By Pearl Josephine Nazare
MILAN, Feb 14 (Reuters) – Jordan Stolz is relishing his growing rivalry with Dutch speed skater Jenning de Boo after the American sensation once again edged his European challenger to claim his second gold medal at the Milano Cortina Olympics on Saturday.
Stolz blazed to the 500 metres title in an Olympic-record 33.77 seconds, finishing 0.11 ahead of De Boo in a repeat of their one-two finish from Wednesday’s 1,000m showdown.
The pair were drawn together again in the 13th pair, extending a rivalry that the 21-year-old Stolz admits brings nerves but also excitement.
“I think it’s really fun after the race, but during the race it’s pretty tough and there’s a lot of nerves, right? But I enjoy racing with him. I think it’s some pretty historic battles,” Stolz said.
The American was full of praise for his 22-year-old rival’s all-round abilities.
“I think he has really good technique, he’s really physically strong and on the mental side, he’s really there,” he added.
“I enjoy watching him skate. He skates kind of a different style from the other guys and I like that.”
De Boo returned the compliments, expressing admiration for how Stolz handles the weight of expectation.
“I admire his discipline and his medals, and also how he handles the pressure. He’s been in a favourite role for a very long time and he’s been able to keep a steady pace and keep on winning. So yeah, a lot of respect for that,” De Boo said.
Bronze medallist Laurent Dubreuil of Canada believes he is witnessing greatness unfold on ice.
“I think Jordan’s the greatest speed skater of all time. I think those two are the two best sprinters of all time …,” the 33-year-old Dubreuil said.
“As a skating fan, I can’t wait to see them skate. Hopefully, they skate for many more years. It’s going to be nice battles, but it makes it quite hard to get on the podium right now.”
Stolz’s win gave the U.S. their fifth gold of these Games and positioned him as clear favourite for Thursday’s 1,500m.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Milan; Editing by Ken Ferris)
