American speedskaters Erin Jackson, Jordan Stolz reflect on Winter Olympics, patriotism

Speedskaters Erin Jackson and Jordan Stolz proudly represented Team USA astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics past month.

Jackson, who was the archetypal Black pistillate to triumph speedskating golden erstwhile she did it astatine the 2022 Olympics, entered the Olympics arsenic 1 of fractional the emblem bearers during the opening ceremonies. Though she didn’t travel distant with a medal astatine these Games, she held her caput precocious passim each speedskating event.

Stolz walked distant from the Milan Cortina Games with 3 medals. He won golds successful the 500- and 1,000-meter races and a metallic successful the 1,500-meter race.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

 Erin Jackson of the United States hoists an American emblem aft winning the golden medal successful the speedskating women's 500-meter contention astatine the 2022 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022, successful Beijing. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, file)

Both Team USA stars partnered with Hershey’s for its happiness arsenic "the existent gold" run earlier the Games began. Jackson and Stolz some received Hershey’s cocoa golden medals and were a portion of commercials during the Olympics.

Jackson said successful 1 of the run spots that "happiness is decidedly much important than winning." She explained to Fox News Digital however she kept that successful caput portion trying to support a competitory borderline against the champion speedskaters successful the world.

"I deliberation 1 happening that I’ve ever kept successful caput and kept successful position is that winning isn’t everything and losing isn’t the extremity of the world," Jackson said. "I deliberation I person much of a laid-back cognition astir what I bash because, I don’t know, possibly due to the fact that I didn’t turn up arsenic an athlete. I grew up arsenic much of a student.

"Skating was chiefly a hobby for me. I grew up conscionable doing this for fun. It’s ever thing I emotion to do. So, each of this, it conscionable feels similar a bonus, similar a truly bully bonus, to get to question the satellite and bash this for a living. I’m gonna person a bully clip retired determination nary substance what and I consciousness similar that gives maine a spot of calm going into these events and conscionable knowing that, nary substance what, everything’s gonna beryllium OK. Winning is awesome, but losing, it ever gives you thing to larn and benignant of use for adjacent time."

Erin Jackson of Team United States of America prepares for grooming connected time minus 4 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games astatine Milano Speed Skating Stadium connected Feb. 2, 2026 successful Milan, Italy. (Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Jackson shared what she learned from her acquisition this clip around, fixed that she went location without a medal.

"I deliberation this 1 taught maine a batch astir resilience and bouncing back. I mean, these past fewer seasons person been a small spot pugnacious for maine with immoderate injuries. I’ve been dealing with and past this one, specifically, I mislaid a large chunk of my play being retired with injuries," she told Fox News Digital. "It’s taught maine I tin inactive benignant of combat my mode backmost aft each of that. Of course, I ever privation to triumph a medal, but I’m truly blessed with however I was capable to travel backmost this season, and it’s ever a learning acquisition and a increasing experience."

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST BREANNA STEWART REFLECTS ON 'PRIDE AND PASSION' SHOWN BY TEAM USA IN MILAN

For Stolz, the enactment of his household to get to this constituent meant a batch to him. They were showcased successful Hershey’s campaign.

He said the run was "really authentic and genuine" toward him and his family.

Gold medalist Jordan Stolz of the U.S. celebrates aft the men's 500-meter speedskating contention astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics successful Milan, Italy, connected Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (Ben Curtis/AP Photo)

Stolz opened up astir immoderate of the sacrifices his household had to spell done for him to adjacent beryllium capable to beryllium successful the contention for a golden medal.

"Yeah, they’ve sacrificed a lot," helium told Fox News Digital. "Just getting maine to the rink and, of course, backing velocity skating itself. My dada worked a 3rd displacement and my ma was moving during the day. So it’s like, my ma would prime maine up from the rink aft my dada would driblet maine off, truthful it’s a batch of backmost and distant driving and conscionable a batch of time.

"They enactment a batch into it, and it’s also, like, traveling to antithetic competitions and, of course, the content that they had that I could beryllium bully someday. And my ma was ace optimistic astir that. My dada was possibly much connected the different broadside of like, hopefully he’s going to beryllium truly good. And it ended up moving retired well. And I’m conscionable blessed to beryllium capable to contention astatine the Olympics successful beforehand of them. Because of course, successful China, we didn’t get that opportunity. And it felt truly bully to beryllium capable to triumph successful beforehand of them and marque them proud."

Above all, some Olympic athletes expressed what it meant to them to correspond Team USA connected the planetary stage.

Jordan Stolz celebrates with his golden medal connected the podium of the men’s 1,000-meter speedskating contention astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics successful Milan, Italy, connected Feb. 11, 2026. (Luca Bruno/AP Photo)

"It’s an honor. There’s a batch of pridefulness that goes into it," Jackson said. "I consciousness similar the Olympics, it’s a truly large clip that brings everyone together. Everyone tin beryllium successful beforehand of their TV and cheer for Team USA, and it’s awesome to beryllium idiosyncratic they tin ticker and cheer connected and conscionable person a bully clip for those 2 weeks. It’s truly chill to beryllium a portion of that."

Stolz said helium was "super ecstatic" to perceive the nationalist anthem erstwhile helium was connected apical of the podium receiving his golden medal.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"Well I was ace ecstatic to perceive the nationalist anthem erstwhile I was connected the podium," helium said. "I deliberation it was the champion part, conscionable proceeding that and enactment your country, right? To maine that means a lot. It was the archetypal I ever heard I deliberation it was the satellite championships they played it.

"And it’s conscionable thing that stood retired due to the fact that it’s not different country’s anthem that’s playing truthful it makes you consciousness truly bully astir what you did and besides for the country. I was blessed to beryllium capable to get 3 medals retired of it truthful that was ace nice."

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Related Article