76 Days Until The Winter Olympics: Dawson Sets Record And Stolz Punches Ticket To Milan Cortina In Speed Skating
In a stunning display of speed and determination, U.S. speed skaters Casey Dawson and Jordan Stolz delivered record-breaking performances to kick off Day One at the World Cup in Calgary on Friday.
The Calgary Olympic Oval was electric as both athletes not only secured gold medals but also etched their names deeper into the history books. Dawson, in particular, was a force of nature in the 5000m, capturing his first individual World Cup gold with a performance.
Just a week after breaking his own national record in Salt Lake City, the 25-year-old from Park City, Utah, did it again. Dawson flew across the finish line with a staggering time of 6:01.84, shattering both the U.S. national record and the 18-year-old track record previously held by Dutch legend Sven Kramer. The victory was a sweet redemption for Dawson, who improved from a fourth-place finish last weekend to stand atop the podium, a powerful statement of his evolution in the sport.
Dawson’s Dominance in the 5000m
Dawson’s path to gold was nothing short of cinematic. Before he even took to the ice, the track record had already been broken twice. First, by Canadian Ted-Jan Bloemen, and then by Norway’s Sander Eitrem, who set a blistering pace of 6:01.86. The pressure was immense, but Dawson thrived, finding another gear to beat Eitrem by a mere two one-hundredths of a second. It was a victory fueled by grit and an unyielding drive to win, proving that he is a formidable contender on the world stage.
Dawson’s Calgary performance highlights a remarkable trajectory:
- First individual World Cup gold medal in his career.
- Third U.S. national record in the 5000m.
- New Calgary Olympic Oval track record (6:01.84).
- Improved from 4th place at the previous week’s World Cup.
Stolz Punches His Ticket to the Olympics
Earlier in the evening, the spotlight was on Stolz, the American phenom who has been rewriting the expectations for his sport. In a nail-biting 1000m race, Stolz went head-to-head with his Dutch rival Jenning de Boo. The two were inseparable for most of the race, but Stolz’s explosive final push saw him cross the finish line just one-tenth of a second ahead of de Boo, securing his fourth gold medal of the young World Cup season.
More significantly, the victory officially qualified Stolz for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in the 1000m. While his place on the team was widely anticipated, securing it this early removes the immense pressure of the Olympic trials. It’s a testament to his consistent dominance, having swept sprint distances at the world championships in both 2023 and 2024. Although he still needs to qualify for the 500m and 1500m events, Stolz can now race with the calm assurance that his Olympic journey is already underway, allowing him to focus purely on performance.
