MILWAUKEE (AP) — Star speedskater Jordan Stolz shockingly stumbled to the ice right after the start of the men’s 1,000 meters at the U.S. Olympic trials for long track speedskating on Saturday but still finished with the third-fastest time and will head to the Milan Cortina Winter Games.
Stolz caught the toe of one of his skates on the slick surface, lost his footing and tripped after fewer than five strides at the Pettit National Ice Center, about 40 miles south of his hometown of Kewaskum. It was the sort of thing that simply doesn’t happen to the best in the world at what he does — someone expected to earn multiple medals and to be one of the faces of the Feb. 6-22 Olympics.
He quickly rose and continued to race, faring well enough to turn in the third-fastest time of 33 entrants.
“I just tried to get it all out, right? Go as hard as I could and see what would happen, where I would end up,” Stolz said.
He pointed to a recent cold that prevented him from his normal preparation.
“Just didn’t have the right feeling,” the 21-year-old said. “Sitting around a lot. Been a little cramped up, dehydrated, so that was more so the issue today.”
He’s not just considered a medal contender for at least three events, including the 1,000, in Milan — he might just be the favorite for gold.
In addition to owning the 1,000 world record, Stolz is a two-time world champion at each of the 500, 1,000 and 1,500.
Because of past results, Stolz was pre-qualified for those three Olympic races and only needed to take part Saturday to officially lock in a roster spot. Despite the misstep, he did end up with a time good enough to be among the trio of automatic qualifiers in the 1,000, joining Conor McDermott-Mostowy and Cooper McLeod.
McDermott-Mostowy clocked 1 minute, 7.606 seconds, with McLeod 0.24 behind and Stolz 0.36 off the pace.
“He handled it very impressively,” McLeod said about Stolz’s recovery. “He handled it like the many-time world champion that he is.”
Earlier Saturday, Erin Jackson qualified in the women’s 1,000 by finishing faster than her good friend, world record-holder Brittany Bowe.
At the trials four years ago, Jackson slipped in the 500 and failed to earn a spot in that event. But Bowe, who did qualify in the 500, gave up her spot to Jackson, who then went to Beijing and became the first Black woman to win an individual gold medal at a Winter Olympics.
Bowe had the fastest time Saturday heading into the final two-woman heat, when Jackson completed the 1,000 in 1:14.63. That was 0.39 faster than Bowe. They both grew up in Ocala, Florida, and started in inline skating before switching to the ice.
Saturday’s performance by Jackson was all the more impressive because she tore her left hamstring just before the start of a World Cup meet in December.
“Going into the beginning of this week, I wasn’t really sure if I was going to be able to race or not,” Jackson said. “But over the last few days, it started feeling really nice. It got better at just the right time.”
Bowe gets the second U.S. berth in the women’s 1,000. She turns 38 next month and will be heading to her fourth — and last — Olympics.
Bowe earned a bronze medal in the 1,000 at Beijing and a bronze in team pursuit at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.
“To be able to be 1 and 2 with (Jackson) is great,” Bowe said, “and to be able to go back to the Olympics with her, and for her to have another shot to do something incredible, is going to be fun.”
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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
