- The U.S. longtrack speed skating team had their last home practice on Thursday.
- It was bittersweet for Mia Manganello and Emery Lehman, who will both retire after the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
- Both athletes emphasized enjoying their final Olympic experience with the strong team bonds they have.
KEARNS — The Utah Olympic Oval has seen plenty of speed through the years, as well as a lot of dreams chasing Olympic gold.
But Thursday, the laps felt different.
It was the final home-ice practice for the U.S. longtrack speedskating team before heading to Europe for World Cup races and then on to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
"How can you not be happy, really?" said Mia Manganello with a smile.
For Manganello, Milan will be her third Olympic Games.
And her last.
"No, I'm not taking it for granted," she said. "My only thought is to be present and enjoy the moment."
Manganello won a bronze medal during the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, and admits there is still pressure with the upcoming Milan Games.
She admits the pressure this time around feels lighter, perhaps because she knows it marks the end of a successful career.
"Each one has its own feelings," she said. "I think the first one, you're just excited to make it. I had quite a journey making that one. Luckily (I) came out with a medal, which was amazing. The second one, I thought that was going to be my last one, so I was enjoying it; a little bit less pressure. And this one is just a free for all. I'm there to have fun."
Ironically, Manganello says she may be skating into Milan in one of the best positions of her career to medal again, but she feels results aren't the only thing that matters anymore.
"Honestly, win or lose, I'm just excited to be there," she said.
More than anything, she says this team is what will make the final chapter special.
"This is the best team going to the Olympics that I've been with," said Manganello. "We're not only great teammates, but we're also just like family. It's really going to make it a really special way to end the career."
That sense of family is especially clear with the men's team pursuit group, Emery Lehman, Casey Dawson, and Ethan Cepuran.
The three have trained together for nearly eight years and won a bronze medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics in the team pursuit race.
They'll reunite again in Milan.
"We spend 11 months out of the year training together, so we're very close," said Lehman. "We kind of know a lot about each other, what makes each other tick, what pisses each other off, and all the good and the bad."
That closeness also comes with plenty of joking, especially when it comes to Lehman's veteran status.
Milan will be his fourth Olympics.
"He gives the old man energy of just, 'Yeah, I don't care,'" Cepuran joked.
But behind the humor is deep respect.
"I always grew up watching Emery," said Cepuran. "He showed what was possible, what was next, and how we could really mimic our skating and mentality."
Like Manganello, Lehman has announced Milan will be his last Olympics.
He's retiring after the Games.
"All the Olympics have had different experiences between Russia and South Korea and China," said Lehman. "Every one of them has had a little bit of something that made it special or different."
It's also what made Thursday's practice at the Utah Olympic Oval that much more special.
"It's the last practice here with Emery as a unit. It's definitely a little bittersweet," said Dawson. "We have the upper hand advantage of being able to train together every day. So, we use that to our advantage when we step to the line every time we race, and we all have the winning mentality."
Cepuran says Lehman's leadership has shaped the entire team for success.
"You know, having an older guy really kind of guide us through and lift us up," he said. "That's how this team works. We lift each other up. We don't put each other down."
As for how Lehman would love to see his career come to an end?
"Gold is the ultimate goal, but I also think we've also accomplished a lot; we can come back with our heads held high," said Lehman. "Our plan is to go there and we want to win."
Still, the team knows their bond goes beyond medals.
"At the end of the day, we just want to go out there and execute," said Cepuran. "This is our last guaranteed opportunity to go out there and fly together. Three guys as one."
"We make jokes and we keep it lighthearted on the ice," said Dawson. "But when it comes to game time, we lock in and we know how to lock in as a team."
