Jordan Stolz opens his bid for 4 golds by winning the 1,000 meters in an Olympic-record time

MILAN (AP) — Jordan Stolz pictured this moment most of his life, ever since he was 5 and learning to skate on a frozen pond in his Wisconsin backyard after falling in love with speedskating while watching the 2010 Winter Olympics on TV — and hoping to one day step atop the podium himself.

So what was the little hassle of a 10-plus-minute wait to make sure this first speedskating gold medal officially would be his Wednesday? Especially because, as Stolz would say later, "I didn’t think anybody was going to beat that time."

Stolz needed to hold off on a celebratory lap with a U.S. flag until another competitor got the chance for a re-skate, then soon enough was able to smile while leaning forward to receive his gold for winning the men’s 1,000 meters at the Milan Cortina Games in an Olympic-record time thanks to a blistering closing stretch.

“It was just a feeling like, ‘You finally did it,’” said the 21-year-old Stolz, who was trailing silver medalist Jenning de Boo of the Netherlands with 400 meters to go. “It almost doesn’t seem real, right?”

Stolz's father, Dirk, plowed away snow on their pond all those years ago so that little Jordan and his older sister, Hannah, could skate — over the objections of their mother, Jane. When they all gathered after Wednesday's race, Dirk said, “He showed me (the medal) and said, ‘I finally got it!’”

Now Stolz will hope to keep going and add to his collection of trophies: He's entered in three more events in Milan.

“Well, it's hard to say, ‘Oh, I could win four gold medals,’ when you haven’t won one yet. Now that I’ve won one, I kind of know what to expect and can kind of feel like how the crowd is, with the energy, and the ice,” he said. “So it’s going to be good.”

Skating in the next-to-last pairing at Milano Speed Skating Stadium, a temporary facility constructed for these Olympics, Stolz finished in 1 minute, 6.28 seconds.

That didn’t threaten his world record of 1:05.37 but did better the Olympic standard of 1:07.18 that stood since 2002. All four long track speedskating races in Milan have been won in the fastest times ever turned in at an Olympics.

De Boo ended up a half-second slower; no one else came within a full second of Stolz. Zhongyan Ning of China got the bronze.

“He’s just a killer on the last lap,” said Bob Corby, Stolz's coach.

Stolz’s medal was his first at this level: As a 17-year-old at the 2022 Beijing Games, he was 14th in the 1,000 and 13th in the 500.

It also was the first medal of any sort in the men’s 1,000 for the United States since the 2010 Vancouver Games. That’s when Shani Davis — a mentor and, at one point, a coach to Stolz — won his second consecutive gold in that event, and Chad Hedrick got the bronze. Dutch men had won the 1,000 at each of the past three Winter Games.

With Eric Heiden, the only speedskater to win five golds at one Olympics, sitting next to rapper Snoop Dogg in the stands, Stolz pulled ahead of de Boo by the time one full lap was done. Then de Boo moved in front and was still there at the 600-meter mark.

But Stolz zoomed ahead around the final corner and crossed the line first with his hands on his knees, then rose for an understated pump of his right hand.

“I had high hopes. But his last lap is just incredible,” de Boo said. “I heard him coming at 800 meters, and then I just knew it was too late.”

Stolz entered the day as a big favorite.

He holds the 1,000 world record and is a two-time world champion at the distance. Plus, he went 5-for-5 on the World Cup circuit this season in the event, confirming his status as the man to beat at the Olympics.

“Everything up until today was nothing. It was just: ‘Eh, it’s a regular meet.’ We get ready. We get set. We rest. And we’re skating good in practices,” Corby said. “After he sat down after the race, he was kind of like, ‘Wow. This is a pretty big deal.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, it is.’”

Up next: Stolz races the 500 on Saturday, the 1,500 on Feb. 19, and the mass start on Feb. 21.

Stolz’s name is often mentioned alongside that of Heiden, the only speedskater to claim five long track gold medals at a single Winter Games. At the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, Heiden won the 500, 1,000, 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000.

Stolz is flattered to hear such comparisons but also quick to note that what Heiden accomplished was remarkably different, covering five distances. Stolz might add the longer events to his repertoire down the road; for now, he is the best there is in the sprints.

“One gold medal is huge enough, right? It would be super nice to have two, three, right?” Stolz said. “But just having one means a lot.”

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Jordan Stolz of the U.S. celebrates with his catch Bob Corby, left, after the men's 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Gold medallist Jordan Stolz of the U.S. celebrates after the men's 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Gold medallist Jordan Stolz of the U.S., center, Jenning de Boo of the Netherlands, left and silver medal, and Ning Zhongyan of China, right and bronze medal, celebrate on the podium of the men's 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Jordan Stolz of the U.S. competes to win the gold medal in the men's 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Jordan Stolz of the U.S. celebrates with his gold medal on the podium of the men's 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Jordan Stolz of the U.S. and coach Bob Corby, right, pose for a picture after the men's 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Jordan Stolz of the U.S. reacts after the men's 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Gold medallist Jordan Stolz of the U.S. celebrates after the men's 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Jordan Stolz of the U.S. prepares for the men's 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Jordan Stolz of the U.S. talks to coach Bob Corby, right, before the men's 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Snoop dog and five-time olympic gold medallist former speed skater Eric Heiden of the U.S. watch the men's 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Jordan Stolz of the U.S. reacts after the men's 1,000 meters speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Konnor Griffin endured plenty of emotions when the 19-year-old shortstop learned the Pittsburgh Pirates were calling him up to the majors just a week into the season.

Shock was not one of them.

“I'm ready for this,” Griffin said Friday, just hours before making his major league debut against Baltimore at PNC Park.

He certainly looked ready, delivering an RBI double off Baltimore's Kyle Bradish in his first at-bat to help the Pirates to a 5-4 victory.

The Pirates are betting more big moments are on the way after making Griffin the first position player to arrive in the majors before his 20th birthday since Juan Soto did it with Washington in 2018.

Just 628 days after Pittsburgh selected him with the ninth pick in the 2024 amateur draft, the athletic and mustachioed 6-foot-3 Griffin found a No. 6 jersey hanging in his locker at PNC Park and his name penciled in the seventh spot in the lineup against the Orioles.

On the surface, it seems fast. The reality is that Griffin checked every box — and checked every box quickly — while sprinting through the Pirates' system. The final steps came over the last week when he hit .438 in a handful of games for Triple-A Indianapolis.

Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly felt Griffin was “pressing” near the end of spring training, when he smashed three homers but also hit just .171. The club made Griffin one of the last cuts before the opening-day roster was set. Yet rather than sulk, he headed to Triple-A, made a couple of adjustments, and saw immediate results.

“He just went right down and hit his stride and was able to reset in a couple of days,” Kelly said. “Which again, for anybody, is really impressive, especially for a 19-year-old kid whose hopes and dreams were to make the big leagues.”

That doesn't make Griffin unlike the millions of kids who pick up a bat when they're in elementary school. It's everything that has come after it, however, that has set Griffin apart. He raced through the lower levels of the minors last year, hitting 21 homers, driving in 94 runs, and stealing 65 bases while showcasing the range to play one of the game's most demanding defensive positions.

Yet it's not just the tangible on-field things that won the organization over. Griffin has long carried himself with the maturity of someone far older. He married his high school sweetheart, Dendy, over the winter. And she was the first one he told after Indianapolis manager Eric Patterson called Griffin to his hotel room in Columbus early Thursday to tell him he was heading to The Show.

The next 24 hours were a blur. From the short drive from Columbus to Pittsburgh to the scramble for the Mississippi native's family to make it to the ballpark that's tucked hard against the Allegheny River in time for Friday's first pitch.

Finally, just after noon, Griffin was able to relax. He trotted out to shortstop and took grounders, his frame and arm making him look very much the part of the role he's been preparing for since he was 5.

Griffin's skillset has drawn comparisons to the likes of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., heady territory for someone less than two years removed from his high school graduation. Still, he's not getting ahead of himself.

“Today is the first day of carving out a legacy that I want to build,” he said. "And I’m ready to do that and try to be right up there with those top guys.”

Griffin is the latest in a string of high-profile arrivals in Pittsburgh, from reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes to rookie right-hander Bubba Chandler to catcher Henry Davis.

The future that's been talked about since general manager Ben Cherington was hired in late 2019 is finally arriving. And perhaps it's telling of how far the club has come that Griffin is joining a roster that has undergone a significant upgrade in recent months with the additions of All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe, All-Star first baseman/outfielder Ryan O'Hearn and veteran designated hitter Marcell Ozuna.

“This team is loaded,” Griffin said. “I get to come in here and just be a piece of this puzzle.”

Perhaps a very big piece. For a very long time. The Pirates and Griffin have engaged in talks about a contract extension that would lock him up for most of the next decade.

Griffin demurred when asked about it on Friday, though he made his intentions very clear.

“All I’m going to say is, I want to be a Pirate for a long time,” he said. "This is a special place and I’m thankful to be here.”

Perhaps most importantly because it means he can shed the “top prospect” label and stop focusing so much on his individual development and instead turn his attention to helping the Pirates make a playoff push for the first time since the mid-2010s.

“Now it’s time to take all the skills that I’ve learned,” he said, "all the adjustments I’ve made. It’s time to go put them on the field and go win some games.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin celebrates after hitting an RBI double, his first Major League career hit and run, during the second inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin (6) is introduced for his major league debut before a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin sprints for home to score a run during the second inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin hits an RBI double, his first Major League career hit and run, during the second inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin, right, follows manager Don Kelly, center, and owner Bob Nutting into a meeting with reporters before making his Major League Baseball debut in the Pirates' home-opener against the Baltimore Orioles, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin meets with reporters before making his Major League Baseball debut in the Pirates' home-opener against the Baltimore Orioles, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Pirates' Konnor Griffin meets with reporters before making his Major League Baseball debut in the Pirates' home-opener against the Baltimore Orioles, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)