SHORT TRACK
QUALIFICATION
Athletes first earned their place on the 2025–26 U.S. World Tour Team through performances at US Speedskating’s 2026 U.S. Championships. From there, competitors at the first four World Tour events have the opportunity to secure Olympic quota spots for the United States. Those who earned quota spots through overall distance rankings in the 500m, 1000m, 1500m, and relay events effectively qualified themselves and get nominated to the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
PREVIEW
The world’s best short track speed skaters take center stage at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, with competition set for February 10–20 in Milano, Italy, at the Unipol Forum. The U.S. squad is led by 2024 World Champion Kristen Santos-Griswold and World Cup Gold medalist Corinne Stoddard, whose friendship alongside teammate Julie Letai has become one of the team’s strongest bonds. Short track competition kicks off February 10 with the Women’s 500m and Men’s 1000m Qualifying Rounds, followed by the Mixed Team Relay Finals. Finals for both the 500m and 1000m highlight February 12, while the Men’s 1500m Finals and Women’s 3000m Relay Semifinals unfold on February 14. The schedule rounds out with marquee medal moments in the Men’s 500m (Feb. 18), Women’s 3000m Relay Finals (Feb. 18), and Men’s 5000m and Women’s 1500m Finals (Feb. 20).
For Santos-Griswold, Milano Cortina represents unfinished business after an early exit at the 2025 World Championships. The 2024 World Champion and five-time Worlds medalist has rebounded with determination, all while balancing training and earning her Master’s degree in physical therapy at the University of Utah. Stoddard, her longtime friend and 2022 Olympian, enters with confidence after capturing her first World Cup Gold in the 2024–25 season and being named third in the World has proved herself among the world’s elite. Alongside them, Andrew Heo—a 2024 World Championship medalist and Brandon Kim, a rising Stanford student and multi-time World Cup medalist who was inspired by the 2010 Vancouver Games, round out a young and hungry U.S. roster. Together, these athletes embody the next era of U.S. Short Track.
Press officer contact: Samantha Snyder Gebauer - ssnyder@usspeedskating.org
Kristen Santos-Griswold
Athlete Profile, opens in a new tabOne-time Olympian (2022)
Corinne Stoddard
Athlete Profile, opens in a new tabOne-time Olympian (2022)
LONG TRACK
QUALIFICATION
Athletes earn Olympic quota spots for the U.S. over the World Cup competitions. These four competitions span from November 14th - December 14th. Athletes can qualify for these quota spots through direct nomination (performance criteria from the 2025 World Championships and 2025 Fall World Cups) or through Olympic Team Trials (January 2-5, 2026 in Milwuakee, WI).
PREVIEW
Long track U.S. athletes will compete at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium in Milano. With 14 medal races over 12 competition days, this is a sport to watch for Team USA Olympic Gold. In the sprint distances (500m, 1000m, 1500m) look out for Jordan Stolz, a 7x World Champion and World Record Holder who is returning to the Games with something to prove.
Erin Jackson is set on defending her Olympic Gold in the 500m. Brittany Bowe, an Olympic veteran, will skate her fourth Olympics, still at the top of her game and a medal contender in the 1000m and 1500m. Putting the Team in Team USA is the U.S. Men's Team Pursuit Team, Emery Lehman, Casey Dawson, and Ethan Cepuran. Olympic Bronze Medalists in 2022, they're skating into an Olympic year as 2025 World Champions with Gold on their mind.,
Press officer contact: Alysha Rummler - arummler@uspeedskating.org
Jordan Stolz
Athlete Profile, opens in a new tabOne-time Olympian (2022)
Erin Jackson
Athlete Profile, opens in a new tabTwo-time Olympian (2022, 2018), One-time Olympic medalist (1 gold)
Brittany Bowe
Athlete Profile, opens in a new tabThree-time Olympian (2022, 2018, 2014), Two-time Olympic medalist (2 bronzes)
