Milan, Italy
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Much has been made from the load of expectation at this 12 months’s Winter Games, particularly when it comes to American athletes.
But the place the likes of Ilia Mailinin and Mikaela Shiffrin have seemingly struggled to reside with the pressure, Team USA’s pace skating sensation Jordan Stolz has thrived.
In simply his second Olympics, the 21-year-old has already gained two gold medals within the two occasions he’s competed in. First got here 1000m glory and an Olympic file to boot, adopted by a 500m victory and one other Olympic file.
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It’s a worrying precedent for his rivals, given he has the prospect to win one other two particular person gold medals within the Milan Cortina, each within the 1500m occasion and the mass begin.
Given his file in recent times, it’s unsurprising that Stolz was anticipated to shine on the worldwide stage. And whereas many would, and have, caved beneath the pressure, Stolz has solely grown ever bigger.
Before heading to Milan, the American spoke to NCS Sports and addressed his label of being the person to beat.
“I kind of like it,” he mentioned. “It’s better than being the one who’s hunting. I’d rather be hunted because that means you’re doing something right and winning.”
Stolz has now confirmed that these weren’t empty phrases, embracing the favourite tag and turning it right into a energy. Not dangerous for a person who initially discovered to skate on a frozen pond behind his childhood dwelling.
Stolz appears to learn from the identical logic-based hymn sheet that the likes of legendary climber Alex Honnold sing from. The skater’s confidence stems from repetition, realizing that if he places sufficient hours into his craft, there shouldn’t be something to fear about.
It’s maybe how he’s ready to step into the Olympic limelight and take all of it in his stride – a ability others have up to now failed to grasp.
“It is not like (the Olympic Winter Games) is different from any other race,” he mentioned after profitable his first gold medal of the Winter Games.
“It’s just the fact that you waited the last four years to finally get here again, and you get one shot to try and battle, which I was able to do. It’s a feeling like no other.”
Despite being so younger, Stolz has been on the high of pace skating for a number of years. In 2023, the then 18-year-old turned the youngest ever pace skating world champion after incomes gold within the 500m.
In the method, he additionally became the primary pace skater in additional than 40 years to win each junior and senior world titles in the identical season, a feat solely beforehand achieved by Beth Heiden in 1979 and Eric Heiden in 1977 and 1978.
His profession has simply saved happening an upward trajectory. Before turning into a two-time Olympic champion in Milan, he was already a two-time world champion within the 500m, 1000m and 1500m occasions and holds the world file within the 1000m.
It’s maybe unsurprising, then, that he’s already been in contrast to pace skating nice Heiden, who gained 5 gold medals within the 1980 Winter Olympics.
“He goes to the starting line, and I would suspect he thinks he’s probably going to win,” Heiden mentioned of the person following in his footsteps.
And whereas Stolz is happy with the comparability with Heiden, he’s not the type of particular person to get carried away by it.
It’s not as if Stolz doesn’t have competitors both; he’s tasked with beating a few of the finest skaters to have ever lived and that features Jenning de Boo. The Dutch star has twice come second to Stolz at this 12 months’s Games regardless of breaking the earlier Olympic information himself.
De Boo feels each frustration and appreciation for having Stolz as such a difficult rival.
“It is a lot of fun for the people watching. For me, it is pretty frustrating though. I really enjoyed racing against him twice here,” de Boo mentioned.
“He helps me attain the next stage. I really feel like I’ve misplaced this battle on too many events now, so now it’s time for me to hit again.
“Stolz’s era has already begun. I am part of it. I hope my era is yet to come.”
Even Dutch followers, who cheer their very own on loudly from the stands, have come to love Stolz. How might you not when he’s taking the game to one other stage?
They have since dubbed him “Straaljager” which implies “Fighter Jet” and he’s definitely lived up to that in these Games.
Of course, it’s not as if Stolz doesn’t really feel pressure or will get nervous round massive races. He mentioned he had nerves heading into the 1000m, not wanting to lose the one race that he’s normally so dominant in.
But after coming by way of that unscathed and with an Olympic file in his again pocket, he’s been ready to calm down and revel in his expertise.
In the method, he’s proved to be Team USA’s saviour in a tough Winter Olympics for the nation.