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Nine-tenths of a second doesn’t sound like much. A blink of an eye, a heartbeat. But when we’re talking Olympic racing, no matter the event, nine-tenths of a second is a competitive chasm.
American Jordan Stolz bolted into the Olympic record books with a blistering time of 1:06.28 to smash the previous record and win the gold medal in a thrilling 1,000-meter men’s speedskating final. Stolz and his heatmate, Jenning de Boo of the Netherlands, went 1-2, and China’s Zhongyan Ning took the bronze.
If you want the complete rundown of the day’s major moments, scroll through our live updates blog here and catch up on the medal count here.
We’ve picked out some of the top highlights from an Olympic Wednesday:
Stolz claims Olympic gold with a final lap for the ages
The 21-year-old Stolz’s dreams of Olympic glory were kindled when he was 5 and watched American speedskaters Apolo Ohno and Shani Davis race in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
He made his Olympic debut at just 17 in Beijing and finished 14th in the 1000m. Then he found another gear. The following year, he was the world champion in the 500m, 1000m and 1500m.
He was a heavy favorite entering Wednesday’s race, but it took a thrilling come-from-behind finish to realize his gold-medal dream. Stolz trailed after 600m, but his blazing 25.66 seconds finishing lap put him atop the podium. No other skater in the world-class field went sub-26 on their final lap.
Stolz became the first American man to win the event since he watched his now-mentor and close friend Davis do it from his living room in 2010.
A silver finish for favored U.S. Olympic ice dance duo
Favored American pair Madison Chock and Evan Bates claimed their first Olympic medal, but it was the silver as Guillaume Cizeron and Laurence Beaudry Fournier of France beat them to gold in an upset.
The American pair had dominated competition in recent years as their partnership fully blossomed beyond the ice — the two got married in 2024, the same year they won their second of three straight world championships.
Our Lukas Weese isn’t sure the judges got it right. And our Marcus Thompson II says whether it was the correct call or not, Chock and Bates delivered a performance worthy of their esteemed reputation and left it all out on the ice.
Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States skate at the Milano Ice Skating Arena. (Amber Searls / Imagn Images)
Men’s hockey opens with a pair of surprises
The first day of the men’s hockey tournament was expected to feature a pair of tuneups for Olympic heavyweights Finland and Sweden.
But Slovakia and Italy had other plans. In the day’s first game, Slovakia shocked Finland 4-2, making Friday’s Finland-Sweden game a must-win for the Finns. Juraj Slafkovský, the former No. 1 overall pick of the Montreal Canadiens, turned in a sensational performance with two goals and an assist.
Then, lightly regarded Italy gave the powerhouse Swedes all they could handle, jumping out to an early 1-0 lead and hanging tough against a furious Swedish attack thanks to goalkeeper Damian Clara.
Sweden prevailed 5-2 on the strength of a strong third period and a leg injury that forced Clara out of the game.
Matt Bradley of Italy celebrates the team’s second goal against Sweden at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. (David W Cerny / Reuters via Imagn Images)
A best-ever showing for the U.S. in women’s moguls
Liz Lemley and Jaelin Kauf turned in the best Olympic performance ever for the U.S. in the women’s moguls as Lemley, 20, won the gold medal and her teammate Kauf captured the silver. Kauf, 29, fought back after finishing 27th in the first qualification round to make it to the medal podium.
Lemley’s 2024-25 campaign was ended by a torn ACL, and she immediately went to work aggressively rehabbing to build herself back up for a moment like this.
Heading into the final, all eyes were on defending champion Jakara Anthony, who was aiming to become the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic titles in the event. The Australian faltered on her second run in the eight-skier final and finished last.
Liz Lemley, right, is congratulated by Jaelin Kauf after winning the women’s freestyle skiing moguls final. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
Lindsey Vonn provides an update from her hospital bed
Lindsey Vonn provided a somber update on her health from her hospital bed following three surgeries in the wake of her horrific crash in the women’s downhill on Sunday.
Vonn posted pictures from her hospital bed, her left leg heavily bandaged and braced with a large metal contraption. In a post on Instagram, Vonn said: “I had my 3rd surgery today and it was successful. Success today has a completely different meaning than it did a few days ago. I’m making progress and while it is slow, I know I’ll be ok.”
She said she was “thankful for all of the incredible medical staff, friends, family, who have been by my side and the beautiful outpouring of love and support from people around the world.” She also offered “huge congrats to my teammates and all of the Team USA athletes who are out there inspiring me and giving me something to cheer for.”
Vonn, 41, came out of a five-year retirement in 2024 following a partial knee replacement and was attempting to replace herself as the oldest woman to win an Olympic Alpine medal. She had previously said she planned to retire after this season, regardless of her results at these Olympics.
Lindsey Vonn is transported by helicopter after crashing in the women’s downhill event on Sunday. (Francois-Xavier Marit / AFP via Getty Images)
