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U.S. speedskater Jordan Stolz made his last appearance at the 2026 Winter Games on Saturday, aiming for a fourth medal in the men’s mass start final.
MILAN, Italy — The conclusion of the speedskating events at the Milan Cortina Games delivered an unexpected twist.
The men’s mass start final kicked off at 10:40 a.m. Eastern, with Jordan Stolz representing Team USA from the seventh position. He was the sole American competing in this event.
In a surprising outcome, Stolz missed out on securing his third gold medal of these Winter Games, as he did not finish in the top three.
Men’s mass start results
The mass start events for both men and women were among the last competitions to distribute medals before the Closing Ceremony on Sunday.
The men’s and women’s mass start events were among the final batch of medals to be awarded before the Closing Ceremony on Sunday.
Stolz, who qualified in fourth place earlier during the semifinals, finished in fourth place in the final.
The Netherland’s Jorrit Bergsma won gold and Denmark’s Viktor Hald Thorup won silver. Italy’s Andrea Giovannini won bronze.
Team USA athlete Ethan Cepuran was the only other American to qualify for the men’s semifinal event, but he did not advance to the final medal event, falling short of the final by one point.
This was Stolz’s fourth and final Olympic event in Italy. He previously won gold in the 500 and 1,000 meters before taking silver in the 1,500 meters. He didn’t compete in the 5,000-meter or 10,000-meter events.
How does mass start speed skating work?
Athletes, between 16 and 24 total, line up together on the long track and start at the same time. They race for 16 laps, and the first three skaters to cross the line take gold, silver and bronze.
In most cases, like other speed skating events, the pace starts slow and picks up toward the final laps. When people begin to try to overtake their competitors, it can lead to slips, falls and disqualifications.