Milan, Italy
—

Much has been said about the weight of expectations surrounding this year’s Winter Olympics, especially for American athletes.

But while players like Ilya Mylinin and Mikaela Shiffrin seem to struggle to cope with the pressure, Team USA’s speed skating sensation is huge. jordan stoltz It has flourished.

In his second Olympics, the 21-year-old has already won two gold medals in the two events he has competed in. First he achieved glory and an Olympic record in the 1000 meters, then won the 500 meters and achieved another Olympic record.

This is a worrying precedent for his rivals, given that he has a chance to win two more individual gold medals in Milan-Cortina, both in the 1500m event and in the mass start.

Considering his achievements in recent years, it’s no wonder Stolz was expected to shine on the world stage. And while many would have succumbed to the pressure, and have done so, Stolz only gets bigger and bigger.

Before heading to Milan, the American spoke to CNN Sports and spoke about his label as the man to beat.

“I kind of like it,” he said. “It’s better than being the hunted. I’d rather be the hunted, because it means you’re doing the right thing and winning.”

Stolz has now proven that those were not empty words, embracing the favorite tag and turning it into an advantage. Not bad for a man who learned to skate on the frozen pond behind his childhood home.

Stolz appears to be reading from a hymn sheet based on the same logic sung by the likes of legendary mountaineer Alex Honnold. A skater’s confidence comes from repetition, knowing that if he spends enough time working on his technique, he won’t have to worry about anything.

Perhaps that’s how he’s able to step into the Olympic spotlight and do everything at his own pace, a skill that no one else has been able to master before.

“It’s not like[the Winter Olympics are]any different than any other race,” he said after winning his first Winter Olympic gold medal.

“The fact that I’ve been waiting for the last four years to finally get here again, to be able to give it a shot and fight. That’s what I did. It’s a feeling like no other.”

Despite his young age, Stolz has been at the top of speed skating for several years. In 2023, at the age of 18, he won gold in the 500 meters, becoming the youngest world speed skating champion in history.

In the process, he also became the first speed skater in more than 40 years to win both the junior and senior world titles in the same season. This feat had previously been accomplished only by Beth Heiden in 1979 and Eric Heiden in 1977 and 1978.

His career is truly on an upward trajectory. Before becoming a two-time Olympic champion at the Milan Olympics, he was already a two-time world champion in the 500m, 1000m and 1500m events, and holds the world record in the 1000m.

It is perhaps no surprise, then, that he has already been compared to Hayden, the great speed skater who won five gold medals at the 1980 Winter Olympics.

“He’s on the starting line, and I think he probably thinks he can win,” Heiden said of the man following him.

Stolz is proud of the comparisons to Heiden, but he’s not one to get carried away by them.

Stolz is not without competition either. He is tasked with defeating some of the greatest skaters of all time, including Jenning de Vu. The Dutch star has twice finished second to Stolz at this year’s Olympics, despite breaking previous Olympic records himself.

De Vu is both frustrated and grateful that Stolz is such a difficult rival.

“It’s a lot of fun for the people watching, but it’s pretty frustrating for me. It was really fun to play against him twice here,” Debou said.

“He helps me reach higher levels. I feel like I’ve lost this battle too many times, so now it’s time to fight back.”

“The era of Stolz has already begun, and I am part of it. I hope my time has not yet come.”

The Dutch fans, who cheered loudly from the stands, also came to love Stolz. How could he not do that when he’s trying to take the sport to another level?

Since then, they have called him “strahljaegerThis means “fighter” and he certainly lived up to that during these Olympics.

Of course, that doesn’t mean Stolz doesn’t feel pressured or nervous during big races. He said he was nervous heading into the 1,000 meters. He didn’t want to lose in a race he usually had the upper hand over.

But after coming through unscathed with his Olympic record in mind, he was able to relax and enjoy the experience.

Along the way, he proved to be Team USA’s savior during a difficult Winter Olympics for the country.