At the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, U.S. athletes are making headlines, with speedskater Jordan Stolz setting a new Olympic record and ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates claiming silver. Meanwhile, controversy surrounds a Ukrainian athlete's helmet, and freestyle skier Eileen Gu, at age 22, continues to balance athletic success with brand deals and academics.
Stolz, a seven-time world champion at 21, competed in the 1,000-m Olympic speedskating competition on Wednesday night in Milan. He sensed he was losing time to a rival, Jenning de Boo of the Netherlands, according to Time. Despite the pressure, Stolz demonstrated a "killer instinct on the ice," as described by the source.
In ice dancing, Chock and Bates, four-time Olympians, secured their first individual Olympic medal, winning silver after a challenging competition against their French rivals. They lost by just over a point to the French duo, according to NPR News.
Beyond the competitions, political tensions are also present at the games. Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych is facing potential disciplinary action for wearing a helmet commemorating athletes killed in the war with Russia, despite the International Olympic Committee (IOC) barring political speech. The IOC warned that there could be consequences if Heraskevych continues to wear it, according to Time. "He can, and we would encourage him, to express his grief, but in the end let me be clear. It's not the message, it's the place that counts," the IOC stated at a Wednesday press conference.
Freestyle skier Eileen Gu, at 22, continues to excel both in sports and academics. Gu, who has amassed four Olympic medals, is also a Stanford University student. She earned $23.1 million last year, making her the fourth-highest-paid woman in sports, according to Forbes. "It's important to show young people that you don't have to wait until you're older. You can do it all now," Gu told Time.
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