AI-assisted summary
• Figure skater Jason Brown, 31, is attempting to make his third Olympic team for the 2026 Winter Games.
• Brown is bringing back his viral ‘Riverdance’ program from 2014 for his short program this season.
• While known for his artistry, Brown faces challenges with the technical elements of his skating compared to younger competitors.

In a time where the young stars headline U.S. figure skating, Jason Brown is out to prove he still has it.

The 31-year-old burst onto the scene in 2014, when he went viral and earned a spot on the 2014 Winter Olympics team, eventually winning a bronze medal. Afterward, he thought he would call it quits, but he still had more to give and made it back to the Winter Games in 2022. Again, he thought he was done after that.

But in 2026, Brown is back at it for what could be the last dance. He heads into the 2026 U.S. figure skating championships with a chance to make Team USA for a third time, and he’ll try to do it with something that helped him reach stardom. That something is a blast from the past, and making it to the 2026 Winter Olympics would remain just as special.

“Just competing at an Olympic Games is the most special thing as an athlete and getting to represent your country,” Brown told USA TODAY Sports. “Gosh, it would be so special.”

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Jason Brown brings back Riverdance

At the 2014 U.S. figure skating championships, a long-haired, 19-year-old Brown performed Riverdance free skate program. With Irish music and dance, it became a huge hit and catapulted Brown into stardom.

All these years later, it is still one of the most memorable performances, as people have continuously told him about how special it was.

“That’s one of my favorite programs of his,” U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu said. “I remember watching that when I was little, and it’s the only program I remember watching when I was little, really, because it just stood out that much.”

Now in this season, Brown has brought back the hit performance, using it for his short program. It’s something Brown said “really launched my career,” so he is using it as an opportunity to say thank you to the fans for all the years of support he’s received.

Although using it for a shorter length, it has drawn the same type of reaction. The crowd roared when he performed it on home soil at 2025 Skate America in November.

Yet it didn’t get Brown on the podium. He was fifth in the short program and finished fourth in the men’s side of the event, six points out of bronze. It was a similar story the same month at 2025 Finlandia Trophy with a fifth-place finish.

It highlights one of the biggest challenges facing Brown: His creative artistry is among the best and why he’s able to win so many hearts over, but the technical side of skating is an uphill battle.

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It’s common for men skaters to execute tough jumps like triple Axels, but it’s not necessarily Brown’s forte. As a result, he’s under a bigger microscope. “I don’t have the luxury of anything to fall back on” for the technical side, Brown said, needing to basically be technically perfect to place high. Just those small errors can make it tough for when the best possible score isn’t the highest.

“It’s definitely frustrating,” Brown said. “Every time I go out onto the ice, I know that to be up there with the best, I have to be as perfect and as clean as possible.”

Jason Brown goes for third Winter Olympics

Brown’s pursuit of perfection will be on display this week at the 2026 U.S. figure skating championships, one last chance for each American skater to prove they belong on the Olympic roster that will be announced on Sunday, Jan. 11.

Team USA has three spots for men’s figure skating in Milano Cortina. Young phenom Ilia Malinin is a shoe-in, but it’s up in the air for the two remaining spots. The general sense is Brown is in great position to qualify, and it will take a strong outing to leave no doubt when the roster is announced.

Yes, he is a beloved skater, but he wants people to know he is very competitive, and he really wants people to take him seriously. He wants to prove that he belongs and he leaves no doubt in earning a spot.

If he qualifies, it could be the perfect cap to his long career. He hasn’t officially said this will be his swan song, but Brown did say in November “mentally, this is definitely an end of sorts.”

Given the stakes, Brown said he tries to not think about what it could mean to his career to make Team USA, but admitted it is hard to not to. Still, it’s quite the achievement to be chasing a third Olympic Games, especially to do it over two decades.

It was 12 years ago when Brown stole hearts around the world. Now in 2026, the veteran skater is trying to do it one more time — in Milan. 

“I’m really, really proud of my consistency, and I’m really proud of my longevity,” Brown said. “I’m really looking forward to just – fingers crossed – being out there in Milan.”

AI-assisted summary
• Figure skaters Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu are top contenders for the 2026 U.S. figure skating championships.
• The duo’s contrasting ‘Type A’ and ‘Type B’ personalities create a dynamic and supportive partnership.
• Glenn and Liu are favorites to end a 20-year Olympic medal drought for U.S. women’s singles skaters.
• Despite being competitors, Glenn and Liu have a strong friendship and often learn from each other’s approach to the sport.

A popular theory is people have two types of personalities: Type A or Type B.

Type A people are driven, competitive multi-taskers who manage their time to best achieve goals. Type B are relaxed, patient and care-free people who don’t get rattled and do things at their own pace.

On the U.S. figure skating team, it’s Type A Amber Glenn and Type B Alysa Liu. So, what do you get when you mix the two? A dynamic, powerhouse duo.

“It’s Type A, Type B people side-by-side, and having a little bit of both usually ends up being a perfect match,” Glenn said.

After an impressive 2025, Glenn and Liu head into the 2026 U.S. figure skating championships this week looking for that final boost of momentum to take into the 2026 Winter Olympics. With that, they can lead Team USA into Milano Cortina poised to break the American hardware drought. 

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What makes Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu US favorites

The past year of has been filled with success for Glenn, 26, and Liu, 20. At the 2025 U.S. figure skating championships, Glenn won gold and Liu took silver by a narrow margin.

Since then, both helped Team USA win the 2025 World Team Trophy, Liu captured gold at the 2025 World Championship and 2025 Skate America while Glenn won the 2025 Cup of China. At the 2025 Grand Prix final in December, Liu won gold and Glenn finished fourth. 

Both skaters are near locks to be on the Olympic team, which will be announced on Sunday, Jan. 11, while the rest of the field is fighting for the third and final spot on the women’s side. But that doesn’t mean it’s a week to take off. Glenn and Liu will be the favorites to win the U.S. title, and a podium finish could give that extra boost of confidence with the Winter Olympics starting in early February.

Luckily, both of them are hitting their stride at the right time. 

Liu has come back from her retirement a stronger skater who has upped her artistry. Even though she is a calm person who doesn’t seemed bothered by much, she has really appreciated what it’s taken to reach that next level after she was a teenage star.

“I’m really enjoying my time. I really value my training. That’s kind of why I came back,” Liu told USA TODAY Sports in November. “I love training every day and putting my energy into something all the time.”

For the U.S. championships, all signs point to Liu finally using her Lady Gaga-inspired free skate fans have been clamoring for. Liu had said it just wasn’t quite right and needed to be worked on before she performed it. If all goes well, it could be the skate she takes with her to the Olympics.

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On the other hand, Glenn takes big chances with some technically difficult programs that often lead to big rewards. She’s a resilient, outspoken skater who has found the right place for her mentally, which has led to success. However, Glenn didn’t have the performance she wanted at the Grand Prix Final. It left her “invigorated” going into 2026, eager to defend her U.S. title and make it back-to-back-to-back crowns.

“It lit a fire in me that I really want to continue that rise, and I just have to remind myself that I’ve earned it, I’ve worked for it and I just need to do what I can do,” she said. “As long as I stay true to myself, I think I will be satisfied with whatever result I end up with at nationals.”

Challengers at 2026 Winter Olympics

The impressive showings are why Glenn and Liu are favorites to win medals in the Winter Olympics, something that no American women’s skater has done in the singles event since 2006, when Sasha Cohen took silver. Twenty years without a medal is the longest drought for the U.S. since the event began in 1924. 

Glenn and Liu could also give the U.S. its first gold since Sarah Hughes in 2002. The women’s field is wide open, although there are stiff challengers.

Russia has always presented the greatest challenge, and it will get to send one skater as an Individual Neutral Athlete. Adeliia Petrosian gets the opportunity and is positioned to medal, if not win gold. Japan will also send three skaters, headlined by 2022 bronze medalist Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai. 

Those competitors are something to think about for Glenn and Liu, but they’re not the focus at the moment. 

“It can be easy to get wrapped up in the Olympic conversation and what’s going on around you, rather than just focusing on what your individual goals are,” Glenn said.

Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu’s friendship

Given their recent runs, it could be easy to pit Glenn and Liu as rivals, but they’re far from it.

They can be seen on each other’s social media often, making Tik Tok videos. They hang out outside of competitions, including when they went on an adventure during the Grand Prix Finals in Japan.

“She’s just such a big sister to me,” Liu said of Glenn. “The idea that we compete against each other, it’s so weird to me. I really just see her as one of my friends and truly one of my teammates. I don’t know, doing things with her is really fun.”

Not only are they friends, but they’ve also learned plenty from each other. Glenn has seen Liu’s approach to skating and it has reminded her even though figure skating is intense, it’s also something they love. 

Although their careers aren’t the same, they share the same traits. It hasn’t been all glory. There have been peaks and valleys that have shaped where they are now. It has brought what Glenn said is a “new perspective to what a skating career over time looks like,” helping lead a new era that is trying to bring a team-oriented group that supports each other – and has the other’s back.

“It’s been great to have someone that has such a positive outlook on skating and on her career around me,” Glenn said. “And then on the flip side, I have an extra pair of tights if she rips them and doesn’t have a backup, or I have the schedule ready because she doesn’t have it.”

Type A and Type B, a perfect blend.

One of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal is now off the board — and headed to an expected destination.

Former South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown has committed to Auburn, he announced on Tuesday, Jan. 6.

With his move, Brown follows new Tigers coach Alex Golesh from South Florida, where the two teamed up last season to engineer one of college football’s most explosive and productive offenses.

Given his recent track record, it’s easy to understand why.

While helping guide the Bulls to a 9-3 record in the regular season, Brown threw for 3,158 yards, 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions while adding 1,008 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. His 347.2 total yards per game ranked first among all FBS players, right ahead of Heisman Trophy runner-up Diego Pavia.

South Florida’s nine wins last season were the program’s most in eight years, helping Golesh earn the opportunity at Auburn after a strong three-year run with the Bulls in which his teams went 23-15.

The 6-3, 232-pound Brown was South Florida’s starter each of the past three seasons, though a lower leg injury in 2024 limited him to five games. As a sophomore in 2023, he threw for 3,292 yards and 26 touchdowns while rushing for another 809 yards and 11 scores.

At Auburn, he’ll step into the starting role at a program that has been in desperate need for a difference-maker at quarterback for years.

Despite having offensive-minded head coaches throughout that stretch, the Tigers haven’t finished higher than 68th among FBS teams in scoring offense since 2019. Last season, they averaged just 26.8 points per game, the 74th-best mark of 136 FBS teams. Those struggles negated what was a largely stout defense, one that finished 35th in the FBS in points allowed per game.

One of the most popular kits in U.S. men’s national team history may be returning for the 2026 World Cup.

According to a leak from Footy Headlines, the USMNT will utilize a red and white striped jersey for the tournament on home soil next summer.

The Nike kit is reminiscent of the team’s “Waldo” jersey, which was U.S. Soccer’s primary kit from 2012 until 2014. It has remained a fan-favorite in the intervening years, with many calling for its return.

The new design is a slight departure from the previous look, with a wavy stripe pattern replacing the straight horizontal stripes.

A navy Nike swoosh is on the left side of the jersey with the U.S. Soccer crest on the right.

The jersey is also a callback to the primary kit from the 1994 World Cup, the last time the USMNT served as the tournament’s host. That kit also used a red and white striped pattern, but with vertical stripes instead of horizontal.

The U.S. women’s national team would also wear the new jersey along with the men’s team. The new primary kit is set to be released in early 2026.

The new kit could become a huge hit with the USMNT set to serve as co-host of the World Cup along with Mexico and Canada.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side has been drawn in Group D along with Australia, Paraguay and a European team yet to be determined.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had to be restrained from going after the officials after he was ejected in the fourth quarter on Monday, Jan. 5, in a 103-102 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The first call that upset Kerr was when guard Stephen Curry made a basket but it was taken off the board after officials said he was fouled on the floor. Minutes later, a missed goaltending call led to a sequence where Curry was whistled for his fifth foul.

That set Kerr off, and he stepped on the court to yell at the officials, earning two quick technical fouls and a game ejection … with Snoop Dogg on the call for Peacock.

After the game, officials admitted the goaltend should have been called, but it did not trigger an automatic review because it occurred outside the final two minutes.

Curry ended up fouling out with 43 seconds remaining, and Jimmy Butler’s potential game-winning 16-foot jumper at the buzzer was off, dropping Golden State to 19-18 on the season.

Kerr did not attend the postgame news conference, with Warriors assistant Terry Stotts, who helped to restrain Kerr when he was ejected, taking his place.

‘I’m up here because I’m saving Steve some money,’ Stotts said.

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ATLANTA ― Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo seemingly dreams of creating chaos for opponents.

As Glorilla’s ‘Let Her Cook’ fittingly blares through the speakers at McCamish Pavilion, Hidalgo isn’t hard to spot. Her signature puff is tied up, ever so lightly bouncing, as the junior guard awaits the opening tipoff. Just one minute and 20 seconds into a New Year’s Day matchup against Georgia Tech, Hidalgo does one of the things she does best ― picks her opponent’s pocket.

As the minutes tick away, Hidalgo eventually gets another steal and zooms down the hardwood. With no one around her, she stops on a dime and drains a pull-up triple. It’s a regular day at the office for one of the best two-way players in the country. Hildago leads the nation in steals (5.9 per game) and is second in scoring (25.5 ppg) behind Iowa State’s Audi Crooks. As her junior season unfolds, Hilalgo says she’s matured as a person and player under Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey.

‘My biggest thing was that next play mentality and being able to manage my emotions, and then also be able to manage my teammates’ emotions and not be so worried about myself,’ Hildago told USA TODAY Sports. ‘I feel like I’ve grown a lot in that area, especially from a freshman to now. I still think I have a lot of growth to do … but I think that’s the area I’m most proud of.’

Since her collegiate debut in 2023, Hildago has been the ultimate competitor. She scored 31 points and three steals in her first college basketball game ― against then No. 6 South Carolina. The Notre Dame guard shared she’s had one goal since that day: ‘strike fear into my opponents’ eyes.’ A self-described ‘dawg,’ Hildago has lived up to her objective.

She has added numerous accolades to her name, including an ACC Player of the Year Award, two ACC Defensive Player of the Year trophies and the Dawn Staley award, given to the nation’s best guard. Hidalgo broke the Notre Dame record for consecutive games scoring in double figures (now 81 matchups and counting). She also set the program record for most points in a single game (44 against Akron on Nov. 12) and eclipsed the Division I record for steals in a game with 16. On Dec. 29 in a victory over Pitt, Hidalgo passed her coach on the Notre Dame career steals list. Ivey had 248 career steals from 1996-2001. Hidalgo now has 261 and is within 20 steals of all-time Irish leader Skylar Diggins.

Hidalgo is averaging career highs in nearly every statistical category and quietly carving out her place on the list of candidates for National Player of the Year. Outside of being a scoring threat, she takes pride in making ballhandlers uncomfortable. According to the New Jersey native, after forcing a takeaway, ‘It’s just you and the basket,’ and she enjoys the art of stealing, running into the open court and making plays. Hidalgo’s ability to make game-changing plays, like steals and even passes, which she admits might be one of her more slept-on skills, has become increasingly important for Notre Dame.

She is the only returning starter from and one of three players from last year’s roster. Former Fighting Irish guard and starter Olivia Miles moved on to TCU, and three other starters, including guard Sonia Citron, to the WNBA. The Irish lost back-to-back ACC games over the weekend and fell out of the Associated Press women’s college basketball rankings, ending a run of 85 straight polls ranked ― the third longest active streak.

With a brand new team that’s still figuring it out, Hildalgo’s been thrust into a larger leadership role. The Notre Dame star says while there have been plenty of good moments with a revamped roster, there’s still plenty of work to do.

The Fighting Irish guard is playing some of her best basketball with the support of assistant coach Charel Allen and Ivey, who played point guard at Notre Dame and spent time in the WNBA with the Indiana Fever, Phoenix Mercury and Detroit Shock. The former pro is sharing her knowledge with Hidalgo. Both she and Ivey have ‘point guard minds.’

‘She’s been preaching to me ever since my freshman year … ‘next play mentality,” Hildago said. ‘That’s the biggest thing because I’ve always been a player that’s very emotional, whether it’s high or it’s low. I’ve always been a very emotional player, and so she’s just really been trying to help me with my leadership skills and being able to be frustrated but knowing that my team needs me and they’re watching me.

‘She’s telling me, ‘Be you, but still be able to manage your emotions, manage the team.’ She just lets me play, and that’s the biggest thing for me, is that she allows me to play freely.’

It’s time to determine who will be the figure skaters representing the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

American skaters head to the 2026 U.S. figure skating championships in St. Louis for one final chance to prove they belong on Team USA in Milano Cortina. The event won’t solely decide who gets to qualify, but it could be the difference for some Olympic hopefuls.

Although it hasn’t been confirmed yet, favorites like Ilia Malinin, Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn and the team of Madison Chock and Evan Bates are expected to make the roster, and could generate some momentum with a U.S. championship. The competition will start Wednesday and run through Saturday and the week culminates with the reveal of the Olympic roster on Sunday, Jan. 11.

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Here’s how to watch the 2026 U.S. figure skating championships:

Where to watch 2026 U.S. figure skating championships

• Dates: Jan. 7-11
• Location: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Missouri
• TV: NBC, USA Network
• Livestream: Peacock

The 2026 U.S. figure skating championships will take place Jan. 7-11 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Some events will air on NBC and USA Network, while the entire event will be streamed on Peacock.

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2026 U.S. figure skating championships schedule, TV/streaming

Here is the full schedule of the U.S. championships, along with broadcast and streaming information.

All times Eastern.

Wednesday, Jan. 7

• Pairs short program: 5:30 p.m. (Peacock)
• Women’s short program: 8:20 p.m. (USA Network, Peacock)

Thursday, Jan. 8

• Rhythm dance: 5 p.m. (Peacock)
• Men’s short program: 8:15 p.m. (USA Network, Peacock)

Friday, Jan. 9

• Pairs free skate Group 1: 3 p.m. (Peacock)
• Women’s free skate Group 1: 3:57 p.m. (Peacock)
• Pairs free skate Group 2 and 3: 7:20 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
• Women’s free skate Group 2 and 3: 8 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)

Saturday, Jan. 10

• Free dance Group 1: 3:25 p.m. (Peacock)
• Men’s free skate Group 1: 4:25 p.m. (Peacock)
• Free dance Groups 2 and 3: 7 p.m. (USA Network, Peacock)
• Men’s free skate Groups 2 and 3: 8:50 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)

Sunday, Jan. 11

• Team USA Olympic announcement: 2 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)

Parity is at an all-time high in women’s college basketball, yet a dozen teams remained undefeated nearly halfway through the season. That all changed in the matter of seven days as conference play got underway.

Eight undefeated teams lost for the first time between Monday, Dec 29 and Sunday Jan. 4 — No. 5 LSU, No. 6 Maryland, No. 7 TCU, No. 10 Iowa State, No. 24 Alabama, No. 26 Nebraska, in addition to Arizona State and Georgia — marking the first time that many teams with a 10-0 or better record lost in that span in 27 years. Only four undefeated teams remain.

Perfection is hard to achieve. Only 10 teams have completed an undefeated season in four decades, most recently the 2024 champion South Carolina Gamecocks. But if you’re going to lose a game, it’s best for it to happen before the postseason and could prove to be beneficial in the long run.

‘You don’t want to play your best basketball in January,’ said Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, who leads the nation in scoring. ‘You don’t want to be a monster in January. You want to be a monster in March, and in order to do that you need to recognize your flaws. You need to recognize your shortcomings.’

Here’s a rundown on where every team stands:

Which undefeated teams lost?

Here’s a timeline of how it all went down:

• Dec. 29: Nebraska lost at home against No. 16 USC, the Cornhuskers’ first ranked opponent of the season. Nebraska followed up the loss with a double-digit loss to No. 14 Iowa on Jan. 4.
• Jan. 1: Alabama ran into a buzzsaw against No. 3 South Carolina and the Crimson Tide’s 14-game win streak was snapped with a 83-57 loss.
• Jan. 1: LSU opened SEC play with a 80-78 loss to No. 12 Kentucky on its home floor. Wildcats guard Tonie Morgan knocked down a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to hand LSU its first loss of the season. The Tigers had the opportunity to bounce back on the road on Jan. 4 against No. 11 Vanderbilt, but suffered LSU another loss after surrendering 22 turnovers. Kim Mulkey ripped her team as ‘not tough enough.’
• Jan. 1: Georgia faced its first ranked opponent of the season in No. 17 Ole Miss. Dani Carnegie dropped 24 points, but it was not enough as the Bulldogs fell 79-62.
• Jan. 1: Maryland’s Yarden Garzon (17 points), Saylor Poffenbarger (15) and Oluchi Okananwa (12) each reached double-digits, but Illinois came out with the win after a fourth quarter surge. The Fighting Illini went on a 10-1 run late in the game to capture the lead and the win.
• Jan. 3: Arizona State’s best start in program history ended at 15 consecutive wins after suffering a 71-62 loss at BYU. The Cougars outrebounded the Sun Devils 54-25, leading to a 20-7 second-chance points advantage that proved the difference.
• Jan 3: TCU suffered an 87-77 overtime loss at Utah to snap the Horned Frogs’ 14-game win streak to start the season. Olivia Miles had 31 points, seven assists and seven rebounds for TCU, but Utah went on a 7-0 run to secure the win. The Utes held the Horned Frogs to a season-low 37% shooting from the field. 
• Jan. 4: Iowa State matched its best start in program history with 14 consecutive wins before falling to Baylor, 72-70. Bears guard Taliah Scotthit a 15-foot jumper with 2 seconds remaining to win the game.

Which undefeated teams remain?

• No. 1 UConn (15-0), Big East: The reigning champion Huskies have held down the No. 1 spot in the USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll for the entirety of the season and for good reason. UConn’s average margin of victory is by 37 points and that includes four wins over ranked opponents Louisville, Michigan, USC and Iowa. The Huskies’ winning streak is likely to continue as they enter Big East conference play, where UConn is on a 53-game win streak.
• No. 2 Texas (17-0), SEC: Texas has the most Quad 1 wins of the remaining undefeated teams with five, including back-to-back victories over No. 4 UCLA and No. 3 South Carolina. Texas has had its fair share of blowout victories, but the Longhorns have also shown their ability to grind out tough matchups, including the team’s dramatic 67-64 win over No. 17 Ole Miss to open SEC play and improve to 17-0 for the first time since the 1985-86 season.
• No. 21 Texas Tech (16-0), Big 12: Texas Tech has benefitted from a lighter schedule to reach the program’s best start in school history. The Lady Raiders have only faced one ranked opponent so far, defeating No. 21 Baylor by a point on Dec. 21. The back half of the season won’t be as friendly. Texas Tech will face Big 12 foes Iowa State on Jan. 31 and TCU on Feb. 1, matchups that’ll serve as a barometer for Krista Gerlich’s squad.
• No. 12 Vanderbilt (15-0), SEC: Vanderbilt’s best win of the season came against No. 5 LSU, where the Commodores held the nation’s highest scoring offense to 61 points, 45 points under the Tigers’ average. The win marked Vanderbilt’s lone Quad 1 win. Vanderbilt is three wins away from tying the program’s best start in history — the 1992-93 Final Four squad started 17-0 — but the competition will ratchet up with matchups against SEC powerhouse No. 8 Michigan, No. 3 South Carolina and No. 17 Ole Miss in January.

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MILWAUKEE, WI — A fall might have shown more about Jordan Stolz’s potential than anything else he did at the Olympic trials.

Well, maybe not the fall so much as what he did after.

Stolz was pre-qualified in all four of his individual events — the 500 meters, 1,000 meters, 1,500 meters and mass start — because of his dominance on the World Cup circuit. All he had to do was show up at the start line at the Olympic trials, take a few steps and his spot in that distance would be confirmed for Milano Cortina.

He didn’t need to go all out, he didn’t need his usual speed, he didn’t need to finish on the podium. Heck, he didn’t even need to finish the race.

Yet after falling in the 1,000 meters on Saturday night, Stolz’s competitive fire kicked in.

In a sport where every thousandth of a second is precious, a fall is usually disastrous. And this wasn’t a little stumble. Stolz was sprawled on the ice after catching his toe pick a few steps off the start line.

Though Stolz quickly jumped back up, Conor McDermott-Mostowy, the other skater in the pair, was so far ahead it looked as if he was skating his own race. But Stolz gradually closed the gap. Give him another 100 meters or so, and it’s a good bet he could have overtaken McDermott-Mostowy.

As it was, Stolz finished third, skating a 1:07.97 that was 0.36 seconds behind McDermott-Mostowy and 0.24 seconds behind Cooper McLeod.

“It shows that, even being tired and with the cold, he still is a pretty phenomenal skater,” longtime coach Bob Corby said.

“I think he was impressed that he was 1:07 even with a fall. That was like, `Wow.’ That was pretty good.”

To be clear, that wasn’t normal.

Then again, nothing Stolz is doing these days is normal.

Stolz has dominated speed skating the last three years and goes to Milano Cortina as a favorite for gold in all four of his individual events. He won the 1,000- and 1,500-meter races at each of the first four World Cups this season, and five of the seven 500-meter races.

He also made the podium twice in the mass start, an event he only put back in his program this year after a three-year absence.

And that’s with Stolz not even being in peak shape, as he expects to be in Milano Cortina.

“There’s a lot of confidence there. I had some really good races in Heerenveen and Norway,” Stolz said Monday night, referring to the third and fourth World Cups, which were last month. “With what I’d done leading up to that, it wasn’t anything super planned out. Now that I’m actually planning a peak, I think it can get better.

“And even if it’s the same, I think I still have really good chances at the Olympics.”

Stolz’s speed is not a secret. He swept the 500, 1,000 and 1,500 meters at the world championships in 2023 and 2024, and was the season champion in all three distances last season.

His competitors know very well what he’s going to do. They just can’t catch him.

“By the time we got to the end of the (World Cups) … you could see it in their faces. They were like, `OK, I have six weeks until the Olympics and I don’t think that’s enough time to catch you,’” Corby said. ‘There were a couple of guys that were really down.

“It wasn’t planned,” Corby said, “but it was a psychological benefit for him.”

So, too, what Stolz did at the Olympic trials.

Because his spots were already assured, Stolz did not try and peak for trials. Instead, he used the last two weeks as a heavy training block. He also picked up a cold last week.

Despite that, he pulled off that recovery after the fall in the 1,000 and won the first 500-meter race on Sunday. Largely recovered from his cold on Monday, he demolished the field in the second mass start, finishing first by almost four seconds.

“I’m really pleased with where we are right now,” Corby said. “We’re hoping (the Olympics) are going to be pretty phenomenal.”

If that doesn’t demoralize his competitors, there is also this: Stolz is only 21. Good as he is, he’s got even more in him.

“I think,” Corby said, “he has even more potential than he’s showing right now.”

Stolz’s competitors already know he is scary fast. Pretty soon, the rest of the world will, too.

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