Olympics-Speed skating-American Stolz lives up to the hype to take 1,000m gold

By Pearl Josephine Nazare

MILAN, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Jordan Stolz lived up to expectations as he charged to the men's 1,000 metres gold on Wednesday, delivering the United States' first speed skating title of the Milano Cortina Games after a brief delay caused by a re-skate in an earlier pair.

Dutchman Jenning de Boo and China's Ning Zhongyan took silver and bronze, respectively.

Stolz, skating in the inner lane in the second-last pair of 15 and matched against De Boo, tore around the oval in an Olympic-record one minute 6.28 seconds to win by 0.50 seconds.

Drama unfolded earlier when Joep Wennemars - the 2025 world champion in the 1,000m and son of former sprint world champion Erben Wennemars - collided with China's Lian Ziwen in the 11th pair, leaving the 23-year-old Dutchman furious as he appeared on course for a big result.

With a crowd dominated by orange‑clad Netherlands supporters in full voice, Wennemars was granted a re-skate at the end but could only manage the fifth-fastest time, drained from his earlier effort.

Polish standout Damian Zurek posted the fourth-fastest time.

HOTTEST PROPERTY

Stolz arrived at Milano-Cortina as one of speed skating's hottest properties .

Since making his Olympic debut as a 17-year-old in Beijing - where he finished 13th in the 500m and 14th in the 1,000m - he has evolved into a dominant force in sprint distances, including setting the 1,000m world record.

The 21-year-old American, who took up speed skating after watching Apolo Ohno, his country's most decorated winter Olympian, at the 2010 Vancouver Games, endured a turbulent build-up to these Olympics.

His preparations were disrupted by bouts of pneumonia and strep throat, as well as a gruesome bike crash during training in June.

But nothing could slow him at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium, where he began his Milano-Cortina campaign in the 1,000m.

In a stacked field featuring several skaters who have pushed him close on the World Cup circuit - including Zurek and De Boo - Stolz rose to the occasion in style, with American rapper Snoop Dogg rocking in the stands as the crowd roared him on.

The victory brought the U.S. a fourth gold medal at Milano Cortina, adding to Breezy Johnson's victory in the women's downhill , the team event title in figure skating , and Elizabeth Lemley's triumph in women's moguls .