American Stolz Shatters Olympic Record, McLeod Finishes 19th in 1000m Speed Skating
MILAN, Italy – Jordan Stolz of the United States delivered a stunning performance Wednesday at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium, winning gold in the men’s 1000-meter speed skating event and shattering the Olympic record with a time of 1 minute, 6.28 seconds. The victory marks the first Olympic gold for an American man in speed skating since 2010.
The previous Olympic record of 1:07.18, set by Dutch skater Gerard van Velde in 2002, was decisively broken by Stolz. Jenning de Boo of the Netherlands took silver in 1:06.78, while Ning Zhongyan of China claimed the bronze medal with a time of 1:07.34. American Conor McDermott-Mostowy finished ninth, clocking in at 1:08.48.
For Burlington, Washington native Cooper McLeod, the Olympic debut in the 1000m didn’t unfold as hoped. The 24-year-old finished 19th of 30 competitors, posting a time of 1 minute, 9.31 seconds – more than three seconds behind Stolz’s winning pace.
McLeod, who began skating at just 10 months old at Burlington’s Skagit Skate before moving to Kirkland at age 12, had a fast start in the race, skating in the 13th pair against German skater Finn Sonnekalb. However, he reportedly began to fade midway through the 2 ½ lap race, losing ground to his competitor.
Despite the result, McLeod will have another opportunity to compete at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. He is scheduled to race in the 500-meter event on Saturday at 8 a.m. PT. The 500-meter distance is considered McLeod’s stronger event. he won a bronze medal at the world championships last year, representing his career-best result.
Nearly 30 family and friends from Skagit and Whatcom counties made the journey to Italy to support McLeod. A local watch party is planned at the Old Edison in Bow, Washington, with doors opening at 7:30 a.m. On Saturday.
While Stolz is the clear favorite in the 500-meter race, McLeod has proven capable of competing at the highest level. He placed fourth in the 1,000-meter at the same world championships where he earned his 500-meter bronze. Stolz, however, has been dominant this season, with a 14-race unbeaten streak in the 1000m on the World Cup level, and also holds titles in the 500m and 1500m.
Stolz described a challenging moment during the race, telling NBC Sports’ Lewis Johnson, “I thought I was feeling good in the beginning, and then Jenning just came by me, and I thought, ‘Wow, maybe he’s good enough to win the gold, and then I’ll be getting second.’ And then in that second-to-last turn, I was like, ‘No, I can’t let this happen.'” He then pushed himself to the finish line, securing the gold medal and the Olympic record.
