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US' Jordan Stolzin action during the men's 500 meters speed skating competition of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina. Mickael Chavet/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
US speedskater Jordan Stolz secured his second gold of the Milan/Cortina Winter Olympics on Saturday in the men's 500 metres as he ticked off another of his target events.
The 21-year-old, who won the 1,000m on Wednesday ahead of silver medallist Jenning de Boo of the Netherlands, went up against 500m world champion De Boo again and beat him once more in an Olympic record of 33.77 seconds.
De Boo set 33.88 in the sport's quickest version as he looked like he could win until the very end.
Stolz told reporters: "It was super close. I already knew it was going to be close before the race. I thought if I skated a perfect one, and I get a really good last outer (turn), I can probably pull it off.
"Coming down the last hundred (metres), I thought I should be able to beat him and that's exactly what I did."
Canada's Laurent Dubreuil had earlier set what was then an Olympic record of 34.26 in his pairing, but had to settle for bronze. Beijing 2022 champion Gao Tingyu was seventh.
Dubreuil said: "I knew I had a shot, but I also know this is the toughest field ever in the 500m. The two greatest skaters, the two best sprinters I have ever seen in my lifetime, going against me.
"They just crushed my brief Olympic record."
Stolz matches compatriot Eric Heiden as the only men to win the 500m and 1,000m at the same Games. Heiden holds the record for most speedskating golds at one Olympics - and the most across sports at a Winter Games - with five in 1980.
Norwegian cross country ski star Johannes Høsflot Klæbo is bidding for a record six golds in these Games.
Heady heights of Heiden
Stolz could match Heiden with the 1,500m, mass start and team pursuit still to come, although he is expected to only be an alternate in the pursuit final on Tuesday if the US get there, so may not race.
Heiden's five golds all came in individual events, but four wins from Stolz would still be a major achievement in modern times.
Stolz's next individual goal is the 1,500m on Thursday, with the mass start next Saturday.
He is getting in the Olympic groove and was less nervous on Saturday compared to the 1,000m.
"Way less pressure. I really wanted to win the 1000m and after that I knew the environment, what to expect," he said.
"Today I felt way less pressure until maybe 30 minutes before the race. Then I started to really focus. I'm happy I pulled it off."
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