Men's Team Pursuit Speed Skating: Nations Jockey for Position at Milano-Cortina
Momentum from recent short-track drama at the Milano-Cortina Winter Games has national speed-skating programs buzzing as the men's team pursuit approaches. Silver celebrations on the ice and photo-finish thrills have underscored how fine the margins are — a theme that will carry into the long-track team event.
Teams to watch
The Netherlands remains the nation to beat when it comes to team pursuit depth and technical polish. Dutch skaters' habit of producing clean, fast laps under pressure puts them squarely in gold discussions.
South Korea enters the pursuit with confidence after more podium moments in the skating arena. A recent silver-medal celebration in a marquee men's event has energized the team and spotlighted the country's growing all-discipline strength on ice.
China's program found relief with a high-stakes silver in a sprint final, and that bounce-back could translate into sharper focus in the pursuit, where cadence and timing are decisive. Canada, which pushed the sprint final to the wire in recent competition, also remains a contender — their strength is reliability and tactical awareness when races tighten.
What the short-track drama means for pursuit rivals
Short-track theatrics and photo finishes highlight how Olympic pressure exposes tiny weaknesses and amplifies split-second decisions. While team pursuit is long-track and emphasizes pacing, drafting and synchronous exchanges, the psychological carryover from recent wins and near-misses is tangible.
Teams that have just celebrated medals will bring momentum and belief; teams that suffered costly errors will be hunting redemption. That mix of confidence and urgency can change how nations approach the pursuit: some will aim for controlled, evenly paced laps to avoid mistakes, others may gamble on aggressive pacing to break rivals early.
What to expect and key storylines
Expect tactical chess on ice. The event rewards teams that can rotate seamlessly without losing speed and who time their surges to capitalize on opponents' fatigue. Penalties or mishaps in exchanges can erase an otherwise winning performance, so clean execution will be as important as raw speed.
Watch for tight finishes decided by fractions of a second — a recurring theme during the current Olympic schedule. Individual stars who have recently stood on the podium will draw the spotlight, but the team pursuit is ultimately a collective test: depth, discipline and split-second coordination will determine the medalists.
Races will unfold across the coming days of the Milano-Cortina program; fans and teams alike will be tracking session times in Eastern Time (ET) as official schedules are confirmed. With national pride and the medal table on the line, the men's team pursuit promises to be one of the most strategic and suspenseful events in speed skating this week.
