Corinne Stoddard breaks US women's Olympic short track medal drought with bronze win at Winter Games

Friday’s abbreviated way contention astatine the Milan Cortina Olympics was defined by melodramatic moments, culminating successful a historical breakthrough. 

Team USA’s Corinne Stoddard claimed a podium finish, becoming the archetypal American pistillate to medal successful the lawsuit successful 16 years. 

Stoddard, who entered the Games ranked 2nd successful the satellite successful abbreviated track, captured bronze successful the 1,500 meters aft overcoming a bid of aboriginal setbacks. On her archetypal time connected the crystal successful Milan, the 24-year-old slipped 3 times.

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Corinne Stoddard of the United States celebrates aft winning bronze successful the abbreviated way velocity skating women's 1500 meters astatine the astatine Milano Ice Skating Arena during the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics Feb. 20, 2026, successful Milan, Italy. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Stoddard regained her signifier and appeared to person small occupation skating done the preliminary rounds to scope the final. Once the contention began Friday, she held the pb for overmuch of the lawsuit earlier South Korea’s Kim Gil-li and Choi Min-jeong overtook her.

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Kim and Choi won golden and silver, respectively, successful the race. Stoddard credited her squad with helping her aft the aboriginal stumbles.

Corinne th of the United States reacts aft competing successful the abbreviated way velocity skating women's 1500 meters astatine Milano Ice Skating Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games Feb. 20, 2026, successful Milan, Italy. (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

"I deliberation aft the 1000 meters, I fundamentally spent the full time crying successful bed," she said. "I fundamentally came from the depths of hellhole to get here, and I couldn't person done it without my squad and my unit and my coaches, everyone, conscionable lifting maine up and [giving] maine the assurance that I could skate the mode I cognize however to aft truthful galore unspeakable races.

Bronze medalist Corinne Stoddard of the United States celebrates connected the podium during the medal ceremonial for the abbreviated way velocity skating women's 1500 meters astatine Milano Ice Skating Arena during the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics Feb. 20, 2026, successful Milan, Italy. (Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

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"Today was conscionable to beryllium to myself that I tin skate nether the Olympic unit and to beryllium to myself that I'm inactive me. And I did that. And I consciousness similar that's a large mode to extremity specified a unspeakable Olympics."

With her bronze Friday, Stoddard earned her archetypal Olympic medal. The triumph besides snapped a seven-year medal drought for American abbreviated way skaters.

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