Team USA will be going for a long-sought speed skating gold on Olympic ice once again, and Chicago-area stars are at the center of it.
Both the men and women compete for medals Tuesday morning in speed skating team pursuit, which involves a three-person team racing almost two miles in perfect rhythm. The U.S., featuring Glen Ellyn-native Ethan Cepuran and Oak Park-native Emery Lehman, took home a bronze from the 2022 Beijing Games.
But they went on to set the world record for men’s team pursuit in November –and now they’re eyeing gold.
Here’s what to know about the two events, and how to watch them.
The families of Chicago-area Olympic speedskaters Ethan Cepuran and Emery Lehman stopped by the NBC tower early Friday morning as the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics begin.
Men’s Team Pursuit
Cepuran and Lehman are no strangers to the Olympic stage, as they were part of the bronze medal-winning team during the 2022 Games in Beijing.
The duo also shares the world record in the team pursuit competition, and they’ll be hoping to strike Olympic gold in Milan this week.
For Lehman, this will mark his fourth appearance in the Olympics, as the Marquette University-product looks to win the second Olympic medal of his storied career.
Cepuran is competing in his second Olympics, and the team is coming into the Games with a ton of momentum, as they’ve won all three of their team pursuit races on the World Cup circuit this season.
The group finished second to Italy after the quarterfinals and are looking to surge back to the top.
The beat China in their semifinal race, sending them to their first gold medal pursuit in the event since 2010.
How to Watch Men’s Team Pursuit
The semifinal action begins at 7:30 a.m. CT with medal rounds beginning around 9:20 a.m. CT.
