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Growing up in Wisconsin, it was relatively easy for Jordan Stolz to get into speed skating.
The waters freeze early and often on the frozen tundra, which has made the Midwest a hockey hotbed.
But watching Apollo Anton Ohno as a child, direction was natural for the 21-year-old.
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Gold medalist Jordan Stolz of the United States celebrates after the men’s 500 meters speed skating event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (Ben Curtis/AP)
Last February, he made his dream come true by winning not one, but two Olympic gold medals.
Of course, winning one is a success, but with three other medal events, the celebration wasn’t exactly the easiest.
“Yeah, it’s pretty tough,” Stolz told PK Press Club Digital in a recent interview. “I mean, I wanted to celebrate, but I was actually really focused on the 500 (meters), because there’s only one day off and then the 500-meter final.”
Stolz’s first gold medal came in the 1,000 meters, but the pressure was on to win a second in the 500 meters.
“I kind of felt like I really needed to win that 500. So I wasn’t kidding at all,” he said. “So I wouldn’t say it was difficult not to celebrate, but competing for the entire duration of the matches, it became a little difficult, especially with the 1,500, and as soon as I start, there’s a lot of time in between. There are also things that can be ruined.”
Jordan Stolz celebrates his gold medal on the podium in the men’s 1,000 meters in speed skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, February 11, 2026. (Luca Bruno/AP Photo)
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It’s been a lifetime of training on and off the ice for Stolz to bring home the hardware, because what happens in Stolz’s body might be more important than what he does on the ice. Recognizing this importance, he also ensures that his cat, Mitzi, a stray who showed up on his porch looking for food when Stolz was a preteen, receives similar nutritional treatment with Nulo food.
“I’m so careful about what I put in my body. Now I’m just eating, you know, horrible food, not really paying attention to it, and it’s like, man, I kind of feel like trash,” Stolz said. So it’s like I kind of got a taste of what it’s like, you know, low quality food. So Mitzi, I don’t want her to eat poorly, because she doesn’t even have a choice, right? It’s up to me to give him what’s right. That’s why I chose to give him a Nulo.”
Even though Stolz has achieved his goal, there is still much work to be done. And he may not need to wait until 2030 to do it.
Jordan Stolz of the United States warms up for the men’s 1,000-meter speed skating event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (Ben Curtis/AP)
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“I will continue training until the next Olympics,” Stolz said. “Do World Championships, World Cups, we’ll see what I can do.
“I might try, you know, some track cycling this summer, maybe LA 28, but we’ll see.”
