19-year-old American speed skater conquers the world, setting the stage for 2026
The main focus for those following the Olympics is this summer's Paris Games. But since it's technically still winter right now, he's less than two years away from the 2026 Italian Winter Games, and many winter sports newsmakers have appeared.
No American athlete has made a bigger announcement than 19-year-old speed skater Jordan Stoltz that he will be a rising star at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Last month, Stolz won world titles in the 500 meters, 1,000 meters and 1,500 meters at the World Single Distance Championships in Calgary.
Last week in Germany, Stolz achieved the highest score in the history of the event with a score of 144.740, making him the youngest all-around speed skating world champion since Eric Heiden.
All-around events are events in which competitors skate four distances (500, 1,000, 1,500, and 10,000 meters) and a cumulative total is formed based on the times of all events.
Stolz, a Wisconsin native, said in an ESPN article that he won't be able to match Heiden's accomplishment of five gold medals at the 1980 Winter Olympics in 2026, including one of the distance events. He said he is likely to only compete in the (5,000m). and he 10,000 meters), but not both.
Still, get ready for Stolz to be one of the hottest American winter athletes heading into 2026.
After 100 years, France's famous stadium will once again host the Olympics
Stadiums rarely last 100 years, much less host events for two Olympic Games 100 years apart.
But that would be the case at the Yves du Manoir Stadium in Paris.
In 1924, the stadium became the center of the Olympic Games, hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, soccer, and track and field events.
After a major renovation project, the stadium, which was also used for the 1938 World Cup, will be used again as a field hockey venue at the 2024 Paris Games.
For now, it will be the only venue in an Olympic city that has hosted the Games multiple times to be used again, according to Games officials. Following in 1984, the event could be held at multiple Los Angeles venues in 2028.
Table tennis trials start next week
Another U.S. Olympian will be named in the coming weeks, this time to compete in table tennis at the U.S. Olympic Table Tennis Trials, to be held in Louisiana from March 19-31.
On the women's side, two women have earned spots on the Olympic team, joining Lily Chan, who has already qualified. The women's team won the team title and earned three spots at the 2023 Pan Am Championships.
In the men's competition, the United States did not earn a spot like the women. Louisiana's top two athletes will not automatically go to Paris, but will advance to the Pan Am Regional Olympic Trials in Peru in May, where they have a chance to earn an Olympic berth.
No American man or woman has won an Olympic medal in table tennis.
