Milano Cortina 2026: 500-Meter Bronze Gives Miho Takagi Drive For Top Race; Training Struggles Paid Off For Veteran Speedskater

By Satoshi Morii / Yomiuri Shimbun Sports Writer

15:28 JST, February 16, 2026

Speedskater Miho Takagi threw herself into her coach’s arms as her third-place finish was confirmed.

Takagi won bronze Sunday in the women’s 500-meter event, her second medal at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

“I’m genuinely happy,” she said after the race. She had voiced disappointment after placing third in the women’s 1,000 meters, but “this bronze in the 500 meters is different,” Takagi said.

Winning gold in the 1,500 meters is her primary goal, so Takagi had only skated the 500 meters once in international competition this season.

The starting order is determined by race results, with the top skaters competing toward the end. Takagi took to the ice in the fourth of 15 heats.

“I didn’t expect it to go smoothly,” she admitted. Yet Takagi possesses a powerful asset: the experience she has gained from competing in the Olympics since age 15. She burst out at the start and delivered a nearly flawless skate, clocking an excellent time of 37.27 seconds.

After winning four medals at the Beijing Games, Takagi hadn’t been able to skate as she wished in recent years. She constantly grappled with issues such as how to move her body and changing her boots and even her blades.

However, the 500-meter event was a race in which Takagi “empties her mind and goes all out,” she said. Achieving a time close to her personal best with a clear mind proved that her days of trial and error were not in vain.

“This bronze medal is the result of constantly seeking even the slightest chance for improvement,” Takagi said in a positive assessment of the race.

She has two more events: the team pursuit and her top event, the 1,500 meters.

“I’ll skate with the strong determination to go for gold,” she said, building her momentum for the biggest race.