Jordan Stolz Wins 2 Golds, Silver at 21 in Milan Olympics

Twenty-one-year-old Jordan Stolz is proving that American speedskating has entered a new golden era, capturing two gold medals and one silver at the Milan Winter Olympics.

Stolz dominated the ice in the men's 1,000-meter and 500-meter events, setting Olympic records in both races. His win in the 1,000-meter marked the first American medal in that event since 2010.

On Thursday, Stolz narrowly missed his third gold in the 1,500-meter race, finishing just over one second behind China's Ning Zhongyan with a time of 1:42.75. Ning took gold with an Olympic record of 1:41.98, his first gold after earning two bronze medals earlier in the games.

The silver medal still puts Stolz in elite company. When he won his second gold over the weekend, he became the first American since legendary skater Eric Heiden to medal twice in speedskating at a single Winter Games.

Had Stolz won that third gold, he would have joined Heiden as only the second U.S. athlete to collect at least three gold medals in any sport during a single Winter Games. Heiden achieved his historic feat with five golds at the 1980 Lake Placid games.

Why This Inspires

This is only Stolz's second Olympics. At the Beijing games, he placed 13th and 14th in his events, showing just how dramatic his rise has been.

Outside the Olympics, Stolz holds the world record for the 1,000-meter speed skate and is the reigning two-time World Cup champion in the distance. After winning his first gold in Milan, Stolz told reporters he expected his upcoming events to be some of his best of the year.

The young athlete's confidence proved well-founded. At 21, he's already rewriting American speedskating history and proving that age is no barrier to Olympic excellence.

Stolz will compete in his fourth and final event this Saturday, the mass start, giving him one more chance to add to his medal collection before leaving Milan.