MILAN (AP) —Wisconsin speed skater Jordan Stolz is now a two-time Olympic gold medalist in speed skating — halfway to his goal of four at the Milan Cortina Games — after winning the 500 meters on Saturday to go along with his victory in the 1,000.
The 21-year-old is only the second man to complete the 500-1,000 double at one Olympics. He joins Eric Heiden, the American who did it as part of his record sweep of all five individual men’s speedskating events at the 1980 Lake Placid Games.
Stolz finished the 500 in an Olympic-record time of 33.77 seconds, after also setting a Games mark in his win in the 1,000 on Wednesday. Both times, the silver went to Jenning do Boo of the Netherlands, who clocked 33.88 in the shortest speedskating event. Both times, they raced head-to-head in the same heat.
Stolz was leading Wednesday as they came out of the final curve, then they were even entering the last stretch. But Stolz, who overcame a deficit in the 1,000, turned on the speed and leaned across the line first again in the 500. De Boo slipped and fell into the wall afterward, while Stolz skated past and shook his right fist overhead.
Canada’s Laurent Dubreuil got the bronze in 34.26.
The last American to win Olympic gold in the men’s 500 was Casey FitzRandolph in 2002.
Generally considered the best in the world at his sport right now, Stolz is so far living up to the outsized expectations and accompanying pressure that follow his every stride on the ice at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium, a temporary facility created for this event.
Two races, two golds, two Olympic records.
Now there are two more to go: the 1,500 meters on Thursday, and the mass start on Feb. 21.
The last man with three gold medals in speedskating at one Winter Games was Norway’s Johann Olav Koss, who won the 1,500, the 5,000 and the 10,000 at the 1994 Lillehammer Games
Stolz took to the ice to warm up Saturday about 2 1/2 hours before his race. He paused at one point to plop himself down for a seat on the low boards along the ice, retying his black-and-green skates and smiling while chatting with his coach, Bob Corby.
No sign of nerves. None at all.
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