Joey Mantia Skates To a Top-10 Finish In The Men's 1500m

Joey Mantia (Ocala, Fla.) secured a top-10 finish for Team USA in the men’s 1500m at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 on Tuesday.

Mantia finished the 1500m in eighth place with a time of 1:45.86 at the Gangneung Oval.

“For me, it’s rolling the dice,” Mantia said. “Some days it’s there and when it is, I’m capable of winning. And when it’s not there, I finish top-10 at the best.”

Mantia skated alongside Norway’s Sverre Lunde Pedersen in the final pairing, chasing a time of 1:44.01 posted by the Netherlands’ Kjeld Nuis, who won gold.

Mantia finished 22nd in the 1500m at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games.

“I just hope for the best here at the Games,” Mantia said. “I’ve got three more races. I’m going to turn it around.”

The two-time Olympian will also skate the men’s 1000m, Team Pursuit and Mass Start events.

Brian Hansen (Glenview, Ill.), who is competing in his third Winter Olympics, skated to a 15^th-place finish in the 1500m with a time of 1:46.44.

“I was just happy to have the chance to go out there and compete and do the best I could,” Hansen said. “But there’s a couple changes I would have made. That’s just how racing goes so I’ve got to accept that moving forward.”

The 2010 Olympic silver medalist’s best 400m split was 26.20 seconds.

“All in all, it was still an okay race,” Hansen said. “I’d say there were a lot of good elements to it.”

Two-time Olympic Champion Shani Davis (Chicago, Ill.) finished the 1500m in 19th place after skating the event in 1:46.74.

“The ice was super fast,” Davis said. “Unfortunately I wasn’t, but I’m hoping that this is going to prepare me well for the (1000m).”

The five-time Olympian skated out to a quick pace, posting his best 400m split in 26.16 seconds.

“I felt good,” Davis said. “It’s just that I didn’t have the snap and drive. I really feel that I’m more geared toward the (1000m) now. I really hope that this got all the cobwebs out and I can refocus.”

For results, post-race interviews and other media information, visit the US Speedskating Media Page.

Long track continues on Wednesday, February 14 with the women’s 1000m. Live coverage of the race will be on NBCSN beginning at 7 p.m. KT (5 a.m. ET).

Quotes from Joey Mantia

• “It’s hard to dig yourself out of a hole once you’re going down in the wrong direction. I just tried to stay strong and finish the race, but when you’re racing a guy that’s going (1:44.01), you have got to be on. Just wasn’t there for me today.”
• “For me, it’s rolling the dice. Some days it’s there and when it is, I’m capable of winning. And when it’s not there, I finish top-10 at the best.”
• “I just hope for the best here at the Games. I’ve got three more races. I’m going to turn it around.”

Quotes from Brett Hansen

• “I was just happy to have the chance to go out there and compete and do the best I could. But there’s a couple changes I would have made. That’s just how racing goes so I’ve got to accept that moving forward.”
• “All in all, it was still an okay race. I’d say there were a lot of good elements to it.”
• “I’m absolutely excited for the Team Pursuit. I can’t wait to get back on the ice and start practicing for it tomorrow. I think we have everything to gain and nothing to lose in that race.”

Quotes from Shani Davis

• “The ice was super fast. Unfortunately I wasn’t, but I’m hoping that this is going to prepare me well for the (1000m).”
• “I felt good. It’s just that I didn’t have the snap and drive. I really feel that I’m more geared toward the (1000m) now. I really hope that this got all the cobwebs out and I can refocus.”
• “It’s hit or miss. I’ve seen people create Olympic magic in the 1500m who have never even won World Cups before. And I thought I would just go out there and do the best I could, which I did.”