Olympic Trials, Sept. 8-12, Northern Michigan U.

Speaking of the pads---the company who made the pads and installed them "in record time" for this event, sat next to us throughout the competition.

Very nice people. Very excited about having done a great job, quickly. Although we do not understand the parameters they were given to build and install these pads, I'm sure by now they probably know there was a breakdown in communication somewhere.

As soon as JR hit the pads, and it was obvious how badly he was injured---they hauled a**. Either to regroup and rethink, or they were calling their legal team. Which of course is sheer speculation on my part. All I know is, the seats were empty the remainder of the night.

Source: www.midlothianexchange.com/index.php/sports/article/sportsquest-speed-skaters-make-2010-olympic-team/20487/

SportsQuest speed skaters make 2010 Olympic team
Courtesy of SportsQuest

SportsQuest speed skaters Kimberly Derrick and Jordan Malone were selected for the 2010 U.S. Olympic Short Track Speed Skating Team. Derrick was also a 2006 U.S. Olympian.

The top twenty-five women and thirty men skaters in the country were invited to compete at the 2010 Olympic Trials, which were held at the Olympic Training Site in Marquette, Mich., last week. Six of those invited were from the SportsQuest team. The skaters include: Derrick (2006 U.S. Olympic Team, 2007/08/09 U.S. World Team), Malone (2007/08/09 U.S. World Team), Sonia Milan (2007 U.S. World Team), Rachel Stewart (2008 U.S. National Championships Gold Medal 1,500m), Landon Hatfield (2008 U.S. National Champion), and Buddy Gurr (2008 U.S. National Championships Gold Medal 1,000m ).

“The week-long qualifying competition format is very exciting,” said Steve Burton, CEO of SportsQuest, “On the first day they each skate a 1,000-meter time trial. The fastest 16 men and 16 women performances then enter a four-day series of races. The points they earn over the eight distances skated are combined and the top 5 men and top 5 women point leaders earn a spot on the 2010 Olympic Short Track Speed Skating Team.

“If you are number 17 in the time trial your chances are over — the first day is incredibly stressful,” Burton added.

“Two of our team skaters were invited to the 2006 Olympic qualifying event [Milan and Derrick] and one made the 2006 Olympic Team [Derrick],” Program Director Scott Koons added, “To have 6 out of the 55 skaters invited be from our team this Olympic cycle is a great testament to the quality of our program and the dedication of our skaters.”

Koons, SportsQuest’s high performance program director, drew on many years of high performance athletic experience to provide support for his skaters. Prior to joining SportsQuest, he was a Speed Skating Olympian in 1998, U.S. Speed Skating National Team coach for four years, and Managing Director for U.S. Speed Skating for two years. He was also Apolo Ohno’s coach on two U.S. World Teams.

By virtue of their outstanding first day performances, three SportsQuest skaters (Malone, Derrick, and Milan) qualified to move on to the second phase of the Olympic Trials selection — a series of races spread across four days of last week’s competition.

Throughout the four-day event Derrick and Malone consistently finished on the podium and each had a first-place finish in one event. Derrick won gold at the 1,000-meter distance and Malone won gold at the 444-meter distance. Derrick and Malone each ended the trials with a third place overall ranking. The top five ranked men and women earned a spot on the 2010 U.S. Olympic Short Track Speed Skating Team.

Milan placed 11th overall, missing a spot on the Olympic Team, but represented herself and team well by achieving an eighth place finish in the 1,000-meter distance along with a number of top group finals.

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Source: www.universalsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=23000&ATCLID=204793914

Short track: Breaking down the Olympic Trials
Mon Sep 14, 2009 By Jason Devaney / Universal Sports

The United States short track speed skating roster is beginning to take shape for the Vancouver Olympics.

Unfortunately, the Olympic Trials that ended Saturday in Marquette, Mich. were marred by two injuries -- both “serious,” according to US Speedskating, but the skaters are expected to make full recoveries.

J.R. Celski, who earned a spot on the Olympic squad by winning two races, fell during a semifinal heat of the men’s 500m Saturday afternoon. He hit the padded wall and bounced off, and in the process his right skate blade sliced into his left leg near the knee.

Blood was visible on the front of the blade, and wire photos showed it pouring out of the wound. Fellow skater Walter Rusk, who was not competing at the time, jumped onto the ice from the crowd and immediately applied pressure to the cut on Celski’s leg. Emergency personnel took over and brought Celski to the hospital, where he later had surgery.

US Speedskating spokesperson Peri Kinder told UniversalSports.com on Monday that Celski is now in Salt Lake City and will be working with Dr. Eric Heiden during the rehabilitation process.

He is expected to fully recover in time for the Games in February.

Also injured Saturday was former Olympian Maria Garcia during a women’s 500m quarterfinal race. She hit the ice hard during a fall and emergency workers took her off the ice on a backboard before bringing her to the hospital for evaluation. Garcia is expected to recover.

Ohno, Reutter roll
The star of the meet was 27-year-old Apolo Ohno, who, after finishing second to Celski twice earlier in the week, reeled off victories in the 1,000m, 1,500m, 500m and the second 1,000m on Friday and Saturday. The five-time Olympic medalist is still unsure whether or not he’ll compete beyond the upcoming Games, but he will enter Vancouver as one of the favorites to win gold.

“It feels really good,” Ohno told the Associated Press on Saturday. “We have a very, very strong team.”

On the women’s side, 21-year-old Katherine Reutter won five events -- the nine-lap time trial, the 500m, 1,000m and both 1,500m races -- to qualify for her first Olympics. And with 6,952 points, she was the top female point-getter at the five-day meet.

Ohno won the men’s point race with 6,912. Celski was second with 5,014.

The name game
Five men and five women qualified for the Olympics based on their performances in Marquette. Their positions on the roster will be determined later in the fall, depending on how they fare at the four events on the ISU World Cup circuit -- Beijing, Seoul, Montreal and Marquette. The Beijing meet takes place this weekend.

Kinder said that in order for all 10 skaters to travel to Vancouver, the U.S. needs to qualify both a men’s and women’s relay team. The full U.S. squad will be announced after the final World Cup event in November.

For now, here are the 10 skaters that qualified to compete for spots in Vancouver:

MEN
Apolo Ohno
J.R. Celski
Jordan Malone
Travis Jayner
Simon Cho

WOMEN
Katherine Reutter
Alyson Dudek
Kimberly Derrick
Allison Baver
Lana Gehring

In addition to the skaters above, Jeff Simon, Anthony Lobello and Jessica Smith will also compete at the World Cup meets.

Broken leg? No problem
Perhaps the comeback story of the Olympic Trials was that of Allison Baver, who netted 3,996 points and qualified in the top 5. In February, Baver shattered the bones in her lower right leg during a violent crash.

“My leg looked like a twig,” she told the Associated Press last week.

For weeks Baver was laid up on the couch as her fractured bones fused back together following surgery. She started her rehab stint in April at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Baver finally returned to the ice on May 23 and since then, she’s trained with the national team in hopes of qualifying for Vancouver.

And now that she’s on the shortlist to travel north of the border in February, Baver will need to have continued success on the upcoming World Cup circuit to secure that spot.

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Source: www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2009-09-16-650663688_x.htm

Short track skater Celski to begin rehab

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Short track speedskater J.R. Celski is expected to have a fast recovery and resume training for the Vancouver Olympics after cutting his left leg in a racing accident.

U.S. Speedskating spokeswoman Peri Kinder said Celski was set to meet with Dr. Eric Heiden on Wednesday to develop a rehabilitation program.

Celski returned to Salt Lake City, where he trains with the national team, on Tuesday from Marquette, Mich., site of the short track national championships.

Heiden became an orthopedic surgeon after winning five gold medals in long track speedskating at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.

"They seem very optimistic that he'll have a fast recovery," Kinder said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

Celski, a 19-year-old skater from Federal Way, Wash., crashed in the semifinals of the 500 meters Saturday night. His right skate blade sliced into his upper left leg, spilling blood and requiring surgery.

Maria Garcia, a 2006 Olympian from Carson, Calif., who didn't qualify for the Vancouver Games, crashed into the boards in her 500 semifinal heat earlier that night. She was hospitalized and later released. Kinder said she is doing well.

The U.S. skaters who qualified for the Olympics are in Beijing, China, for a World Cup meet beginning Thursday.

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Source: usoc.com/news/article/15970

2010 U.S. Short Track Team Nominated
U.S. Speed Skating September 15, 2009

Marquette, MI. September 12, 2009.

It was a roller coast ride of an event that included falls, injuries and heartbreak. At the end of the evening, the 2010 U.S. Olympic Short Track Team nominees were announced and presented to a supportive crowd. Once again, Apolo Anton Ohno (Seattle, WA) and Katherine Reutter (Champaign, IL) earned the overall classification for the event and retained their U.S. Short Track Championships titles.

Along with Ohno and Reutter, J.R. Celski (Federal Way, WA), Jordan Malone (Denton, TX), Travis Jayner (Midland, MI) Simon Cho (Laurel, MD), Alyson Dudek (Hales Corners, WI), Kimberly Derrick (Memphis, TN), Allison Baver (Sinking Spring, PA) and Lana Gehring (Glenview, IL) were nominated to the Olympic Team. These skaters will go on to compete in World Cup competition to qualify for starting positions during the Olympic Games in 2010. Jeff Simon (Las Vegas, NV), Anthony Lobello (Tallahassee, FL) and Jessica Smith (Melvindale, MI) will also participate in 2009-2010 World Cup events.

The event was overshadowed by two serious injuries. Celski fell during the final heat in the Men’s 500m semi-finals and injured his leg as he landed on his skate blade. Medical personnel immediately responded and treated him on the ice before removing him by stretcher to take him to a nearby hospital. He is expected to make a full recovery and will return to training soon. During an earlier heat, Olympian Maria Garcia was also injured after a fall and was taken to the hospital.

Despite the injuries, the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Short Track Speedskating continued and the five men and five ladies selected to qualify for Olympic starting positions leave on September 13 for Beijing, China and the first World Cup event. The bios for the ten skaters are below:

Apolo Anton Ohno (27): Apolo Anton Ohno is the face of short track speedskating in the United States. A two-time Olympian and five-time Olympic medalist (including two gold medals), Ohno has been the controlling force on the Men’s team since 1997. He was the 2008 World Short Track Champion and part of the Men’s team that won the 2008 World Short Track Team Championships. Ohno has been the U.S. Short Track Champion for ten consecutive years. He was named the 2010 U.S. Short Track Champion following the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Short Track Speedskating.

J.R. Celski (19): As the U.S. Junior Short Track Champion for 2008 and 2009, J.R. Celski’s rise up the speedskating ranks has been swift. During the 2009 World Short Track Championships, Celski took second overall winning a gold in the 3000m and the Men’s Relay, as well as a bronze in the 1000m and 1500m. Celski currently holds a Junior World record in the 500m and the 1000m.

Jordan Malone (25): As a 14-time World Inline Champion and 19-time National Inline Champion, Jordan Malone decided to switch to short track speedskating in order to earn a spot on the Olympic Team. After a devastating injury, Malone was not able to qualify for the 2006 U.S. Olympic Team but is proud to represent the U.S. in Vancouver in 2010.

Travis Jayner (27): Travis Jayner is a versatile skater, competing well in any distance. He has been a World Cup team member since the 2004-2005 season and was the 2009 U.S. Men’s Short Track 500m champion. Born in New Brunswick, Canada, Jayner started skating at the age of 5 after being encouraged by his father who was also a speedskater.

Simon Cho (17): The youngest member to be nominated to the 2010 U.S. Olympic Short Track Speedskating Team, Simon Cho skated a strong event to take the fifth spot on the Men’s team. Cho started skating at the age of 3 and earned a place on the national short track training program in 2008. He participated in two world cups during the 2007-2008 season.

Katherine Reutter (21): A two-time U.S. Short Track Champion, Reutter earned her third consecutive championship during the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Short Track Speedskating. A dynamic force on the ice, Reutter won the overall distance classification in the 1500m and the 1000m at the Olympic Trials. She earned three silver medals in the 1500m during 2008-2009 World Cup competition and a silver in the 1000m. Reutter holds the current American record in the 1000m plus two Junior American records.

Alyson Dudek (19): The 2008-2009 World Cup season was Alyson Dudek’s first experience in the World Cup circuit. She was part of the Ladies Relay Team taking fourth place at the 2009 World Short Track Championships and a bronze medal at the 2009 World Short Track Team Championships. Dudek exploded on the ice at the beginning of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Short Track Speedskating winning the 4-Lap Time Trial and ended up winning the overall distance classification in the 500m as well as second in the overall classification.

Kimberly Derrick (24): Kimberly Derrick started skating on inlines when she was six and ended up dominating the inline world, winning numerous national championships. In order to achieve her Olympic dream, Derrick switched to short track speedskating when she was 19. She won the 2005 American Cup and earned a place on the 2006 U.S. Olympic Team for Short Track Speedskating. During the 2008-2009 World Cup series, Derrick earned three individual medals and was part of the gold-medal relay team in World Cup 6. She finished third in the overall classification for this week's event.

Allison Baver (29): A former inline skater, Allison Baver switched to short track speedskating in 2000 and quickly rose to the top of the speedskating world. An Olympian in 2002 and 2006, and U.S. Champion in 2007, Baver overcame what could have been a career-ending injury in February when she broke her leg during a competition in Bulgaria. Baver’s fast skating and great skill will be a definite asset moving toward Vancouver.

Lana Gehring (19): One of the youngest members of the U.S. National Short Track Training Program, Lana Gehring is an experienced short track speedskater. She was the U.S. Junior Champion in both 2007 and 2008 and skated in the World Junior Championships in both years. During the 2008-2009 World Cup series, Gehring helped the Ladies win a gold and bronze medal during the Ladies Relay.

For complete results, visit the US Speedskating Results Page at www.usspeedskating.org or follow US Speedskating on Twitter @usspeedskating for up-to-the-minute competition updates and results. The US Speedskating Community page, Up to Speed, also carries results, photos and information.

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LurkerB5: No problem. I was really curious as well. :]

I remember hearing, or reading, that these new pads were tested by dropping a 70 lb weight from some height onto the pads. I didn't think that testing was stringent enough - most of these skaters weigh in excess of 100 lbs and, when they careen* into the pads, they are often travelling at 25 mph or more. The force of a skater hitting the pads is probably much greater than the force of a 70 lb weight being dropped, unless that weight is dropped from the top of the Empire State Building.

I think the company that made the pads thought they were creating something that would be sufficient; they just didn't really understand the Physics behind a speedskater's body careening* out of control. What they did was probably an improvement, though, and may have prevented some serious injuries at this event. It just didn't prevent all of them, so more work must be done. Hopefully, they'll not give up.

*I'm sure that's not spelled correctly, but I'm too tired right now to look it up.

It's a little more difficult than what most people probably think. The first thing you have to remember is that none of the values that occur as a skater hits the pads is constant. Therefore, they would have to evaluate every, single possible aspect of a fall; an infinite number of scenarios. Aspects like:

*every possible angle tangent to the arc of the curve at a single point (were talking about derivatives here)
*the sine of the extended angle compared to the point at which the skater left the arc
*the degree of the curve of the extended line that the skater travels has he leaves the arc
*the weight of the skater
*the speed and rate at which the skater was traveling as he left the arc compared to when he hit the pads
*the angle at which the skater was skating as he left the arc

and I'm sure these are just a few. But I agree that there's really no excuse.

Here's a diagram of a possible scenario. It might be wrong since it has bee awhile since I used trigonometry/analytic geometry with calculus.

They wouldn't have to calculate every possible scenario, but, using videos, photos, etc of previous crashes, they could find the worst crashes and do calculations on those crashes. Then build in some scenarios for hypothetical crashes to find the worst possible crash that could occur. We hope those hypothetical situations don't ever occur, but, if they do, we'd be prepared. Then they build a pad system to withstand the worst crashes.

Short Track has changed a lot in the last few years - equipment is better in most countries and training is more sophisticated. Skaters are going faster than they previously had been and moving in ways they didn't in years past. The pad systems being used in many rinks around the world were designed in times when speeds where slower and skaters didn't make as many risky moves (they couldn't). The pads need to be upgraded to keep up with the changes in the sport - pads weren't perfect years ago & injuries did occur that could have been prevented, but with the changes in the sport, it's probably gotten worse in the last few years.

What got me was that the pad testing was done for how well the pads stood up, not how well the athlete recovered. Dropping a weight just tests the pads. It doesn't tell us what happens to the weight when he gets his blade caught up next to his thigh.

Sure wish they'd tried that particular test on a crash test dummy rather than one of our best skaters.