Your 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Speed Skating Viewer's Guide
As the world prepares for the 2026 Winter Olympics, Team USA is positioning itself for a historic performance on the ice. Below you will find the projected rosters and official profiles for the 8 Short Track and 13 Long Track skaters expected to represent the United States in Italy. We have also included the complete competition schedule and a series of articles on the technology defining these Games. These stories cover everything from AI driven training to the world’s first mobile Olympic oval.
Short Track Skaters:
Corinne Stoddard - Bio Kristen Santos-Griswold - Bio Julie Letai - Bio Kamryn Lute - Bio Eunice Lee - Bio Andrew Heo - Bio Brandon Kim - Bio Clayton DeClemente - Bio
Long Track Skaters:
Ethan Cepuran - Bio Casey Dawson - Bio Emery Lehman - Bio Conor McDermott-Mostowy - Bio Cooper McLeod - Bio Jordan Stolz - Bio Zach Stoppelmoor - Bio Giorgia Birkeland - Bio Brittany Bowe - Bio Erin Jackson - Bio Mia Manganello - Bio Greta Myers - Bio Sarah Warren - Bio
Long Track Race Schedule:
Race times shown are local Milan-Cortina time (Central European Time). U.S. viewers should subtract 6 hours for Eastern Time, 7 for Central, 8 for Mountain, and 9 for Pacific.
Saturday Feb 7th:
16:00 - Women's 3000m
Sunday Feb 8th:
16:00 Men's 5000m
Monday Feb 9th:
17:30 Women's 1000m
Wednesday Feb 11th:
18:30 Men's 1000m
Thursday Feb 12th:
16:30 Women's 5000m
Friday Feb 13th:
16:00 Men's 10,000m
Saturday Feb 14th:
16:00 Women's Team Pursuit Quarterfinals 17:00 Men's 500m
Sunday Feb 15th:
16:00 Men's Team Pursuit Quarterfinals 17:03 Women's 500m
Tuesday Feb 17th:
14:30 Men's Team Pursuit Semifinals 14:52 Women's Team Pursuit Semifinals 15:24 Men's Team Pursuit Final D 15:30 Men's Team Pursuit Final C 15:43 Women's Team Pursuit Final D 15:49 Women's Team Pursuit Final C 16:22 Men's Team Pursuit Final B 16:28 Men's Team Pursuit Final A 16:41 Women's Team Pursuit Final B 16:47 Women's Team Pursuit Final A
Thursday Feb 19th:
16:30 Men's 1500m
Friday Feb 20th:
16:30 Women's 1500m Saturday Feb 21st: 15:00 Men's Mass Start Semifinals 15:50 Women's Mass Start Semifinals 16:40 Men's Mass Start Final 17:15 Women's Mass Start Final
Short Track Race Schedule:
Race times shown are local Milan-Cortina time (Central European Time). U.S. viewers should subtract 6 hours for Eastern Time, 7 for Central, 8 for Mountain, and 9 for Pacific.
Tuesday Feb 10th:
10:30 Women's 500m - Heats 11:08 Men's 1000m - Heats 11:53 Mixed Team Relay - Quarterfinals 12:23 Mixed Team Relay - Semifinals 12:48 Mixed Team Relay - Final B 12:56 Mixed Team Relay - Final A
Thursday Feb 12th:
20:15 Women's 500m - Quarterfinals 20:29 Men's 1000m - Quarterfinals 20:58 Women's 500m - Semifinals 21:05 Men's 1000m - Semifinals 21:26 Women's 500m - Final B 21:31 Women's 500m - Final A 21:37 Men's 1000m - Final B 21:43 Men's 1000m - Final A
Saturday Feb 14th:
20:15 Men's 1500m - Quarterfinals 20:59 Women's 1000m - Heats 21:44 Men's 1500m - Semifinals 22:00 Women's 3000m Relay - Semifinals 22:27 Men's 1500m - Final B 22:34 Men's 1500m - Final A
Monday Feb 16th:
11:00 Women's 1000m - Quarterfinals 11:18 Men's 500m - Heats 11:55 Women's 1000m - Semifinals 12:04 Men's 5000m Relay - Semifinals 12:36 Women's 1000m - Final B 12:42 Women's 1000m - Final A
Wednesday Feb 18th:
20:15 Men's 500m - Quarterfinals 20:42 Men's 500m - Semifinals 20:50 Women's 3000m Relay - Final B 20:59 Women's 3000m Relay - Final A 21:24 Men's 500m - Final B 21:29 Men's 500m - Final A
Friday Feb 20th:
20:15 Women's 1500m - Quarterfinals 21:00 Women's 1500m - Semifinals 21:17 Men's 5000m Relay - Final B 21:29 Men's 5000m Relay - Final A 21:56 Women's 1500m - Final B 22:03 Women's 1500m - Final A
Olympic Speed Skate articles:
For the first time in Olympic history:
Milano Cortina debuts the world's first temporary indoor speed oval in Italy. This is the first time in Olympic history that speed skating will take place on a mobile, modular ice surface rather than in a permanent oval. Canadian ice master Mark Messer is crafting "Calgary-fast" ice (-10°C, ultra hard, dust free) inside a trade fair hall-never done at Olympics before. The ice is engineered for maximum hardness, smoothness and consistency, with advanced piping and climate control designed to reduce friction and give skaters the best possible glide. Skaters get record-chasing glide, but Zambonis must hit exact freeze times or the 6-ton machine shifts the track. Early testing at a Junior World Cup event showed a high number of personal and seasonal best times, suggesting this innovative setup could produce very fast conditions.
AI on the Ice:
For the first time, US Speedskating is using AI to analyze every stride, turn, and push in real time. High-speed cameras and motion sensors feed the system, showing coaches exactly how skaters can optimize speed, cornering, and timing down to the millisecond. At the Olympics, that means Team USA athletes like Ethan Cepuran and Casey Dawson can make razor-sharp adjustments on the ice turns, pacing, and team pursuit synchronization all get a measurable boost. What you’ll see on TV isn’t just skill it’s AI helping every movement count.
World Record Watch:
The Jordan Stolz Show - Jordan Stolz enters Milano Cortina holding 3 sea-level world records Men's 500m (33.90), 1000m (1:06.16), 1500m (1:41.46). Baselga's high-altitude oval and Milano's record-fast indoor ice could make him the first skater to sweep four individual gold medals since 2002. Watch when he races 500m/1000m/1500m/Mass Start, any one could shatter on live TV. If he pulls it off, he'll own speed skating history forever.
Skaters to watch:
Erin Jacksonenters Milano Cortina as the defending Olympic Champion in the 500m. Since her historic gold in Beijing, she has remained a consistent force on the World Cup circuit, specializing in the most explosive event in the sport. In the 500m, races are decided by hundredths of a second, making her 100m opening split the most critical metric to watch. She is attempting to become the first American woman to win consecutive Olympic 500m titles since Bonnie Blair.
Kristen Santos-Griswoldis currently the highest-ranked American in Short Track and a top global contender across multiple distances. After narrowly missing the podium in 2022, she has spent this Olympic cycle dominating the World Cup, particularly in the 1000m and 1500m. She is the primary threat to break the long-standing dominance of South Korean and Chinese skaters. Watch her positioning in the final three laps, her ability to execute late-race passes in tight traffic is her greatest competitive advantage.
Casey Dawsonis a world-record holder and a foundational member of the U.S. Team Pursuit squad. While he competes in individual long-distance events, his primary impact is in the team format, where he serves as a high-speed pacer. His ability to maintain consistent lap times while leading the draft is what allowed the U.S. to set the current world record. He is a focal point for the Team Pursuit finals on February 19, an event where the U.S. is the heavy favorite for gold.
Corinne Stoddardhas emerged as a multi-distance threat in Short Track, showing elite consistency in the 500m, 1000m, and 1500m. She is known for a high-intensity racing style that thrives in the high-contact environment of Short Track. Her value to Team USA is highest in the 3000m Relay, where her explosive starts and stability during exchanges help maintain team momentum. She is a frequent podium finisher on the world stage and a key component of the U.S. women’s medal count.
Ethan Cepuranis a specialist in the long-distance events and the Mass Start, a race that combines long-track speed with short-track pack tactics. He is a vital member of the U.S. Team Pursuit team, working in tandem with Casey Dawson to manage the team's aerodynamic efficiency. In the Mass Start, watch for his timing in the final sprint; he is coached to sit in the draft for the majority of the race before utilizing a high-velocity kick in the closing 400 meters.
