The kickoff 2022 Winter Olympics speed skating competition is the Women’s 3000m. 

Skaters will line up in pairs and race against the clock in this near two-mile distance.

Mia Manganello Kilburg represents the United States. The Crestview, Florida, native won the event at the U.S. Trials to earn a reserve spot and later qualified. 

She won a bronze medal in the Women's Team Pursuit at the 2018 Winter Olympics and is looking for her first individual podium. 

The Netherlands swept the podium in this race at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Carlijn Achtereekte won the gold medal in her Olympic debut, and 11-time medalist Ireen Wüst took home the silver. 

Wüst, the all-time leader in speed skating medals, will not compete in this discipline at the 2022 Winter Olympics. 

The Dutch still have potential for another dominant showing. 

Irene Schouten is the reigning World Cup champion in the discipline, and she won the European title in January. Antoinette De Jong earned the bronze medal in the Women’s 3000m in 2018, and she came in second to Schouten at the European Championships.

Dutch skaters have won 15 of 26 gold medals in speed skating over the last two Olympics. 

ROC’s Natalya Voronina could skate in the way of the Netherlands’ attempt at another sweep.

The 27-year-old won the bronze in the Women’s 5000m at the 2018 Winter Olympics and finished third in the 2020-2021 World Cup standings for the 3000m. 

Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic is a legend in the sport with six Olympic medals. She is 34 years old but finished first in the 2019-2020 World Cup standings. She won the gold medal in the Women's 3000m at the 2010 Winter Olympics and silver in 2014. 

The Women’s 3000m will air LIVE on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, USA Network and the NBC Sports app at 3:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 5.

It will re-air on NBC at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday.