Jordan Stolz, nicknamed 'Ice Jordan', was the odds-on favourite for the Olympic title after a dominant season at the 1500m - German Finn Sonnekalb came closest to Stolz during the World Cup in Calgary at 0.21 seconds, after which a massive gap forms to the pack with Zhongyang Ning finishing 0.54s behind Stolz in Salt Lake City, Kjeld Nuis 0.76s and 0.79s in Heerenveen and Hamar, and Ning 1.23s behind Stolz in Inzell.
In the final heat of Thursday's final speed skating event before Saturday's mass start, Stolz had a slower start and stayed behind the times of Zhongyang Ning and Kjeld Nuis. A lightning-quick final lap saw him pass Nuis but fall short of Ning, who spoiled a golden hat-trick of Jordan Stolz, who won gold at 500m and 1000m.
Wladek Semirunniy, the silver medalist at the 10km at the Milan-Cortina Games, set the top time in the first half with a 1:45.37, beating the likes of Metodej Jilek - the 10km Olympic champion - in the first half of Thursday's heats.
After his disastrous 500m race on Wednesday, Joep Wennemars took his revenge with an Olympic record time of 1:43.05 in his race against Daniele Di Stefano.
The 23-year-old Wennemars was beaten not much later by Zhongyang Ning, who destroyed Wennemars' record with a time of 1:41.98, and the 36-year-old 2022 Olympic champion Kjeld Nuis, who ended his Olympic career with a time of 1:42.82 - good for second behind Ning at the time.
Zhongyang Ning beat the nigh-on unbeatable Stolz with an Olympic record time, with 'Ice Jordan' winning silver and Kjeld Nuis, winner of three gold Olympic medals, grabbing bronze to end his illustrious Olympic career.