Post by aaosmts19 on Dec 25, 2008 6:32:27 GMT -5
Brought over from OZ....some comments by Apolo as to his injury.
www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/othersports/story/66763D373505272B86257527000A195D?OpenDocument
Ohno, Reutter successfully defend title in U.S. Short Track Championships
By Kathleen Nelson
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
12/22/2008
CHESTERFIELD — Apolo Anton Ohno and Katherine Reutter fought off the residuals of Saturday's spills to successfully defend their titles in the U.S. Short Track Championships, each winning a pair of individual events on the final day of competition Sunday at Hardee's Iceplex.
Ohno, a five-time Olympic medalist and reigning world champion, considered scratching before the races Sunday because of bumps and bruises he sustained in crashes Saturday, but instead wrapped his knee and earned his 10th national title.
"This morning was horrible," he said. "I felt like a truck ran over me. But it worked out fine."
He decided to skate Sunday to cement his position in each of the individual events here so he could skate in each event at the world championships and defend his title. Skaters earn points based on their finishing position in each of four races and a time trial over the course of the weekend. Ohno also won the time trial and 1,500 meters Friday and finished third in the 500 Saturday.
Reutter, a native of Champaign, Ill., had a more difficult task Sunday. After being disqualified in the 500 meters Saturday, she dropped to second place, nearly 500 points behind Kimberly Derrick of Caledonia, Mich.
"I was really stressed about that," Reutter said. "I knew I couldn't afford even second place today."
The race for the women's title tightened in the 1,000 meters when Reutter edged Derrick, winning in 1 minute, 32.885 seconds. Reutter tucked into second at the start and stayed there through seven of the nine laps, then moved on the inside past Derrick and held her off for the final two laps.
Reutter regained the lead with a victory in the 3,000 meters in 5:08.576. She smartly picked up an extra 150 points for being the leader on the ninth lap of the 27-lap race, a carrot that race organizers include as incentive to keep the pace lively for the longest of the meet's individual events. She took the lead for keeps with four laps remaining, slipping past two-time Olympian Allison Baver on the inside, then holding off Baver and Derrick, in that order.
"It was so important to me to win here," Reutter said. "I felt like I've been in a little of a sophomore slump, and there's so many expectations, so winning here was a really big deal."
The three women qualified for the U.S. team that will compete in world cup events in February as well as the world championships and world team championships in March. Joining them will be Jessica Smith and Lana Gehring.
Ohno won the men's 1,000 meters in 1:28.586 by settling into second place for the first seven laps, then moving inside with two laps to go and holding off J.R. Celski to the finishing line.
Jeff Simon took the bonus points in the men's 3,000 meters, but Celski shot past him and built a lead of three-quarters of a lap with about a dozen laps to go.
"Typically, there's a chance for somebody to break away like that," Ohno said. "But when no one wanted to chase him, I felt like I had to do something."
Ohno and Jordan Malone broke away and chased Celski, catching him with four laps remaining. Malone held the lead until Ohno took over on the bell lap and held off Celski and Malone, respectively.
Ohno will lead the U.S. men's team, which will include Celski, Simon, Malone and Ryan Bedford.
www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/othersports/story/66763D373505272B86257527000A195D?OpenDocument
Ohno, Reutter successfully defend title in U.S. Short Track Championships
By Kathleen Nelson
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
12/22/2008
CHESTERFIELD — Apolo Anton Ohno and Katherine Reutter fought off the residuals of Saturday's spills to successfully defend their titles in the U.S. Short Track Championships, each winning a pair of individual events on the final day of competition Sunday at Hardee's Iceplex.
Ohno, a five-time Olympic medalist and reigning world champion, considered scratching before the races Sunday because of bumps and bruises he sustained in crashes Saturday, but instead wrapped his knee and earned his 10th national title.
"This morning was horrible," he said. "I felt like a truck ran over me. But it worked out fine."
He decided to skate Sunday to cement his position in each of the individual events here so he could skate in each event at the world championships and defend his title. Skaters earn points based on their finishing position in each of four races and a time trial over the course of the weekend. Ohno also won the time trial and 1,500 meters Friday and finished third in the 500 Saturday.
Reutter, a native of Champaign, Ill., had a more difficult task Sunday. After being disqualified in the 500 meters Saturday, she dropped to second place, nearly 500 points behind Kimberly Derrick of Caledonia, Mich.
"I was really stressed about that," Reutter said. "I knew I couldn't afford even second place today."
The race for the women's title tightened in the 1,000 meters when Reutter edged Derrick, winning in 1 minute, 32.885 seconds. Reutter tucked into second at the start and stayed there through seven of the nine laps, then moved on the inside past Derrick and held her off for the final two laps.
Reutter regained the lead with a victory in the 3,000 meters in 5:08.576. She smartly picked up an extra 150 points for being the leader on the ninth lap of the 27-lap race, a carrot that race organizers include as incentive to keep the pace lively for the longest of the meet's individual events. She took the lead for keeps with four laps remaining, slipping past two-time Olympian Allison Baver on the inside, then holding off Baver and Derrick, in that order.
"It was so important to me to win here," Reutter said. "I felt like I've been in a little of a sophomore slump, and there's so many expectations, so winning here was a really big deal."
The three women qualified for the U.S. team that will compete in world cup events in February as well as the world championships and world team championships in March. Joining them will be Jessica Smith and Lana Gehring.
Ohno won the men's 1,000 meters in 1:28.586 by settling into second place for the first seven laps, then moving inside with two laps to go and holding off J.R. Celski to the finishing line.
Jeff Simon took the bonus points in the men's 3,000 meters, but Celski shot past him and built a lead of three-quarters of a lap with about a dozen laps to go.
"Typically, there's a chance for somebody to break away like that," Ohno said. "But when no one wanted to chase him, I felt like I had to do something."
Ohno and Jordan Malone broke away and chased Celski, catching him with four laps remaining. Malone held the lead until Ohno took over on the bell lap and held off Celski and Malone, respectively.
Ohno will lead the U.S. men's team, which will include Celski, Simon, Malone and Ryan Bedford.
...ouch
