====Cyclists and alpine skiers take speeds of 35 miles per hour for granted, but they work with gears and gravity. Imagine moving that fast on a flat surface. Make that flat surface out of ice and aside from powerful lungs and legs, your only equipment is a pair of 14-inch razor blades laced to your feet. To make it even more interesting, box the ice into an oval track 111 meters long and bunch four to six skaters at a time circling counterclockwise. Without a doubt, short track speedskaters can edge the tightest left turns, and they also rank the fastest human powered athletes in the world.
For four days in mid-September, 55 of the nation’s best short track speedskaters raced in Marquette, Michigan, competing for spots on the U.S. Olympic team. When points were totaled, the field was narrowed to five women and five men who will represent the U.S. next February in Vancouver. Five-time Olympic medalist Apolo Ohno scored the most first place finishes for the men, banking 6,912 points. Katherine Reutter, who first came to the U.S. Olympic Education Center (USOEC) at Northern Michigan University to train five years ago, earned five golds to collect 6,952 points. Vancouver will be 21-year-old Reutter’s first Olympic Games and 27-year-old Ohno’s third.
This was the second time the USOEC hosted the Olympic Trials, but in the past, the event was held in December. Ohno said moving it ahead three months was “a big change for all the athletes, myself especially. We’re not used to racing in September.” But according to Guy Thibault, director of U.S. Speedskating High Performance, the early team selection “will give us 10-12 weeks for training prior to Vancouver.”
The Canadians held trials in August and both Korea and China have already selected their teams.
A casualty
The lead time will be most important for J.R. Celski.
After two days at the trials the 19-year-old from Federal Way, Washington, lead the points race 3,312 to Ohno’s 2,912. But in a fast and furious semifinal heat for the 500 meter sprint on the final night of competition, Celski went down on a curve and in the tangle of the fall his right skate slashed across his left quad. Emergency medical personnel were on the ice immediately to help stop the intense bleeding.
Celski underwent surgery at Marquette General Hospital. According to information supplied by the family, the slice did not cut through any major arteries or nerves and he was expected to be back on the ice in a month. Even without the 500 meters, his points qualified Celski for the team. His recovery will be guided by Olympic team doctor and former speedskating great Eric Heiden who called the injury “just a bump on the road to the Olympics.”
On to the World Cup
After Marquette, the rest of the team flew to Beijing, China, to begin a series of four World Cup events. Stops will include Seoul and Montreal before a return to the Marquette’s USOEC November 11-15. USOEC Director Jeff Kleinschmidt is not sure how many athletes will be in Marquette for the final World Cup event; an estimated 55 countries field speedskating teams.
“One thing is for sure,” Kleinschmidt said. “It will be the most important event outside of the Olympics and we will have more short track athletes on the ice than Vancouver.”
As U.S. Speedskating Vice President Jack Mortell explained, “The next event will be the Olympic Trials for the world.”
For tickets, call 906/227-2888 or visit www.goldrushskate.com/WorldCup.
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10/22/09 - 1:25PM