MILAN, Italy — In a blistering display of speed at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, American phenom Jordan Stolz has captured his second gold medal of the week, shattering the Olympic record in the men’s 500m speed skating final on Saturday, 14 February 2026.
Stolz, the 21-year-old sensation from Wisconsin, crossed the finish line in a staggering 33.77 seconds. The performance erased the previous Olympic mark of 34.32 set by China’s Gao Tingyu in 2022. Stolz’s victory cements his status as the dominant force in long-track skating, following his earlier gold medal and record-breaking performance in the 1,000m event.
Canadian Redemption: Dubreuil Claims Bronze
For Canadian fans, the highlight of the session was the podium return of Laurent Dubreuil. The Quebec City native secured the bronze medal, clocking a time that marks Canada’s first Olympic medal in the men’s 500m sprint since 1998.
Dubreuil’s bronze is a story of resilience. After the heartbreak of the Beijing 2022 Games—where he missed the podium by a mere three-hundredths of a second—the 33-year-old veteran executed a near-flawless start to edge out a highly competitive field. For a brief moment during the heat transitions, Dubreuil actually held the Olympic record after his pairing, before Stolz took to the ice in a later heat to lower the mark further.
The Podium Results
| Medal | Athlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Jordan Stolz | United States | 33.77 (OR) |
| Silver | TBD* | TBD | — |
| Bronze | Laurent Dubreuil | Canada | — |
*Official silver medallist verification pending final heat confirmation.
Historical Context
The 500m sprint is often decided by the “opening 100,” and today was no exception. Stolz’s time of 33.77 is not only an Olympic record but sits just 0.12 seconds off his own personal best, an incredible feat given the atmospheric conditions of the indoor oval in Italy compared to the high-altitude tracks in Salt Lake City or Calgary.
With the 1,500m and Mass Start events still to come, Stolz remains on track for a historic multi-gold sweep. Meanwhile, Team Canada continues its strong showing on the ice, adding Dubreuil’s bronze to the short-track success of Courtney Sarault, who also secured bronze in the women’s 500m earlier this week.