Parkite Casey Dawson earns silver in Olympic team pursuit speed skating

Team USA with Ethan Cepuran, white armband, Casey Dawson, red armband, Emery Lehman, yellow armband, celebrate winning the silver medal in the final of the men's team pursuit speedskating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. Photo: AP Photo/Ben Curtis

MILAN, Italy — Park City’s Casey Dawson took to the ice Tuesday at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium and, alongside teammates Ethan Cepuran and Emery Lehman, delivered a powerful performance to earn a silver medal in the men’s team pursuit speed skating event at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.

The American trio skated fiercely in the final, ultimately finishing 4.51 seconds behind the Italian team, who captured gold before a roaring home crowd. China claimed the bronze medal.

At age 25, Dawson’s silver adds to his Olympic résumé in his second Winter Games, following a bronze medal in the same event at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. The Park City native began his skating journey at the Park City Speed Skating Club through a Youth Sports Alliance program.

The team pursuit consists of teams racing side by side over eight laps, testing both speed and coordination. The U.S. squad posted a time of 3:43.71 in the gold medal race, with the Italian squad finishing in 3:39.20 to take the top spot.

In November 2025, Dawson, Cepuran and Lehman set a world record in the team pursuit at the Utah Olympic Oval, clocking a 3:32.49, an indicator of the American squad’s potential heading into Olympic competition.

While they came up short of gold, the Americans’ performance was a testament to their strength and teamwork across the season.

Dawson’s silver medal puts Park City back on the Olympic podium in the speed skating arena and highlights the depth of talent emerging from Utah’s winter sports community.