at the Winter Olympics.
While Stolz can’t win five at these Games, he clearly is motivated by the chance to cement his status as a legendary speed skater right alongside Heiden. Heiden is widely regarded as the greatest speed skater ever.
But Laurent Dubreuil, a 33-year-old Canadian who won the bronze medal while finishing behind Stolz and de Boo, sees things differently.
“I think Jordan’s the greatest speed skater of all time,’’ he said.
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