MILAN (AP) — American speedskater Jordan Stolz 's bid for a third gold medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics came up short with a loss to China’s Ning Zhongyan in the 1,500 meters on Thursday.
Ning won in an Olympic-record time of 1 minute, 41.98 seconds. Stolz, skating in the day's last heat, finished 0.77 off the pace, and adds a silver to the golds he claimed earlier at these Winter Games in the 500 and 1,000. The 21-year-old from Wisconsin will participate
in his last race, the mass start, on Saturday.
Only two speedskaters ever have won at least four golds at one Games: Eric Heiden of the U.S. went home with five from the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, and Lidiya Skoblikova, representing the Soviet Union, claimed four in 1964.
When Stolz finished, and his time flashed on the arena's video boards, Ning began jumping up and down with other members of China's team. He then grabbed a flag and wore it like a cape for a victory lap.
Ning picked up his third medal at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium, a temporary facility that has been producing swift times, after bronzes in the 1,000 and the team pursuit.
Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands, who won the 1,500 at the 2018 and 2022 Olympics and holds the word record, got the bronze on Thursday, 0.07 behind Stolz.
___
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
