American speed skating sensation Jordan Stolz will attempt to capture his third gold medal when he competes in Thursday’s men’s 1,500-meter race at the Winter Olympics, facing off against seasoned Dutch competitor Kjeld Nuis in what will be the veteran’s final Olympic appearance.
The 21-year-old Stolz has already exceeded high expectations by claiming victory in both the 1,000-meter race last Wednesday and the 500-meter event on Saturday, setting Olympic records in each competition.
Stolz stands as the sole American speed skater to earn gold at the Milano Cortina Games and enters Thursday’s race as the clear favorite to win the 1,500-meter event.
However, Nuis presents a significant challenge. The 36-year-old Netherlands athlete currently holds both the Olympic record and world record in the 1,500m, with a world-best time of one minute 40.17 seconds.
Nuis enters as the two-time defending Olympic champion, having won the event at both the Beijing 2022 and Pyeongchang 2018 Games, where he also captured the 1,000m title.
“He (Stolz) is obviously the one to beat,” Nuis commented on Wednesday. “He has to make a mistake for us to beat him, but I do not think he is going to make any mistakes.”
“Everyone is fully focused. Nobody is going to make a mistake at this point, and definitely not him,” he continued.
“I have a lot of respect for him. We all maybe hoped he would crack under the pressure of representing the United States at the Olympic Games. That has not always been a good match. But he … just lives up to all expectations. He is so calm.”
“I do not go out there hoping someone is going to have an off day. I want to skate my best race, and hopefully it will be enough for a medal.”
The Netherlands team has already secured nine speed skating medals at these Games, including gold medals from Jutta Leerdam in the women’s 1,000m and Femke Kok in the women’s 500m events.
After placing sixth in last week’s 1,000m race, Nuis acknowledged that the significance of his final Olympic competition is beginning to affect him emotionally.
“I arrived here saying to myself, ‘Just enjoy it, your last Olympic race, it does not matter what is going to happen.’ But now I am like, ‘I need to win a medal.’ So, I’m feeling a bit nervous. But I should be feeling that as well. I need it to perform,” he explained.
