American speed skater Casey Dawson placed eighth in the men’s 5,000-meter event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, despite a stumble at the start of the race.
USA TODAY, a US-based news outlet, provided the original coverage of the event.
Dawson, 25, competed at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium in front of a lively crowd, which included United States Vice President JD Vance. Despite a rocky start that left him stumbling, Dawson completed the race with a time of 6 minutes, 11.88 seconds, securing eighth place. He acknowledged the difficulty of managing nerves on such a big stage, stating that the stumble was part of the competition.
The gold medal in the men’s 5,000 meters was won by Norway’s Sander Eitrem, who set a new Olympic record with a time of 6:03.95. Czech skater Metodej Jilek earned silver with a time of 6:06.48, while Italy’s Riccardo Lorello took bronze, narrowly edging his teammate Davide Ghiotto by 0.35 seconds.
Dawson, who previously won a bronze medal in the team pursuit at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, also plans to compete in the 1,500 meters, 10,000 meters, and team pursuit events at the current Olympics.
Throughout the competition, Dawson was notable for carrying a distinctive pink backpack decorated with hearts. The backpack is part of a light-hearted tradition following a fantasy football league among skaters, where the last-place finisher is tasked with carrying the backpack for the year along with a phone case shaped like a foot. Dawson said the backpack keeps him grounded and adds an element of fun to the demanding event.
Dawson commented on the temporary ice rink used for the Olympics, which presents challenges due to varying ice conditions. The presence of spectators warms the building, making it difficult to maintain optimal ice temperature. He emphasized the need to trust his skating despite these imperfect conditions.
