Jordan Stolz Breaks Track Record, Wins Twice In Long Track World Cup Opener
Share:
by Paul D. Bowker
Jordan Stolz, an 18 year-old from Wisconsin, had a Norwegian speedskating crowd on its feet in his first race of the ISU World Cup season Friday.
Spectators at Var Energi Arena Sormarka in Stavanger, Norway, roared with approval as Stolz, a 2022 U.S. Olympian, bolted toward the finish line in a track-record time to win the Men’s 1500m. Not only did Stolz claim his first World Cup win, but at 18 years old he became the youngest man to win an individual long track World Cup race.
Stolz won the event with a time of 1 minute, 44.89 seconds, breaking the record of 1:44.94 set in 2016 by Russia’s Denis Yuskov and beginning an explosive weekend for the 2020 Youth Olympian. He added another Gold medal in the Men’s 500m on Sunday.
Stolz was so dominant in the 1500m that he defeated runner-up Connor Howe of Canada by nearly two seconds. Howe won the Silver medal with a time of 1:46.65.
“I just went out here to do a good race,” Stolz said. “I had no idea what the time would be. I felt strong and good.”
Stolz’s victories were among three Gold medals won by the U.S. in the opening stop of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating circuit. Casey Dawson, Emery Lehman and Ethan Cepuran won the Men’s Team Pursuit less than a year after finishing third in the same event at the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.
In the 1000m, Stolz won with a time of 1:08.73. Laurent Dubreuil of Canada was second in 1:09.22. Stolz added a victory in the 500m B race. His time of 35.02 seconds was the fifth-best time, A or B.
In the Men’s Team Pursuit, the U.S. won with a time of 3:44.01, followed by the Netherlands (3:44.61) and the reigning Olympic champions Norway (3:45.42).
“That was definitely fresh in our minds,” Cepuran said of the Beijing Olympics. “You walk into the arena, it’s there on the poster, gold medals. … We were definitely motivated coming in today’s race.”
Cepuran finished 12th in the Men’s Mass Start with a time of 8:15.91 following a fourth-place finish in his semifinal heat. He was also sixth in the 5000m B race.
Dawson posted a 14th-place finish in the 5000m with a time of 6:34.87 and was ninth in the 1500m B race.
Mia Manganello Kilburg, a two-time Olympian, nearly captured a podium finish in the Women’s Mass Start. She placed fifth with a time of 8:59.59 after finishing second in her semifinal heat. Fellow Olympian Giorgia Birkeland was 16th.
Olympic Champion Erin Jackson led the U.S. with an eighth-place finish in the Women’s 500m. She finished in 38.30 seconds, trailing winner Kim Min-Sun of South Korea by 0.75 seconds. Kimi Goetz, a 2022 Olympian, was another two spots back in 10th.
Goetz was less than half a second from a podium finish in the Women’s 1000m on Sunday. She placed sixth with a time of 1:17.15, and Jackson was 13th with a time of 1:18.36. Goetz also finished 12th in the 1500m.
Manganello Kilburg, Greta Myers and Birkeland teamed up for a sixth-place finish in the Women’s Team Pursuit. They finished with a time of 3:08.97, missing a bronze medal by 6.07 seconds.
The second World Cup will take place Nov. 18-20 in Heerenveen, Netherlands.
Spectators at Var Energi Arena Sormarka in Stavanger, Norway, roared with approval as Stolz, a 2022 U.S. Olympian, bolted toward the finish line in a track-record time to win the Men’s 1500m. Not only did Stolz claim his first World Cup win, but at 18 years old he became the youngest man to win an individual long track World Cup race.
Stolz won the event with a time of 1 minute, 44.89 seconds, breaking the record of 1:44.94 set in 2016 by Russia’s Denis Yuskov and beginning an explosive weekend for the 2020 Youth Olympian. He added another Gold medal in the Men’s 500m on Sunday.
Stolz was so dominant in the 1500m that he defeated runner-up Connor Howe of Canada by nearly two seconds. Howe won the Silver medal with a time of 1:46.65.
“I just went out here to do a good race,” Stolz said. “I had no idea what the time would be. I felt strong and good.”
Stolz’s victories were among three Gold medals won by the U.S. in the opening stop of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating circuit. Casey Dawson, Emery Lehman and Ethan Cepuran won the Men’s Team Pursuit less than a year after finishing third in the same event at the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.
In the 1000m, Stolz won with a time of 1:08.73. Laurent Dubreuil of Canada was second in 1:09.22. Stolz added a victory in the 500m B race. His time of 35.02 seconds was the fifth-best time, A or B.
In the Men’s Team Pursuit, the U.S. won with a time of 3:44.01, followed by the Netherlands (3:44.61) and the reigning Olympic champions Norway (3:45.42).
“That was definitely fresh in our minds,” Cepuran said of the Beijing Olympics. “You walk into the arena, it’s there on the poster, gold medals. … We were definitely motivated coming in today’s race.”
Cepuran finished 12th in the Men’s Mass Start with a time of 8:15.91 following a fourth-place finish in his semifinal heat. He was also sixth in the 5000m B race.
Dawson posted a 14th-place finish in the 5000m with a time of 6:34.87 and was ninth in the 1500m B race.
Mia Manganello Kilburg, a two-time Olympian, nearly captured a podium finish in the Women’s Mass Start. She placed fifth with a time of 8:59.59 after finishing second in her semifinal heat. Fellow Olympian Giorgia Birkeland was 16th.
Olympic Champion Erin Jackson led the U.S. with an eighth-place finish in the Women’s 500m. She finished in 38.30 seconds, trailing winner Kim Min-Sun of South Korea by 0.75 seconds. Kimi Goetz, a 2022 Olympian, was another two spots back in 10th.
Goetz was less than half a second from a podium finish in the Women’s 1000m on Sunday. She placed sixth with a time of 1:17.15, and Jackson was 13th with a time of 1:18.36. Goetz also finished 12th in the 1500m.
Manganello Kilburg, Greta Myers and Birkeland teamed up for a sixth-place finish in the Women’s Team Pursuit. They finished with a time of 3:08.97, missing a bronze medal by 6.07 seconds.
The second World Cup will take place Nov. 18-20 in Heerenveen, Netherlands.
