Federal Way native Corinne Stoddard turned the Milano Ice Skating Arena into her personal proving ground on Friday, racing to a bronze medal in the women's short-track 1,500-meter final. She controlled the pack for much of the race before getting reeled in during the closing laps, then dug in to fend off a late charge and lock down third place.
South Korea’s Kim Gil-li claimed gold and defending champion Choi Min-jeong grabbed silver, with Stoddard joining them on the podium in a tightly packed, tactical final that scrambled positions in the last few laps, according to the Associated Press. The result capped a race that felt more like a high-speed chess match than a simple sprint.
Stoddard finished in 2:32.578, with Kim clocking 2:32.076 and Choi at 2:32.450, per the Associated Press. Stoddard held the lead for most of the distance before the Korean skaters made their decisive move with only a few laps to go.
From Pattison's West To The Podium
Long before the Olympic lights of Milan, Stoddard was circling the rink at Pattison’s West and sharpening her skills with the Puget Sound Speedskating Club. Those South King County sessions built the endurance and race savvy that showed up on the sport's biggest stage, according to the Federal Way Mirror. Coaches and teammates there have credited her relentless training habits and fierce competitive streak as the traits that would eventually carry her this far.
A Milestone For U.S. Short Track
Stoddard’s bronze is the first Olympic women's short-track medal for the United States since 2010, and the country's first ever in the 1,500 meters, a landmark moment for the program, according to NBC Olympics. Earlier in the day, teammate Kristen Santos-Griswold was disqualified, which left Stoddard as the lone American in the A final and raised the stakes on her performance.
Now a two-time Olympian with world-championship hardware already in her collection, Stoddard adds an Olympic bronze to a résumé that Team USA proudly details. Back home in Federal Way, local reaction has been swift and enthusiastic, with neighbors, former coaches, and community members lining up to offer congratulations and share their pride in the hometown skater, as reported by KING 5.
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