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Jordan Stolz has firmly established himself as a multi-medal contender for the upcoming Games winter OlympicsAfter impressive performances in the first four events of the 2025-26 ISU Speed Skating world cupwhich served as an important qualifier for milan-cortina,
The 21-year-old American excelled in the sprint distances, topping the points rankings in the men’s 500 m, 1,000 m and 1,500 m, as well as setting several track records.
He finished his year with a successful victory in the mass start in Hamar, claiming his inaugural World Cup gold in the discipline.
The victory secured one of two quota spots for the United States and a potential fourth event at the Milan Speed Skating Stadium.
Among his challengers, Dutch sprinter Janning de Boo impressed with podium finishes in both the 500 m and 1,000 m, while Poland’s Damien Zurek consistently finished in the top three over the same distances. Both are set to give Stolz tough competition in Milan.
In the long distance, France’s Timothée Laubinaud stunned the field by breaking the men’s 5,000 meters world record in Salt Lake City.
Her performances have solidly established her in the 5,000 m, 10,000 m and mass starts, marking her as one of the breakout skaters of the season.
Nineteen-year-old Metodej Jelek also proved a revelation for the Czech Republic, winning the 10,000 meters in Heerenveen and breaking a 16-year-old track record in the 5,000 meters in Hamar. He currently leads the points charts in both long distances and is also in contention for the 1,500m and mass starts.
In the men’s team pursuit, the United States won the season, while the Netherlands finished second. Reigning Olympic champions Norway managed to secure their quota place only through time ranking.
On the women’s side, Femke Kok dominated in the 500 meters and had a strong performance in the 1,000 meters. Reigning Olympic 500 m champion Erin Jackson remained competitive, taking silver in Salt Lake City and remaining in contention in the 1,000 m.
Canada’s Ivany Blondin also enjoyed a strong season, winning medals in the 1,500 m and mass debut. Along with Valerie Maltais and Isabelle Weidemann, she helped Canada dominate the women’s team, finishing the World Cup season number one in points.
The reigning Olympic champions are in good position to defend their team pursuit title in Milan, with Japan again their nearest rival.
“Having some solid performances … gives us a lot of confidence in the strategy we’re using and the work we’ve done,” Weidemann was quoted as saying on Speed Skating Canada’s website after winning the team pursuit gold in Hamar.
“There are four or five teams that are really strong and have a chance to get on the podium at the Olympics, and we’re trying to keep the pressure on them. It will definitely be a good battle.”
Brazil will host the final 2025-26 World Cup stopover from January 23 to 25, before the spotlight shifts to Milan-Cortina in February.