Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

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Hosts USA took the honors in the Ladies tournament at the ISU Four Continents Championships on Saturday, with Mia Kilburg-Manganello winning the mass start to collect her second title of the weekend after Brianna Bocox (USA) got the day off to a flying start by taking the 1500m earlier in the afternoon.

Ladies 1500m Brianna Bocox action

Brianna Bocox (USA) takes gold in the Ladies' 1500m after a tough few months away from the ice 2020©International Skating Union (ISU)

Ladies’ 1500m: Bocox pays tribute to coach Shimabukuro

"It's surreal," Brianna Bocox said after taking her first medal at a major international tournament following an emotional rollercoaster over the last few months which has included the loss of her grandmother and a non-fatal heart attack for Bocox’s coach Ryan Shimabukuro.

"I'm grateful that Ryan is healthy and back coaching,” Bocox said. “He is at home with the rest of our teammates and I will catch up with him in Salt Lake City. He texted me immediately after the race. That made my heart very happy, he's been with me ever since I started."

Bocox' race plan was immaculate, despite the late medical withdrawal of pair mate Bëatrice Lamarche (CAN) forcing her to compete alone against the clock.

After a moderate opener, Bocox skated the fastest two middle laps of the field and managed to maintain enough speed to keep Nadezhda Morozova (KAZ) at bay.

Bocox stopped the clock at 1:57.17, with the 21-year-old Kazak finishing 0.71 adrift for her second silver medal of the weekend after the 3000m on Friday.

Bocox and Morozova each set a personal best to relegate Park Ji Woo (KOR) to third place and the bronze medal in 1:58.44.

"It's nice to be able to skate that race, [to have] confidence in my abilities, [to know] that I can execute a race plan," Bocox said.

Ladies Mass Start medalists

Ladies' Mass Start medalists (from left): Kim Bo-Reum (KOR, silver), Mia Kilburg-Manganello (USA, gold), Park Ji Woo (KOR, bronze) 2020©International Skating Union (ISU)

Ladies’ Mass Start: Driving ambition for Kilburg-Manganello

It is a long drive from Ohio to Wisconsin, but Mia Kilburg-Manganello's parents will consider the journey from home to Milwaukee’s Pettit National Ice Center as six hours well spent after their daughter celebrated a golden weekend.

The 30-year-old US skater followed up her 3000m title success on Friday by winning Saturday’s tactical Mass Start on Saturday in thrilling style.

"This [race] was not like any other international mass start ever,” she said. "Our record slow was maybe a 50-second lap. It was pretty slow out there.

"Nobody wanted to work, nobody wanted to put their nose in the wind. I figured at that point, about halfway in, that it would come down to the last lap."

After a cagey opening, the excitement began a little earlier than Kilburg-Manganello predicted when Canada’s Lindsey Kent (CAN) attacked with three laps to go.

"That kind of stretched things out and allowed me to open my legs up a little bit," said Kilburg-Manganello, who managed to derail the Korean train of Park Ji Woo and 2018 Olympic silver medalist Kim Bo-Reum.

"They were both behind me with one to go,” Kilburg-Manganello said. “The Korean [Park] came around and jumped both the Canadian and myself, which worked out perfectly because I did not want to take the lead just yet.

“I followed her around, and out of the last corner I was able to come around."

The ISU Four Continents Championships will close off with the Ladies’ and Men’s 1000m and Team Pursuit events on Sunday.

Ladies MS Mia Kilburg crosses line

Mia Kilburg-Manganello (USA) celebrates after crossing the line first in the Ladies' Mass Start in Milwaukee 2020©International Skating Union (ISU)

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