The road to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 is gathering pace, as are two American short track speed skaters staking their claim as names to know.
Corinne Stoddard and Brandon Kim delivered statement performances last weekend at the U.S. Championships in Kearns, Utah, where both rewrote the national record books and swept their way to the top of the podium.
This year’s championships carried added significance. With no separate Olympic Trials planned, U.S. skaters must qualify for Milano Cortina through the World Tour circuit alone.
By topping the national standings, Kim and Stoddard qualified for a place on the American squad to compete on the World Tour circuit heading into the international season, to be named soon.
Kim, 24, set the tone on the opening day. He clocked 39.83 seconds in the men’s 500m, eclipsing the mark held for more than a decade by three-time Olympian J.R. Celski.
“It was crazy because when I was a kid I watched the video of him breaking that record, so now that’s it’s me is pretty awesome,” Kim told US Speed Skating.
He followed up with victories in the 1000m and 1500m, both won by thin margins. His versatility earned him the overall men’s crown with 54,225 points, ahead of Andrew Heo and Clayton DeClemente.
Stoddard’s brilliance came the following day. The Beijing 2022 Olympian lowered the women’s 1000m national record to 1:26.46, surpassing the time set by her teammate and friend Kristen Santos-Griswold, who was sidelined with a back injury.
Over the course of the weekend, Stoddard won all six of her races, often by more than a second, and closed the competition with a maximum 60,000 points.
With the World Tour beginning on 9 October, her focus is already shifting to the months ahead. “I’m really excited,” she said. “I feel really strong and ready to race. I think it’s going to be a great year, and I look forward to hopefully medaling in Milan.”