How did Team USA do in the women’s speedskating mass start final event?

MILAN, Metropolitan City of Milan — The final speedskating event at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics ended with a surprising medal win for the U.S.

The women’s mass start speedskating final began at 11:15 a.m. Eastern. Team USA’s Greta Myers and Mia Manganello were the only two athletes to qualify for the medal event.

Manganello finished third overall to clinch an Olympic bronze medal on Saturday. Myers fell to 12th place. Manganello has said this is her final time competing at the Olympics. 

The Netherlands’ Marijke Groenewoud won gold while Canada’s Ivanie Blondin won silver.

Manganello, the three-time Olympian and one-time bronze medalist, also finished third in the semifinal qualifier. Myers, who is competing in the Olympics for the first time, finished eighth in the semifinal. 

Less than an hour earlier, the men’s mass start had a dramatic finish. Team USA’s Jordan Stolz, who was favored to win a third gold medal, failed to place on the podium. Stolz was the only U.S. competitor in the men’s event, which put him at a disadvantage. 

Stolz won’t be going home empty-handed, though. He won gold in the 500 and 1,000 meters before taking silver in the 1,500 meters. He didn’t compete in the 5,000-meter or 10,000-meter events.

A group of speedskaters, between 16 and 24 total, line up together on the long track and start at the same time. They race for 16 laps, and the first three skaters to cross the line take gold, silver and bronze.

In most cases, like other speedskating events, the pace starts slow and picks up toward the final laps. When people begin to try to overtake their competitors, it can lead to slips, falls and disqualifications.