US Olympic Speedskating 2018: Top Stars, Updated Schedule from Pyeongchang
Brittany Bowe has led the charge for the United States so far in the long-track speedskating at the 2018 Winter Olympics, although the team is still chasing its first medal in the sport in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
On Monday, she earned a fifth-place finish in the 1,500-meters, while she went even closer to a medal in the 1,000-meter event, as 0.38 seconds separated her from Japan's Miho Takagi, who grabbed bronze.
Bowe still has a chance of medalling in the 500-meters and the relay, although there will be an onus on the rest of Team USA to raise their standards to get off the mark in terms of medals in speedskating.
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Here's a reminder of what's still to come from the Gangneung Oval and a look at the United States' medal prospects.
Long-Track Speedskating Schedule
Friday, Feb. 16
6 a.m. - Women's 5,000-meter speedskating
Sunday, Feb. 18
6 a.m. - Men's team pursuit 8 laps quarter-finals
6:56 a.m. - Women's 500-meter speedskating
Monday, Feb. 19
6 a.m. - Women's team pursuit 6 laps quarter-finals
6:53 a.m. - Men's 500-meter speedskating
Wednesday, Feb. 21
6 a.m. - Women's team pursuit 6 laps semi-finals
6:22 a.m. - Men's team pursuit 8 laps semi-finals
6:54 a.m. - Women's team pursuit 6 laps finals
7:13 a.m. - Men's team pursuit 8 laps finals
Friday, Feb. 23
5 a.m. - Men's 1,000-meter speedskating
Saturday, Feb. 24
6 a.m. - Women's mass start 16 laps semi-finals
6:45 a.m. - Men's mass start 16 laps semi-finals
7:30 a.m. - Women's mass start 16 laps final
8 a.m. - Women's mass start 16 laps final
All times are in Eastern time. The full schedule is courtesy of the Canadian team's official website.
Time Running Out for United States
The United States is still on the hunt for its first speedskating medal since the Vancouver Games in 2010, as the competitors have toiled so far in South Korea.
The biggest disappointment so far for Team USA has been Heather Bergsma, as the defending 1,000-meter and 1,500-meter world champion was unable to carry any sort of form into the Olympics.
She failed to match up to the pace being set by the leaders in the 1,500-meters, and on Wednesday the American was blown away by the likes of Jorien ter Mors, Nao Kodaira and Takagi in the 1,000-meters. Bergsma finished eighth in both events.
"This was definitely my best shot," Bergsma said after the second race, per Nick Zaccardi of NBC Olympics. "I don't feel quite as good as I did last year. I think it shows throughout the season."
Zaccardi posted following the 1,500-meters, suggesting Bergsma must be frustrated at her inability to find her best given the winning times:
Bowe's performances have been the main positive for the United States so far, although she'll be devastated not to have grabbed a bronze in the 1,000-meters after a brilliant skate.
As noted by the U.S. Olympic Team Twitter account, Bowe had made a big statement at the Games with her performance in the 1,500-meters:
Bowe will go again in the relay and the 500-meters, while Bergsma will hope to rediscover some spark in the same events; the latter is also set to compete in the unpredictable mass start competition.
Bowe's brilliant recent form is all the more impressive given the injury issues she's had to overcome in preparation for the Games, as a concussion picked up in 2016 kept her out of action for around 18 months.
Former Olympic speedskating champion Dan Jansen paid tribute to the resolve that's been showcased by Bowe in getting to the Games:
Meanwhile, the biggest chance of a medal in the men's events will be Joey Mantia, who will go off as one of the main contenders for gold in the mass start.
The 32-year-old produced an excellent performance at the 2017 World Championships to win this race and has already had an eighth-place finish in South Korea in the 1,500-meters.
If he was to beat the likes of Alexis Contin and Olivier Jean again here, then it would be a historic triumph for the American for a number of reasons. Not only would it be the first Olympic medal of his career, it's the first time the mass start has ever been included on the schedule at the Games.
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