Jordan Stolz’s Parents: Meet the Wisconsin Couple Behind the Olympic Gold Medalist

Jordan Stolz just put American long-track speed skating back in the gold-medal conversation, and his parents sat front row for the moment.

At the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, the 21-year-old U.S. speed skater won gold in the men’s 1,000 meters and broke the Olympic record with a time of 1:06.28. The win also marked his first Olympic medal, a full-circle moment after his quieter Olympic debut in Beijing four years ago.

But Jordan Stolz's journey started long before the Winter Olympics. Behind the headline-making win sits a classic small-town story starring the athlete's parents, a Wisconsin couple who helped transform a backyard-pond hobby into an Olympic pipeline.

Jordan’s parents are Dirk and Jane Stolz. According to People, they raised Jordan in Kewaskum and supported his dream from the start, even when it meant reshuffling work schedules, launching a side business, and getting the entire family on the ice.

Jane works as a dental hygienist and helped operate the family’s taxidermy business, which supported the costs of training and equipment. Dirk worked in Wisconsin law enforcement and spent part of his childhood in Germany before moving to the United States.

The Stolzes have two children — Jordan and his older sister Hannah, who skated when she was younger and later gained recognition for competitive bird taxidermy.

Like many parents, Jane initially approached the sport with caution. She told NBC News that she required her kids to wear life jackets on the ice until the family confirmed it was thick enough, putting safety first as Jordan’s passion began to grow.

“I was always afraid they could drown. Dirk kept saying the ice was thick enough, but I was not willing to risk it,” Jane said. “So they kept the life jackets on until he drilled a hole, and we could see it was several feet thick. After that, I finally felt OK, and in the next couple of days, they were able to take them off.”

Jordan’s Olympic journey stretches from a quiet debut in Beijing to his big win in Milano Cortina. He first competed at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics as a teenager, finishing 13th in the 500 meters and 14th in the 1,000 meters, according to Reuters. Four years later, he rewrote the narrative. During the men’s 1,000-meter final at the 2026 Games, Jordan chased down Dutch skater Jenning de Boo and powered through the final stretch to secure the win.

So far, Jordan has won one gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics, setting an Olympic record of 1:06.28 in the men’s 1,000 meters. However, his schedule suggests the medal chase is far from over. NBC Olympics reports that he is still slated to compete in three events at the Games. He’s set to compete in the men’s 500 meters on Saturday, Feb. 14, the men’s 1,500 meters on Thursday, Feb. 19, and the men’s mass start on Sunday, Feb. 21.