Team USA will have no representatives in the men’s 10,000-meter speedskating race after Casey Dawson withdrew. The 25-year-old’s decision came just hours before the race on Friday.
Dawson, who finished eighth in the men’s 5000m speed skating event, will now turn his focus to the men’s team pursuit. The American team won the bronze medal in the event at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Casey Dawson Announces Late Withdrawal From 10,000 Meters Speedskating Race
Team USA announced Dawson’s decision to withdraw from the men’s 10,000-meter speedskating event just hours before the race was scheduled to get underway. Per the Associated Press, the decision was made to allow the Utah native to focus more on the team pursuit event.
In a statement via NBC Sports, Team USA long-distance speedskating coach Gabriel Girard said, “This decision regarding the 10,000m does not come as a surprise, and always was a part of the options coming to the Olympic 2026 Games.”
Eric Heiden was the last American to win the gold medal in the 10,000-meter speedskating event. His triumph came at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.
Dawson will next represent Team USA alongside Emery Lehman and Ethan Cepuran in the team pursuit event. The team has been in fine form of late, having set multiple world records and won five-straight World Cup titles. They also finished third behind Norway and Team ROC at the 2022 Beijing Games.
The quarterfinals of the team pursuit event begin on Sunday, with the final scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 17. Team USA will hope to be in medal contention at the event.
Team USA Already Has One Speedskating Gold Medal at 2026 Winter Olympics
Team USA has won four gold medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, with one coming in speed skating. Jordan Stolz won the 1000-meter speedskating event with a time of 1:06.28. The 21-year-old also broke the Olympic record in the process.
Stolz finished ahead of the Netherlands’ Jenning de Boo and Ning Zhongyan of China in his history-making run. Following this stunning victory, the Wisconsin native will shift his focus to the 1500 meters, 500 meters, and mass-start events. He is also part of the American pursuit team roster.
Dawson and co. will now look to cap off Team USA’s strong speedskating showing at the 2026 Winter Olympics by winning a medal in the team pursuit.
