The U.S. speedskating team finally had a breakthrough Friday in the men's short-track relay, battling against Russia for the top spot at the podium.
Though the U.S. team did have the lead, it was Russia who came out on top. The U.S. team will take home the silver, their first and only medal in Sochi.
“We made our country proud with a second place,” speedskater Chris Creveling told TODAY’s Lester Holt Saturday in Sochi, surrounded by his teammates J.R. Celski, Eddy Alvarez and Jordan Malone.
Creveling said that when China and the Netherlands went down early in the competition, the U.S. team was able to seize the opportunity and surge forward. "That was our opportunity to take over the race," Creveling said.
The U.S. has had trouble in the short and long track speedskating events, with far fewer medals at the Sochi games than at the Olympic Games in Vancouver. Celski said the conditions at Sochi had affected the team.
"We're in a different country halfway across the world ... we put a lot of hard work in and people don't really see that, but we're dedicated to the sport ," Celski told Holt. "It's tough to come away with only one medal, but at least we got one."