American Speedskating Team Advances to Finals
At the Milan Cortina Olympics, the American speedskating team showcased their prowess as they advanced to the final of the men’s team pursuit event on Tuesday. Comprising Casey Dawson, Emery Lehman, and Ethan Cepuran, the U.S. trio decisively defeated the Chinese team in the semifinals. This victory comes after the Americans set a world record in the event last November and secured a bronze medal during the previous Winter Games in Beijing.
Upcoming Gold Medal Match
The U.S. team is slated to compete against Italy for the gold medal later in the day, a rematch from their earlier quarterfinal race, which the Italians won.
Semifinal Highlights
To reach the semifinals, the four teams posting the fastest times in the quarterfinals advanced. The U.S. skaters built a substantial gap against China and crossed the finish line with a time of 3 minutes and 44.29 seconds, finishing nearly eight seconds ahead of their competitors. On the other side of the bracket, Italy’s team, featuring Davide Ghiotto, Andrea Giovannini, and Michele Malfatti, outperformed the Netherlands in their semifinal race, clocking in at 3:38.88—over a second and a half quicker than their Dutch rivals.
Interestingly, Italy’s last medal in men’s team pursuit dates back to the 2006 Turin Games, where they won gold.
China and Norway’s Performance
As for China, they are set to compete against the Netherlands for the bronze. Notably, Norway, the two-time defending champions in this event, faced an unexpected exit in the quarterfinals.
Women’s Semifinal Matchups
Later on the same day, two women’s semifinal matchups will also take place, featuring Team USA facing off against Canada, the reigning gold medalists from the 2022 games, and the Netherlands going head-to-head with Japan.
About Team Pursuit
Introduced to the Olympic roster in 2006, team pursuit consists of three skaters from each nation racing together, with teams clocking their times from opposite ends of the track. The men’s race entails eight laps totaling 3,200 meters, while the women compete over six laps, equating to 2,400 meters. Historically, the U.S. has yet to claim gold in either the women’s or men’s team pursuit, although the women secured a bronze in 2018.
