Speed skating-Teenage sensation Stolz becomes youngest world champion

(Reuters) – American Jordan Stolz became the youngest world speed skating champion as the 18-year-old won gold in the men’s 500 metres event at the World Single Distance Championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands on Friday.

Stolz was able to cross the finish line in 34.10 secs, beating Laurent Dubreuil (defending champion) of Canada by 0.36 second. Japan’s Wataru Moishige finished 0.02 behind Stolz, the Olympic bronze-medallist.

“I think it was a perfect race,” Stolz said.

Dubreuil won the gold medal in Thursday’s men’s team sprint. “otherworldly”.

“He’s unbelievable. It’s like trying to beat Michael Jordan or something, I assume,” Dubreuil said. “I feel privileged to go against a skater this good. He’s doing things that we would have deemed impossible.”

Femke Kock, a Dutchwoman, was the first gold medalist. She won the team sprint title at age 19 in 2020. Czech Martina Sablikova is the youngest ever world champion in an individual race.

Stolz, who was just 19 years old when he won an individual World Cup race for the first time last November, was the youngest winner of a World Cup race. Stolz also won in Inzell last month to take over as junior champion.

He won the 500m, 1000m and 1,500m titles. Bronze medals were also earned in the mass start and 5,000m individual races. He won the gold medal in men’s sprint team.

Stoles was the only speed skater who won both the junior and senior single-distance world championships in one season. She joins fellow Wisconsinans Beth Heiden, Eric Heiden, and Beth Heiden.

(Reporting from Bengaluru by Hritika Sharm; Editing done by Simon Cameron-Moore