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Jordan Stolz (USA) is aiming to win his second Olympic gold at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 when he takes on the 500m on Saturday. Jenning de Boo (NED) gave the American a run for his money in the 1000m last Wednesday, but the Dutch silver medalist doesn't think Stolz was worried.

Apart from De Boo, Damian Zurek (POL) and Kim Jun-Ho (KOR) are the only skaters to have beaten Stolz in 500m World Cup races this season.

Sleep and pasta fuel up Zurek

While Stolz went into the 1000m undefeated in the distance all season, the 500m is going to be different: the American phenomenon 'only' won five out of the nine World Cup races. 

Damian Zurek (POL) on his way to victory in the final 500m race of the World Cup season in Inzell (GER) © ISU

Damian Zurek beat Stolz twice over the final World Cup weekend, and the 27-year-old Polish sprinter is on fire this season. After coming in fourth in the 1000m on Wednesday, he immediately targeted the shorter distance.

"I'm looking forward for the 500m. Now I need to just rest, go to sleep and eat some pasta. I think that's it,” he said.

De Boo: faster than Stolz

Kim Jun-Ho had a strong start to the season and managed to beat Stolz at the second World Cup in Calgary last November, but he missed the fourth World Cup in Hamar and ended up eighth in the World Cup ranking. 

De Boo finished runner-up behind Stolz in the 500m World Cup ranking. He defeated Stolz at the first World Cup event of the season in Salt Lake City in a season’s best time of 33.63s, which is even 0.06s faster than Stolz's personal best.

Jenning de Boo (NED) set a season's best in Salt Lake City last November which is faster than Stolz's PB © ISU

In Wednesday's head-to-head encounter with Stolz in the 1000m, De Boo had a 0.37s lead over Stolz after 600m. 

"I don't think he [Stolz] had expected that," De Boo said. 

"Inzell [the last World Cup event, when De Boo finished outside the podium in both the 500m and the 1000m] was not the best dress rehearsal for me of course.

"Then again, I don't think Jordan is going to be worried too soon," De Boo laughed. 

"For me, it's a confidence boost though. Beforehand I thought that my chances in the 500m would be better than in the 1000m, and my Salt Lake City [500m] race still gives me confidence too."

Stolz stays stoic

As De Boo has already noted, Stolz doesn’t get nervous easily. After winning the first of a possible four Olympic titles in Milan, the stoic American reflected on the achievement.

"This one [the gold] gives a feel of what it's going to be like and there's going to be less pressure now that I have one gold medal,” he said.

“One gold medal is huge enough. It would be super nice to have two, three, but just one means a lot.

Jordan Stolz (USA) shows off his first Olympic gold medal following the 1000m. Can he make it a pair in the 500m? © ISU

"I will try and rest. I feel good on the ice, am mentally prepared. It's going to be over like that. The 1000m went by so quick, with the pressure and the feeling that you have to go as hard as you can. 

"If the 500m comes around, it will be over in a split second."

The Draw - Men's 500m

Both Stolz and De Boo got the draw they wanted. The two will face each other in the second-last pairing with Stolz starting from the inner lane. 

Whereas Stolz didn't indicate a preference for the lane, De Boo wanted the outside.

"I've done well in both [lanes], but I think I would like the outer lane, and I could chase him on the straight," he said.

Kim Jun-Ho will face Olympic Champion Gao Tingyu (CHN) in the 12th of the 15 pairings, and Zurek faces Sebas Diniz (NED) in the 14th pairing. 

The Numbers - Men's 500m

• World Record: 33.61 Pavel Kulizhnikov (RUS), Salt Lake City, 9 March 2019
• Olympic Record: 34.32 Gao Tingyu (CHN), Beijing, 12 February 2022
• Track record: 35,49 Byeong-Hun Lee (KOR), Milan, 30 November 2025
• Number of skaters competing: 30
• Number of delegations represented: 14
• Competition starts at 17:00 at Milano Speed Skating Stadium on Saturday 14 February

Canada and Netherlands pursue golden goal

Before the men start their title quest in the 500m, the women will begin the Team Pursuit with the quarterfinals on Saturday. The semifinals and medal races are scheduled for Tuesday 17 February.

The four fastest teams from the quarterfinal races will advance to the semifinals, and from the semifinals onwards it's a knock-out format. The winners of the semifinals will race in the gold-medal final A race and the losers of the semifinals in the bronze-medal final B race.

Isabelle Weidemann, Ivanie Blondin and Valérie Maltais in Pursuit formation for Canada in the Calgary World Cup in November 2025 © ISU

Olympic Champions Canada (Isabelle Weidemann, Ivanie Blondin and Valérie Maltais) won the World Cup Trophy this season, but World Champions the Netherlands only skated in their favored line-up in one of the season’s three races.

Joy Beune, Antoinette Rijpma-De Jong and Marijke Groenewoud (NED) did win that one race in which they raced together, albeit by a slim 0.16s margin over Canada.

Joy Beune, Antoinette Rijpma-De Jong and Marijke Groenewoud (NED) secure the World Championship in Hamar (NOR) in March 2025 © ISU

Japan and the USA seem to be the most likely other two semifinalists, but the margins are tight and Team Pursuit is a very precise event in which a small mistake can cost dearly. 

The Draw - Women's Team Pursuit

The Netherlands will skate against Kazakhstan in the first pairing. China faces Japan in an all-Asian second pairing. Germany takes on the USA in the third heat, and Canada meets Belgium in the fourth and final pair.

The Numbers - Women's Team Pursuit

• World Record: 2:50.76, Japan (Ayana Sato, Miho Takagi, Nana Takaagi) Salt Lake City, 14 February 2020
• Olympic Record: 2:53.44 Canada (Isabelle Weidemann, Ivanie Blondin, Valérie Maltais) Beijing, 15 February 2022
• Track record: no track record yet
• Number of teams competing: 8
• Number of delegations represented: 8
• Competition starts at 16:00 at Milano Speed Skating Stadium on Saturday 14 February