MILWAUKEE (AP) — Star speedskater Jordan Stolz shockingly stumbled to the ice right after the start of the men’s 1,000 meters at the U.S. Olympic trials for long track speedskating on Saturday but still finished with the third-fastest time and will head to the Milan Cortina Winter Games.
Stolz caught the toe of one of his skates on the slick surface, lost his footing and tripped after fewer than five strides at the Pettit National Ice Center, about 40 miles south of his hometown of Kewaskum. It was the sort of thing that simply doesn’t happen to the best in the world at what he does — someone expected to earn multiple medals and to be one of the faces of the Feb. 6-22 Olympics.
He quickly rose and continued to race, faring well enough to turn in the third-fastest time of 33 entrants…