“The US was not even close to winning,” said freshman Andrew Deverian, “they were not even on the screen.”

The longest short track race the Olympics have to offer, this race requires the competitor to both pace his/herself, while at the same time demanding the sprinting ability needed for quick passes. Though the US had qualified eleven days prior to the final, the contention for the medal was immense. South Korea was looking for a fifth gold in a row, and with the world record holders from China also in the medal race, the team’s chances of medaling were, to say the least, minimal.

Despite this, the team of lead-off Lana Gehring, Allison Baver, Katherine Reutter, and Alyson Dudek, was reasonably confident of their chances. The team had practiced the relay extensively during training, working on the relay, “multiple times a day, every day, for the last four years.”

However, during the first 14 of the 27 lap race, the dominance of the Korean and Chinese teams was clear. Both Canada and team USA were falling behind, and they did not catch up to the rest. The cameras soon began to turn towards the leaders, who were engaging in their own personal battle for gold at record speeds.

Suddenly, with six laps to go, China is knocked out of their usual turn as Korean Kim Min-Jung rounds the turn, causing an uproar from the stands.

“It was a really big deal,” said Deverian, “it was obvious something had happened.”

The way was clear, and South Korea easily finished first, with China still close behind. However, the race was not over yet, as referee James Hewish examined the replay of the collision. Then, suddenly, Hewish announced the verdict.

South Korea is disqualified. Min-Jung impeded Wang Meng of China. The USA wins the bronze medal.

Though a third place medal, this is seen to be somewhat of a victory for the US. A medal’s a medal, and is much more satisfying than a fourth place. When asked for a word afterwards, Reutter said, “There’s victory and there’s glory. This win may not be glorious, but it is victorious.”