Post by bubblebuttsbabe on Nov 20, 2008 4:55:08 GMT -5
Tallahassee's Lobello has unfinished Olympic business
By St. Clair Murraine • DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER • November 19, 2008
Soon after his Olympic bubble burst in 2006, speed skater Anthony Lobello received a pick-me-up from an eighth-grade teacher in Tallahassee. It came in a scrapbook that chronicled his career from in-line skating to his rapid rise to winning a berth on the U.S. Olympic team.
In the back of the book were the words "Vancouver: Unfinished business." The former Maclay soccer player turned ice skater found the words fitting.
"For me it's about that," said Lobello, who is already on course to make the 2010 games in Vancouver, Canada. "It's for me knowing I have unfinished business before I can call my skating chapter of life over.
"When you close any chapter of life, you close it when you're satisfied. I was never satisfied with my last Olympics performance."
Lobello can't erase the memories of his first Olympics, which amounted to a cameo appearance after he fell in his first race. But with some impressive performances early this season, he's attempting to complete the mission.
"Everybody wants to live their Olympic dream as an athlete," he said. "I didn't get to live mine."
The Olympics weren't the only setback for Lobello, now 24 and much more experienced than when he went to Turin, Italy, as the youngest American on the team. He said he's had to deal with personal issues that slowed his pace to the point that it dropped him from his top-five world and national rankings.
"Life comes at you quick," said Lobello, who wouldn't get into specifics about what disrupted his career. "Everybody has rough surprises."
Whatever the matter was, he's now skating like a man who won't be denied. Just last week he placed second in an Olympic test event, finishing in the 1,000-meter race ahead of Apolo Ohno, a multi-medalist at the 2006 Olympics. Lobello also is one of the early leaders after two of six World Cup events that match the U.S. against elite skaters from the rest of the world.
He placed second overall in the U.S. World Cup team qualifier in late September. That was followed by the World Cup in Salt Lake City last month, when he took fifth overall in the 1,000-meter and eighth overall in the 500-meter and also helped the American team take second in the 5,000-meter relay.
Since the season started in September, Lobello has been struggling with the 500-meter event. He said each race is taking him closer to the performance he wants.
"It hasn't all clicked yet," he said. "It will come to me, though."
While he's jump-starting his career he's attending classes at the University of Utah, where he is a junior majoring in communication. He's been there since the men's skating program moved from Colorado Springs to Salt Lake City last year.
In two weeks, he and his teammates head to Beijing for the next round of World Cup competition. He's looking forward to that and the rest of the season with renewed enthusiasm, Lobello said.
"Every so often, every athlete has to remind himself what they're after," he said. "You have to come up with more incentive to make yourself go harder.
"I love skating. If there wasn't anything else in the world, I would probably still try to find a way to skate."
If he ever needs inspiration, there is that scrapbook from the eighth-grade teacher.
Photo:
A. Lobello
By St. Clair Murraine • DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER • November 19, 2008
Soon after his Olympic bubble burst in 2006, speed skater Anthony Lobello received a pick-me-up from an eighth-grade teacher in Tallahassee. It came in a scrapbook that chronicled his career from in-line skating to his rapid rise to winning a berth on the U.S. Olympic team.
In the back of the book were the words "Vancouver: Unfinished business." The former Maclay soccer player turned ice skater found the words fitting.
"For me it's about that," said Lobello, who is already on course to make the 2010 games in Vancouver, Canada. "It's for me knowing I have unfinished business before I can call my skating chapter of life over.
"When you close any chapter of life, you close it when you're satisfied. I was never satisfied with my last Olympics performance."
Lobello can't erase the memories of his first Olympics, which amounted to a cameo appearance after he fell in his first race. But with some impressive performances early this season, he's attempting to complete the mission.
"Everybody wants to live their Olympic dream as an athlete," he said. "I didn't get to live mine."
The Olympics weren't the only setback for Lobello, now 24 and much more experienced than when he went to Turin, Italy, as the youngest American on the team. He said he's had to deal with personal issues that slowed his pace to the point that it dropped him from his top-five world and national rankings.
"Life comes at you quick," said Lobello, who wouldn't get into specifics about what disrupted his career. "Everybody has rough surprises."
Whatever the matter was, he's now skating like a man who won't be denied. Just last week he placed second in an Olympic test event, finishing in the 1,000-meter race ahead of Apolo Ohno, a multi-medalist at the 2006 Olympics. Lobello also is one of the early leaders after two of six World Cup events that match the U.S. against elite skaters from the rest of the world.
He placed second overall in the U.S. World Cup team qualifier in late September. That was followed by the World Cup in Salt Lake City last month, when he took fifth overall in the 1,000-meter and eighth overall in the 500-meter and also helped the American team take second in the 5,000-meter relay.
Since the season started in September, Lobello has been struggling with the 500-meter event. He said each race is taking him closer to the performance he wants.
"It hasn't all clicked yet," he said. "It will come to me, though."
While he's jump-starting his career he's attending classes at the University of Utah, where he is a junior majoring in communication. He's been there since the men's skating program moved from Colorado Springs to Salt Lake City last year.
In two weeks, he and his teammates head to Beijing for the next round of World Cup competition. He's looking forward to that and the rest of the season with renewed enthusiasm, Lobello said.
"Every so often, every athlete has to remind himself what they're after," he said. "You have to come up with more incentive to make yourself go harder.
"I love skating. If there wasn't anything else in the world, I would probably still try to find a way to skate."
If he ever needs inspiration, there is that scrapbook from the eighth-grade teacher.
Photo:
A. Lobello
..like Apolo,he looks amazing 
;D
