Jordan Stolz Wins Silver in 1,500 Meters as China’s Zhongyan Ning Claims Gold
Jordan Stolz Claims Silver in 1,500 Meters at Milan-Cortina Games
MILAN — Jordan Stolz’s bid for a speedskating triple crown fell short on Thursday as he secured a silver medal in the 1,500 meters, finishing behind China’s Zhongyan Ning at the Milan-Cortina Games.
Ning set a new Olympic record with a time of 1 minute and 41.98 seconds at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium. Stolz, who previously won gold in both the 500 and 1,000 meters, becoming the first American man to achieve this feat since 1980, finished with a time of 1:42.75. Despite having the fastest finishing kick among the top eight skaters, he fell 0.77 seconds short of Ning.
As the top-ranked racer in the 1,500-meter distance, Stolz competed in the final pair. Observing the event, Ning clasped his hands in prayer during the race. Upon hearing the final results, his coach raised Ning’s hands in the air, and the 26-year-old athlete was seen crying tears of joy, marking his first Olympic gold after previously earning bronze in the 1,000 meters and the team pursuit.
With aspirations to win four gold medals at these Games, Stolz still has a chance to add another title in the mass start scheduled for Saturday.
