If Jordan Stolz isn’t already a household name, he will be.
The 21-year-old long track speedskater from Kewaskum is a phenom, widely considered the world’s top athlete in a sport with a long, storied history in Wisconsin. He already holds two world records, in the 1,000-meter and big combination races.
Last winter, in front of a boisterous home crowd at Pettit National Ice Center, Stolz scored three gold medals in the International Skating Union World Cup. On the oval where he has trained since he was a youngster, he showcased his supreme talent: a rare combination of speed and endurance that gives him a chance to win multiple medals at the Winter Olympics in Milan next month.
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But soon after the competition, Stolz faced adversity. First came a bout of strep throat and pneumonia that sapped his strength. Then, he crashed his bicycle during summer training and got a deep, gnarly gash along the shin of his right leg.
“It was down to the bone,” Stolz says. He received 16 stitches to close the wound. Did it slow him down? “I only had to take a week off,” he says. “I took some antibiotics and was all good.”
All good, indeed. Stolz returned to competition with a vengeance, capturing three gold medals and a pair of silvers in the U.S. National Championships in Salt Lake City in October, despite high altitude and a tiring training schedule – and then won three more gold medals at the World Cup in November.
“I feel like we’re just scratching the surface [with Stolz], and that’s scary,” says Dave Tamburrino, a New Berlin resident and two-time Olympic speedskater and former coach. “Jordan has truly demonstrated his versatility and ability to compete at all distances.”
Stolz began skating on his family’s frozen pond at age 5, inspired by eight-time gold medalist short track speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno. Since Stolz’ Olympic debut at age 17 in 2022, he’s made tremendous strides in a short time, compiling an unprecedented streak of World Cup wins. The rise to stardom evokes comparisons to Eric Heiden, a five-time gold medalist in the 1980 Winter Games and Madison native who many consider to be the greatest speedskater ever.
Stolz, deadpan and increasingly media-savvy, is bombarded with national interviews. He even filmed an action-packed promo for the Olympics with actor Glen Powell before shooting another unrelated commercial in New York.
Yet Stolz, who still lives at home with his parents, seems unfazed by all this attention. “I try not to let outside things get into my head,” he says.
Stolz relies on Bob Corby, his 75-year-old coach and physical therapist, as a steadying influence. When his packed schedule allows, Stolz enjoys fishing, including expeditions to Alaska to catch salmon. And he still finds relaxation on his bicycle. “Everybody loves riding their bike, right?”
Before Milan, Stolz faces the U.S. Olympic Trials at the Petitt from Jan. 2-5 – a formality, maybe, but a prelude to a career-defining moment. Stolz, along with the country, has high expectations. “It’s just going to take some time to get ready so I’ll be peaking in February.”
