Speedskater Mia Manganello Wins Bronze in Final Olympic Race

Mia Manganello crossed the finish line in third place Saturday, claiming bronze in the women's mass start speedskating event at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium. It was her final Olympic race, and she made it count.

The 36-year-old from Crestview, Florida, surged in the last lap to secure her spot on the podium. The Netherlands' Marjike Groenewoud took gold, while Canada's Ivanie Blondin edged Manganello by a hair for silver.

But the real story isn't just the medal. It's the 16-year journey to get there.

Manganello competed in two Olympic trials for the 2010 Vancouver Games and didn't make the team either time. Instead of quitting, she switched to professional cycling and competed for six years.

In 2016, she returned to speedskating. Two years later, she made the U.S. team for the 2018 Pyeongchang Games and won bronze in the team pursuit event.

At the 2022 Beijing Games, she finished fourth in the women's mass start, missing the podium by one spot. Most athletes would have called it quits after such a heartbreaking result.

Manganello kept training. In 2025, she won her first International Skating Union World Cup mass start race, proving she still had what it took.

Why This Inspires

This is what resilience looks like in real life. Manganello faced rejection, changed sports entirely, came back, won as part of a team, missed an individual medal by one place, and still showed up at 36 to race one more time.

After crossing the finish line, teammate Greta Myers embraced her in celebration. Manganello's bronze became the first U.S. women's speedskating medal at the 2026 Games.

Her medal also pushed the United States to 31 total medals, breaking a tie with Italy for second place in the overall count. Norway leads with 40 medals.

Sometimes the best stories aren't about winning easily, they're about showing up again and again until you do.