Olympic Trials

[christi]

I wonder if they have decided where the Olympic Trials are going to be. I keep checking the Midland Speed Skating website and it is never updated.

[susie]

Christi, from what I'm remembering, the site for trials won't be announced until summer. As far as I know, there are currently five cities in the running -- Seattle, Midland, Marquette, Milwaukee, and Salt Lake City.

Possible venues for Seattle include the Comcast Arena in Everett and the Tacoma Dome. I think that Everett and Tacoma both have speedskating clubs.

Beth Bedford, mother of ST skater Ryan Bedford, has been spearheading Midland's bid. The ST club there has already lined up a potential sponsor in Dow Midland.

[christi]

Thank you for the info Susie!

[Lori]

May 30, 2008 19:33:53 GMT -5 susie said:

Beth Bedford, mother of ST skater Ryan Bedford, has been spearheading Midland's bid. The ST club there has already lined up a potential sponsor in Dow Midland.

Interesting that you mentioned that, Susie - when I was at my Habitat for Humanity build in Mississippi I was eating lunch across from another volunteer named John, and I noticed his badge said he was from Midland, Michigan. We conversed a bit, and found that he was with a group of volunteers from Dow, and we started talking Short Track. He knew who Beth and Phil Bedford were, knew that Phil coached at the local high school, and John was very keen on Ryan Bedford's prospects to be in the 2010 Olympics - he also knew who Barry Winslow was! He was very proud of the fact that Dow is a sponsor of ST.

Christi, I don't know anything, either - the last I heard was similar to what Susie said.

[bubblebuttsbabe]

Add PA to the list...they might be vying for the trials as well.

www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/20080624_Pleased_with_trials__city_eyes_more.html

[apolostarr]

OH if PA does the trials, I am def. going lol. because it's within DRIVING distance !

[Lori]

Just saw this at OZ:

2009 Olympic Trials Awarded to Marquette!
The Detroit Free Press reports:

U.S. Speed skating has provisionally awarded the 2010 Olympic team trials for short track speed skating to Marquette. The event will be held Sept. 8-12, 2009, at the Berry Events Center at Northern Michigan University and a team will be selected to compete at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia.

EDIT: Here's the link to the entire article:
www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080801/SPORTS17/808010367/1217/sports

I'm sure the team at Midland is disappointed - but from everything I've heard, Marquette is a great place to watch a competition - I've heard that the whole town turns out and that they really know how to put on a show!

[lilyover76]

Lori - thanks so much for that info... I've been waiting to hear where the 'trials' would be!

Hmmm... a September trip to that area might be worth considering!

[olympia]

Marquette is too far away for me to attend--but the last time they hosted the Olympic Trials in 2005 they did a fantastic job and Canadian TV had great coverage.

[number1fan]

thanks lori...

it is in the boonies...but this is the event i really want to go to next year, as i've decided that i'd rather watch the olympics from the comforts of my own home at my pre-recorded times.

september '09 eh?

lexi.....meet me there! it's not too far for you!

[aaosmts19]

usocpressbox.org/usoc/pressbox.nsf/6272c9a938d3a5cb8525711000564abd/d5233562543a8c488525749700654a5f?OpenDocument


It looks like, if you couldn't make Marquette in September, there's always WC#4, which will be the last event to build up points to qualify...

Speedskating Olympic Team Trials Site Announced
by Kori Novak - U. S. Speedskating (801-417-5360)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2008—SALT LAKE CITY, UT. US Speedskating has provisionally awarded the 2010 Olympic Team Trials for Short Track Speedskating to Marquette Michigan. The event will be held at the Berry Events Center at Northern Michigan University September 8 – 12, 2009 and a team will be selected to compete at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The athletes who qualify for the Olympic Team will compete in the Short Track World Cups #1 - #4 in the fall of 2009 to earn their starting spots at the Olympic Games. Short Track World Cup #4 will also be held in Marquette MI where standings will be critical in earning those starting spots.

“Marquette has been historically a very strong place for Short Track speedskating in the United States for many years,” says Robert Crowley, Executive Director of US Speedskating. “The facility is an excellent event facility and hosting this event in the upper Midwest should attract many spectators from the heart of speedskating in the United States.”

Jeff Kleinschmidt, Director of the United States Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University will serve as the Chair of the Local Organizing Committee. Two other cities, Midland, MI and Wausau, WI, provided bids for the Olympic Team Trials and were also being considered as possible venues.

For additional information please contact [e-mail]

About US Speedskating: US Speedskating is a nonprofit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the national governing body for the sport of Speedskating in the United States.

To date, US Speedskating has won a total of 75 Olympic medals, making it the most successful winter sport in the USA.

[susie]

Wow, it looks like I'll be beating a path to Marquette a year from now. I've heard lots of good things about Marquette from veteran fans, so I know that they'll do a great job of hosting the Trials and the WC.

I'm really surprised (and delighted!) that they got a World Cup. I had been told that because the Olympics will be held in Canada, the chances of either the U.S. or Canada getting a WC for Fall of 2009 were close to zero. One more chance to see Apolo skate, yay!

[Lori]

If WC #4 is in Marquette, the chances are good that WC #3 will also be in North America, since they usually hold them in pairs - 'wonder where?

[susie]

Aug 1, 2008 13:41:12 GMT -5 Lori said:

If WC #4 is in Marquette, the chances are good that WC #3 will also be in North America, since they usually hold them in pairs - 'wonder where?

Good point, Lori -- we'll have to keep our eyes peeled.

ETA: Okay, I've been searching high and low, and the only thing I've come up with so far is a mention by the Sherbrooke Speedskating Club (of Quebec, Canada.)

"Dans la même veine, nous avons déposé notre candidature auprès de Patinage de vitesse Canada pour obtenir une Coupe du monde en 2009 ou 2010."

"In the same vein, we have lodged our candidacy with Speedskating Canada to obtain a World Cup in 2009 or 2010."

The article mostly concerns the Junior skaters, but it's all about short track, and I am pretty sure they are discussing the elite skaters when they are talking about the World Cup. Sherbrooke is a bit east of Montreal. The Sherbrooke club will be hosting the World Junior Short Track Speedskating Championships next January, which would put them in a good position to host a World Cup the following season.

www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20080320/CPTRIBUNE/80320164/-1/CPTRIBUNE

Looking at the ISU calendar, both the 2010 World Championships and the World Team Championships will be held in Europe (Sofia, Bulgaria, and Bormio, Italy respectively.) So perhaps North America will get two World Cups and Asia will get two.

[apoloslove]

I was so excited to hear that Marquette is the chosen spot! I was hoping for either Marquette or Midland, both would have been great hosts.

I will difinitely be at the trials... I too want to watch the Olympics on my own couch, so it will be the next best thing. The Olympic coverage should be really great, with Apolo probably headling alongside Shawn White and Sasha Cohen. I'd rather be at home recording and saving every single bit... like the last two!

Who else is planning on going? So far it is me, number1fan, susie...

I checked out hotels in the area... there's not much to choose from... we should think about renting a cottage or house or something and have a communal fan house for that week!