US Olympic Speedskating 2018: Latest Team Results and Medal Winners

The United States speedskating team has been shut out of any medals so far in Pyeongchang, South Korea, but there's hope that will change by the end of the competition.

Through four events, the Winter Olympics have been a disappointment for a team that hoped to pick up a few medals.

Team USA was never going to match the output of the Netherlands, but the Americans were expected to put in a few decent performances.

With a pair of men's and women's events in the books at the Gangneung Oval, the best American finish is fifth and they've only earned three top-10 finishes.

Results

Women's 1,500 Meters

Brittany Bowe (5th; 1:55.54)

Heather Bergsma (8th; 1:56.74)

Mia Manganello (22nd; 1:59.93)

Women's 3,000 Meters

Carlijn Schoutens (22nd; 4:15.60)

Men's 1,500 Meters

Joey Mantia (8th; 1:45.86)

Brian Hansen (15th; 1:46.44)

Shani Davis (19th; 1:46.74)

Men's 5,000 Meters

Emery Lehman (21st; 6:31.36) 

Bowe's 5th-Place Finish the Best in 8 Years

The standard for American speedskating has dropped in the last decade, with the mark Brittany Bowe set in the women's 1,500 meters being an example of that. 

Bowe's fifth-place finish in the second women's event of the competition was the highest American placing in eight years at the Olympics, per Team USA's official Twitter account:

For a team that was expected to win multiple golds in the past, that fact is disappointing.

The positive spin is that Bowe and Heather Bergsma have a chance to medal in both the 1,000 meters and mass start.

Bergsma is the defending world champion in both events still to be contested.

Mantia's Best Shot at Gold Comes in Mass Start

The best remaining opportunity for the United States men to earn their first gold since Shani Davis in 2010 comes in the newest event on the speedskating program.

Mantia is the defending world champion in the mass start, which features a beginning similar to those seen in short-track speedskating.

JUNG YEON-JE/Getty Images

Normally the Dutch are a threat to the Americans in speedskating events, but Mantia's biggest challengers will be Alexis Contin of France and Olivier Jean of Canada, both of whom finished below Mantia in the medal positions at the 2017 World Championships at the Gangneung Oval.

Before participating in that new Olympic event, Mantia faces off with the powerful Dutch contingent in the 1,000 meters, and he'll try to help the United States improve on its fifth-place finish from the World Championships in the team pursuit.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Olympic.org and Team USA.