MILWAUKEE — The Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee was packed with visitors Saturday night as fans celebrated Wisconsin Olympic gold medalist Jordan Stolz by hitting the ice themselves.
Just weeks after hosting the Olympic trials, the same rink where Stolz qualified for his second Olympics buzzed with excitement following his second gold medal win in the men's 500m speed skating event.
"I've been thinking about ice skating because of the Olympics," Khari Bell of Milwaukee, who visited the Pettit Center for the first time Saturday, said. "I was having a conversation with a friend who saw the Olympic trials here."
Watch: Fans at the Pettit Center react to Kewaskum native Jordan Stolz's second gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The 21-year-old Wisconsin native's success has inspired locals to try skating, with many drawn to the facility where their homegrown champion qualified.
"Someone that we could know, just run into at the grocery store, got a gold medal," Cruz Luebke of Pewaukee, who skated with friend Sophia Hasek, said. "It definitely influences a lot of people like, 'Oh, that looks fun.'"
For young fans like Brayden Bonilha of Port Washington, Stolz's achievements have made Wisconsin feel special.
"It means we're the best state ever and Wisconsin is awesome," Bonilha said. "When you look around, you see Olympic stuff everywhere."
The excitement extends beyond just skating. Many fans plan to continue supporting Stolz from home as he competes in his remaining events, the 1500m speed skating final and the mass start speed skating final.
"It's awesome because you can go home after skating, get nice and cozy, and watch the Olympics," Bonilha said.
Stolz still has two more events remaining in his Olympic schedule: the 1,500-meter race on Thursday and the mass start next Saturday, Feb. 21.
This story was reported on-air by Kaylee Staral and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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