RHO, Italy − Jordan Stolz is OK with publishing the photo − as long as the full context is explained.
It was snapped by his good friend and blade technician, Mark Yanagihara, who captured the moment on the athlete bus on the way to what would be Stolz’s 500-meter Olympic-record-winning race Saturday, Feb. 14.
That’s Stolz − wearing a mullet wig.
The back story story involves four-time Olympic speed-skating medalist and legend, Jorrit Bergsma. He’s a Dutch skater on Team Zaanlander and he just won a bronze medal in the 10,000 meters. Bergsma is also 40 years young.
Team Zaanlander is a Dutch long-distance speed-skating club that was Stolz’s very first and, for about two years only, sponsor.
And while everyone is calling Stolz “stoic,” he’s got quite a wild friend in Bergsma.
“Jorrit Bergsma has a big mullet and he has refused to cut it until the Olympics are over,” Stolz’s coach Bob Corby said. “He got a bronze at 40 years old and is on Jordan’s Zaanlander team. A bunch of his friends − about 25 − all bought those [wigs] and were in the stands for the 10,000.
“Then his coaches put them on in celebration. One of the coaches gave Jordan one and he wore it into the rink.”
According to Olympic.com, the group of friends are known as the “Matties.” That’s Dutch for mates and playfully close to the Dutch word for mullet. They fill the stands wearing matching headbands and mullet hairstyles.
“It started spontaneously at the Dutch qualifiers,” Bergsma told the media and Olympics.com. “When I finished my race, I saw such a big group all rocking that same hairstyle. It was so much fun.”
Bergsma is married to Heather Richardson − a famous American skater who skated with Brittany Bowe.
Stolz and Bergsma will race the Mass Start together as the last speed-skating race of the Olympics.
“It just shows the behind-the-scenes stuff,” Corby said. “They want to kill each other on the ice, but they like each other – a lot.
“Maybe America could learn something from them, competing with each other without hate. Asking for a friend.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: This is a side of Olympic gold-medalist Jordan Stolz you have never seen
Reporting by Lori Nickel, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
