The 1,500-meter race was Bowe’s final event in what she has said will be her last Olympics.
MILAN, Italy — U.S. speedskater Brittany Bowe stepped onto the Olympic ice on Friday’s women’s 1,500-meter event, for what might be the last time.
Bowe, the two-time bronze medalist who has said these Olympics will be her last, had a time of 1:54.70 in her final event. The time wasn’t fast enough to get her on the podium, putting her in fourth place.
The event was won by Antoinette Rijpma-De Jong from the Netherlands with a time of 1:54.09. She was just .06 seconds ahead of Ragne Wiklund from Norway and 0.31 seconds ahead of Canada’s Valerie Maltais, who won silver and bronze, respectively.
The 37-year-old speedskater has never stood on the Olympic podium in the 1,500m, but previously said she was happy to end her career on her terms.
“I’ve been pretty at peace with myself throughout this whole year, this whole quad, knowing it will be my last Olympic Games,” Bowe told the media after training at Milano Speed Skating Stadium Feb. 6. “Being able to reflect and take a step back while I’m still in it, and I’m still competitive, has been pretty cool. I’m really enjoying myself.”
She also raced in the 1000m and team pursuit at the Milan Cortina Games and placed fourth in both, just missing the podium.
Bowe’s teammate Greta Myers finished the race in 29th place with a time of 1:59.81.
Going into the race, Japanese speedskating star Miho Takagi was the favorite to win gold, seven years after setting the world record at the distance. Takagi won consecutive silver medals in the 1500m at the past two Olympics — finishing second to Dutch great Ireen Wüst both times. Wüst retired after the 2022 Beijing Games.
Takagi’s three bronze medals in Milan, previous to this race, raised her career total to 10 Olympic medals.
On Wednesday, Bowe posted a video of her getting engaged to U.S. women’s hockey captain Hilary Knight.