For Team USA, a podium in the short track mixed relay event was well within reach. However, an unfortunate incident at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Italy rained on their parade.

“Major wipeout for Team USA in the short track mixed relay semifinal,” wrote Sports Illustrated’s Mitch Golditch on X. “Brutal.”

During the short track mixed relay race, Corinne Stoddard of the United States lost balance and tripped. The athletes were on the 12th lap out of 18, covering the 2000 meters. Faulty equipment caused Stoddard to lose her balance and crash into the side boundary. Thankfully, she was unharmed.

Stoddard was leading the race when the mishap happened. Canada was coming in second, and South Korea was a close third. Unfortunately, the equipment failure not only denied them a spot in the A Final but also caused them to finish last in the B Final. Naturally, the event surprised many.

“An equipment failure is what cost Team USA,” wrote Garrett Hall on X. “From advancing to the final of mixed short track. That’s wild to me, no clue how that happens.”

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However, this was not the first time Stoddard slipped. She had slipped during the quarterfinal on Tuesday, but got back up and finished second to advance to the semifinal. But the same thing did not repeat in the semis. That was not all. To make things even worse, Stoddard’s unlucky mistake also cost another nation a spot in the final.

South Korea fell victim to the United States’ faulty equipment

Corinne Stoddard was in the middle, leading the race during the 12th lap. Her sudden slip saw her fall on the track. South Korea’s Kim Gil-ri, who was coming from her right, collided with her, causing her to lose balance and fall as well.

South Korea was third on the 10th, crossing the line in 2 minutes and 46.554 seconds. Only the United States and Belgium were in front. Only the top two countries would advance to the mixed 2,000-meter relay final, where they would contest for the gold, silver, and bronze medals. The third would go to the Final B.

Following the collision, Kim Gil-ri reached out and touched off to Chey Min-jung. But by that time, the gap between the second and third had significantly widened. A South Korean team official protested about not advancing to the next round. They were in a strong position to protest because of being fouled or blocked by another skater (Corinne Stoddard).

The authorities dismissed the protest, citing that South Korea held third place when the incident happened. If they had been first or second, the protest could have stood. Ultimately, South Korea accepted the decision. Regrettably, both teams failed to win any medals at the event. Italy won the gold medal in the A Final, and the Netherlands won the B Final.