MILAN โย The 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics delivered another day of history-making performances Saturday, with American athletes leaving their mark on multiple fronts.
Stolz Strikes Again with Record-Breaking Gold
Jordan Stolz cemented his status as the face of U.S. speedskating, winning his second gold medal in as many events with a blistering performance in the men’s 500 meters. The 21-year-old from Kewaskum, Wisconsin, crossed the line in 33.77 seconds, shattering the Olympic record of 34.32 set by China’s Gao Tingyu at the 2022 Beijing Gamesย .
Stolz’s victory followed his 1000-meter gold earlier in the Games, where he also set an Olympic record. The Dutch pair of Jenning de Boo (33.88) and veteran Laurent Dubreuil of Canada (34.26) rounded out the podiumย . Stolz reached a top speed of 36 mph during his record-setting skateย .
His quest for four gold medals continues Thursday in the men’s 1500 meters, followed by the mass start next weekendย .
Curling Makes History Against Canada
In a monumental upset, Tabitha Peterson’s U.S. women’s curling team defeated Canada 9-8, marking the first time the Americans have beaten their northern neighbors since women’s curling was introduced to the Olympics in 1998ย .
The back-and-forth thriller saw Canada hold early leads, but the Americans exploded with a four-point sixth end. After Canada rallied to take an 8-7 lead into the final frame, Canadian skip Rachel Homan missed a crucial double takeout, leaving Peterson a simple draw for the winning two pointsย .
“I’m really happy with how the girls played, and we stuck with it,” Peterson said afterwardย . The win improved Team USA to 2-1 in round-robin play. Cory Thiesse, who already won silver in mixed doubles, and her teammates face 0-2 Japan on Saturdayย .
Men’s Hockey Looks to Stay Perfect
The U.S. men’s hockey team faces Denmark on Saturday (3:10 p.m. ET, USA Network) in its second group play game. The Americans opened with a 5-1 victory over Latvia, though the game was tightly contested until the second periodย .
Denmark dropped its opener 3-1 to Germany, with Oscar Fisker Mรธlgaardโwho made his NHL debut with Seattle earlier this seasonโscoring the Danes’ lone goalย . Without current NHL defensemen, Denmark faces a formidable challenge against a deep U.S. offensive roster featuring Jack Hughes, Matthew Tkachuk, and Brock Nelson, who scored twice in the opener
