Jordan Stolz's Olympic Heartbreak: 0.09 Seconds Cost Him a Medal
American speed skater Jordan Stolz left the Olympics with mixed emotions. While satisfied with his overall performance, he was disappointed by a narrow miss in the mass sprint event. The 19-year-old finished fourth, just 0.09 seconds off the podium in a race where strategy played a key role.
The mass sprint final saw Jorrit Bergsma of the Netherlands and Viktor Hald Thorup of Denmark break away early. They pulled clear of the pack in the second lap, eventually building a 21-second lead by the 13th lap. Stolz, however, hesitated before responding to the attack.
By the time he launched his chase, the gap had grown too large. Frustrated by the lack of support from other skaters, he later admitted the groupthink approach had cost him. 'No one wanted to close the breakaway,' he said, calling the mass start format 'not necessarily his thing'—his first attempt since World Juniors.
Bergsma took gold, while Thorup secured silver. Stolz crossed the line fourth, narrowly missing bronze behind Belgium's Bart Swings, who added to his five Olympic medals from previous Games. Despite the setback, Stolz remained upbeat about his broader Olympic campaign.
Stolz's fourth-place finish highlighted both his potential and the tactical challenges of mass start racing. The result left him with a clear lesson: in future races, he won't wait for others to act. His focus now shifts to refining his approach before the next major competition.
