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We finally had a homecoming for a local hero.
Jordan Stolz threw out the first pitch on Thursday March 26 for the Milwaukee Brewers in the season opener at home, and fans greeted him with a standing ovation.
It was the first chance fans could show some love and support following Stolz's smashing success at the Milan Cortina Olympic Games last month, where Stolz brought home a two-gold, one-silver medal haul, and then for an encore gave a bold and historic performance in the World Sprint Championships and World AllRound championships in the Netherlands in early March.
Now that he's been back home in Kewaskum and is rested, Stolz made his first major public appearance, throwing out the first pitch, sharing that honor with Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love.
Stolz threw a high, safe, arching ball to home plate and waved to the crowd that rose to its feet in a standing ovation.
“I decided to practice only (Wednesday night),” said Stolz. “Standing in front of one of my berms and just practicing.”
Stolz has thrown out a first pitch before in Milwaukee – after he took the triple crown in the World Championships – and wanted to do this opening day throw a little differently.
“Last time I was kind of higher up and I didn’t make it all the way across,” said Stolz. “So I was kind of prepared for that this time. But … the last time I threw a ball was like three years go.”
[IMG alt="Packers quarterback Jordan Love and speedskater Jordan Stolz pose for pictures with Stolz's gold medal he won at the recently completed Winter Olympics before they each threw out a first pitch before the Brewers' opening day game against the White Sox on March 26 at American Family Field.
Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/milwauke...es_362/bc12534ac04cb2b768d6a08c2bd7b384[/IMG]
Stolz got to meet Love and talk to him for a bit on the field before the pitch.
“I think he thought it was pretty cool; of course it was nice for me to even meet him, too,” said Stolz. “He’s on the Packers, of course I love the Packers. It was nice to be able to meet 'The Other Jordan.'”
The Brewers also enjoyed having celebrities open the season on the mound in ceremonial fashion.
“It was cool to see people in this area come to our games and throw first pitches,” said Brewers outfielder Jake Bauers. “Hanging out and meeting us – its really cool. It’s cool to see different aspects in sports. We do our job and they’re doing another sport. It’s fun to talk to them and get to know them and see how different it is.”
In the fifth inning, after Stolz had met several other fans and did an on-field interview, Stolz said he has been enjoying some post-season time off – a rarity for him, with all the training that he usually puts in.
He’s also very open to more events and other outings like this, he said.
Initially, that could not happen because Stolz had to keep competing.
Stolz was in Europe for a long time, when he left Milan and went straight to the World Championships in the Netherlands, where he became the first skater to compete in eight races in four days while competing for two very different world titles.
He took silver in the World Sprints and fourth place in the World AllRound.
It took him a full week to recover from an exhausting challenge that no one had ever tried before.
Since then, he’s been back in Milwaukee and excited to share his story.
He signed autographs for fans at the Brewers game and stopped and posed for selfies.
“I enjoy it. Like here, now, I am enjoying this,” said Stolz. “The World Sprints are and the World AllRounds are super important in speed skating history. And I was going to try to win the sprints so I could be the only guy besides Shani Davis and Eric Heiden to have a world sprint title and world AllRound title. I wasn’t able to do it. Still tried in the World AllRounds and that was pretty tough.
“Coming back here it was kind of late after the Games, so I wasn’t sure how much media requests there would be. It seems like I am getting a bit. Now that I am back in Milwaukee I am looking forward to doing some stuff.”
On a final note that seems interesting: Stolz, 21, was asked by another reporter how many more Olympics he would like to do.
He has competed in two so far, and he plans on France in 2030 and Salt Lake City in 2034, meaning that he would compete at an elite level through his 20s.
“And if it weren’t 2034 in Salt Lake City – I probably wouldn’t do it. But, being that it is on home soil it’s probably something I should do.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers fan shower Olympic champion Jordan Stolz with love
Continue reading...
Jordan Stolz threw out the first pitch on Thursday March 26 for the Milwaukee Brewers in the season opener at home, and fans greeted him with a standing ovation.
It was the first chance fans could show some love and support following Stolz's smashing success at the Milan Cortina Olympic Games last month, where Stolz brought home a two-gold, one-silver medal haul, and then for an encore gave a bold and historic performance in the World Sprint Championships and World AllRound championships in the Netherlands in early March.
Now that he's been back home in Kewaskum and is rested, Stolz made his first major public appearance, throwing out the first pitch, sharing that honor with Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love.
Stolz threw a high, safe, arching ball to home plate and waved to the crowd that rose to its feet in a standing ovation.
“I decided to practice only (Wednesday night),” said Stolz. “Standing in front of one of my berms and just practicing.”
Stolz has thrown out a first pitch before in Milwaukee – after he took the triple crown in the World Championships – and wanted to do this opening day throw a little differently.
“Last time I was kind of higher up and I didn’t make it all the way across,” said Stolz. “So I was kind of prepared for that this time. But … the last time I threw a ball was like three years go.”
[IMG alt="Packers quarterback Jordan Love and speedskater Jordan Stolz pose for pictures with Stolz's gold medal he won at the recently completed Winter Olympics before they each threw out a first pitch before the Brewers' opening day game against the White Sox on March 26 at American Family Field.
Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/milwauke...es_362/bc12534ac04cb2b768d6a08c2bd7b384[/IMG]
Stolz got to meet Love and talk to him for a bit on the field before the pitch.
“I think he thought it was pretty cool; of course it was nice for me to even meet him, too,” said Stolz. “He’s on the Packers, of course I love the Packers. It was nice to be able to meet 'The Other Jordan.'”
The Brewers also enjoyed having celebrities open the season on the mound in ceremonial fashion.
“It was cool to see people in this area come to our games and throw first pitches,” said Brewers outfielder Jake Bauers. “Hanging out and meeting us – its really cool. It’s cool to see different aspects in sports. We do our job and they’re doing another sport. It’s fun to talk to them and get to know them and see how different it is.”
In the fifth inning, after Stolz had met several other fans and did an on-field interview, Stolz said he has been enjoying some post-season time off – a rarity for him, with all the training that he usually puts in.
He’s also very open to more events and other outings like this, he said.
Initially, that could not happen because Stolz had to keep competing.
Stolz was in Europe for a long time, when he left Milan and went straight to the World Championships in the Netherlands, where he became the first skater to compete in eight races in four days while competing for two very different world titles.
He took silver in the World Sprints and fourth place in the World AllRound.
It took him a full week to recover from an exhausting challenge that no one had ever tried before.
Since then, he’s been back in Milwaukee and excited to share his story.
He signed autographs for fans at the Brewers game and stopped and posed for selfies.
“I enjoy it. Like here, now, I am enjoying this,” said Stolz. “The World Sprints are and the World AllRounds are super important in speed skating history. And I was going to try to win the sprints so I could be the only guy besides Shani Davis and Eric Heiden to have a world sprint title and world AllRound title. I wasn’t able to do it. Still tried in the World AllRounds and that was pretty tough.
“Coming back here it was kind of late after the Games, so I wasn’t sure how much media requests there would be. It seems like I am getting a bit. Now that I am back in Milwaukee I am looking forward to doing some stuff.”
On a final note that seems interesting: Stolz, 21, was asked by another reporter how many more Olympics he would like to do.
He has competed in two so far, and he plans on France in 2030 and Salt Lake City in 2034, meaning that he would compete at an elite level through his 20s.
“And if it weren’t 2034 in Salt Lake City – I probably wouldn’t do it. But, being that it is on home soil it’s probably something I should do.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers fan shower Olympic champion Jordan Stolz with love
Continue reading...
