Jordan Stolz, born in West Bend and raised in Kewaskum, won gold and set Olympic records in both the 500- and 1,000-meter speed skating events at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, continuing a storied legacy of success for Dairyland natives. He also brought home a silver medal in the 1,500-meter event.
Gus Schumacher, a Madison-born cross-country skier who grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, won a silver medal in the cross-country team sprint.
Wisconsinites are no strangers to Olympic success. Over the history of the Olympic Games, Wisconsin-born athletes have brought home 52 gold medals, 40 silver medals, and 25 bronze medals across thirty-three Olympic Games, according to data from Olympedia.
Wisconsin’s most decorated athlete is speed skater Eric Heiden, born in Madison. Heiden won five gold medals in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, setting Olympic records in each event. Heiden’s sister Beth also brought home a bronze medal in the 3,000-meter speed skate at that Olympics.
The most successful games for Wisconsin-born athletes were the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, with a combined medal count of 6 golds, 5 silvers, and one bronze. A close second was the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, with 5 golds, 2 silvers, and five bronzes.
Wisconsin athletes have won a total of 78 medals in the Summer Olympics and 39 medals in the Winter Olympics.
