1,500 metres, Men

The 2018 and 2022 Olympic Champion Kjeld Nuis aimed for a third gold consecutive medal in the event, a feat not performed before. But the Dutchman’s last global title in the event was his Beijing title, having since been eclipsed by Jordan Stolz. The American had taken gold at the 2023 and 2024 World Championships, losing the 2025 gold to Peder Kongshaug of Norway while recovering from illness. In World Cups, Stolz had also dominated, winning all five races, ahead of Nuis, China’s Ning Zhongyan and the surprising junior Finn Sonnekalb. Nuis was even lucky to make it to Milano, as he had not made the top three in the Dutch Olympic trials. Due to quota limitations, the third placed skater was not selected, opening a spot for Nuis (who had qualified in the 1,000 m). With golds in the 500 and 1,000 m already, was aiming to win three gold medals at the same Olympics, a feat not performed since Eric Heiden in 1980.

The early lead was taken by 10,000 m medalist Vladimir Semirunniy, whose 1:45.37 was best at the ice preparation break. The 2018 and 2022 bronze medallist Min-Seok Kim, now skating for Hungary, managed to better that with 1:45.18 before the top favourites hit the ice. Joep Wennemars, who had been unlucky to miss a medal in the 1,000 m was the first to beat Nuis’ Olympic Record with 1:43.05. In pair 13, Nuis and Ning both started all out (opening below 23 seconds) in an attempt to better that time. Ning pulled away after two laps and powered to 1:41.98 (a low-altitude best), with Nuis trailing at 1:42.82. In the final heat, Stolz and Kongshaug started much more carefully - perhaps too carefully. At 700 m, they trailed Ning by a second, which only increased in the next full lap. Stolz managed to close the gap to Nuis in the final lap, but not to Ning, finishing just ahead of the Dutchman in 1:42.75, as Ning scored an upset victory.

It was China’s first ever medal in the 1,500 m, the previous best being Ning’s 7th place in Beijing 2022. At 36 years, Nuis became the oldest Olympic medalist in the 1,500 m, beating Clas Thunberg who was 34 in 1928.