Brittany Bowe has crossed the Olympic finish line for the final time. Team USA’s Bowe has been the mainstay in women’s speed skating for 16 years. Having made her Olympic debut in 2014 at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Bowe has now completed her final Olympic race and concluded a career that is as remarkable as it is prolific.
Racing in the women’s 1500m speed skating event on February 20, 2026, 37-year-old Brittany Bowe missed the podium during her final Olympic appearance, but she celebrates significant news in her personal life at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
Hilary Knight Cheered Bowe On In Her Final Olympic Career Moment
GettyBrittany Bowe, Mia Manganello and Giorgia Birkeland of Team United States compete during the quarterfinals of the Speed Skating Women’s Team Pursuit on day eight of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Speed Skating Stadium on February 14, 2026 in Milan, Italy.
In the crowd supporting Bowe during the women’s 1500m speed skating race was her newly minted fiancee.
Two days prior to the women’s 1500m speed skating event on February 20, 2026, Bowe got down on one knee and surprised her girlfriend, Hilary Knight – fellow Team USA member and captain of the gold medal winning hockey team – with an engagement proposal in front of the world. The pair met at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where they began dating. They returned to the 2026 Olympics as a couple. Of course, Knight said yes to Bowe’s marriage proposal and the two will continue to live out their Olympic dreams together alongside their own fairytale love story.
View this post on Instagram
The pair announced their engagement on Instagram. The caption of Knight and Bowe’s announcement post reads, “Olympics brought us together. This one made us forever.” In the video, Bowe is seen dropping to one knee while a shocked and excited Knight joyfully reacts.
Brittany Bowe Has Spearheaded U.S. Women’s Speed Skating For 16 Years
GettyBrittany Bowe of Team United States competes in the semi-final of the Speed Skating Women’s Team Pursuit on day eleven of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Speed Skating Stadium on February 17, 2026 in Milan, Italy.
Brittany Bowe has been a staple on the speed skating track for 16 years and an Olympian for 12 of those. Throughout her athletic career, she has been a fascinating competitor to watch for her dominance in both the 1000m and 1500m distance races on the ice.
Having shifted her focus from basketball to speed skating training in 2010, Bowe first represented the United States at The Olympic Games in 2014. She then went on to win two back-to-back bronze medals at both the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Even though she won’t add an Olympic gold medal to her collection, she has an impressive 16 international gold medal wins under her belt. Eight of those gold medals were won by Bowe at the World Inline Speedskating Championships, therefore making her an eight-time world champion as well as four-time Olympian.
Hilary Knight Supports Brittany Bowe in Final Olympic Race