BC '29 Vanessa Chan Wins National Short Track Title in 500m

Brookfield Central High School sophomore Vanessa Chan traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, to compete in the U.S. Short Track Championships and World Cup Qualifier, returning home with a gold medal and a national title in the women's 500 meters.

The U.S. Championships represent the highest level of short track speed skating competition in the country. At just 15 years old, Vanessa was the youngest female competitor in the field, racing head-to-head against U.S. Olympians and national team skaters—including two-time Olympian and World Tour Crystal Globe winner Kristen Santos-Griswold.

With her victory, Vanessa was crowned the U.S. Champion in the women's 500m, making her the youngest woman in recent U.S. short track speed skating history (and potentially ever) to claim the title. While her age currently keeps her from competing in major senior international competitions, her performance proved she can already out-skate the nation's best.

Watch the Race: You can relive Vanessa’s championship-winning performance on YouTube.

"I am just excited to be racing my first U.S. Championships, and winning the 500m is definitely an experience I will remember forever," Vanessa shared.

Vanessa has been speedskating for four and a half years, drawn to short track specifically for its high-stakes, unpredictable nature. "You never know what is going to happen on the ice," she says.

Her road to the podium is built on extraordinary discipline. Vanessa trains six days a week at the Pettit National Ice Center, spending 6:30 AM to 9:00 AM on the ice before school and returning in the evening for rigorous dryland training.

This national title is just the beginning. Vanessa has clear goals mapped out for the next phase of her athletic career:

• 2028 Winter Youth Olympic Games: Competing in Dolomiti Valtellina, Italian Alps (January 15–29, 2028).
• 2030 Winter Olympics: Representing Team USA at the French Alps Games (February 1–17, 2030).

As a sophomore already making history at the national level, Vanessa is a true testament to what relentless hard work and perseverance can achieve. Brookfield Central couldn't be prouder to call her one of our own.

Congratulations, Vanessa, on this monumental achievement—we can’t wait to cheer you on all the way to the Olympic stage!