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Post by skaterswaltz on Sept 17, 2009 18:42:37 GMT -5
BREAKING DOWN THE OLYMPIC TRIALSUniversal 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 final two events on the ISU World Cup circuit -- Montreal and Marquette. A meet in Beijing takes place this weekend, and the field will travel to Seoul next weekend for the second stop in the four-meet series. 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. www.universalsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=23000&atclid=204793914&CFID=31755236&CFTOKEN=51365337&jsessionid=5030405c0a515c67f2d1------------ Article includes great team picture.
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Post by evie5 on Sept 17, 2009 20:54:31 GMT -5
USS reports on Twitter:
USSpeedskating Maria Garcia is doing well following her crash at the ST Trials. She had a concussion, whiplash, a bruised sternum and . . four tongue lacerations. She's very grateful for all the concern and is back at home in California.
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Post by Apolo_USA on Sept 17, 2009 22:01:51 GMT -5
Just wondering....
Does anyone know if there is ANY way Jeff Simon can still head to Vancouver? And technicalities that would allow him to win a spot? There is something on Tony's blog that lead me to believe that there was a way Jeff couldd make it:
"Each country can still send six athletes in both genders, but in terms of the final Olympic team, that remains to be determined."
So can we send 6 athletes to the Olympics?
I understand the ruling and how the distance qualifications are more important than overall standings. But ......I REALLY hope there is SOME way...some technicality or something that would allow Jeff to make the team. I was heartbroken for him because not only was he in the top 5 in overall standings, but because of his success.
I honestly think he's either the 2nd or 3rd best skater on the US team. He's one of 3 that have really had success at an international level. He finished 7th in worlds 2 years ago and has had a lot of success winning World Cups. I think he's probably the best 500m skater that we have. It's got to be so disappointing for him after all the success he's had at an international level =(
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Post by bubblebuttsbabe on Sept 18, 2009 0:26:29 GMT -5
Just wondering.... Does anyone know if there is ANY way Jeff Simon can still head to Vancouver? And technicalities that would allow him to win a spot? There is something on Tony's blog that lead me to believe that there was a way Jeff couldd make it: "Each country can still send six athletes in both genders, but in terms of the final Olympic team, that remains to be determined." So can we send 6 athletes to the Olympics? I understand the ruling and how the distance qualifications are more important than overall standings. But ......I REALLY hope there is SOME way...some technicality or something that would allow Jeff to make the team. I was heartbroken for him because not only was he in the top 5 in overall standings, but because of his success. I honestly think he's either the 2nd or 3rd best skater on the US team. He's one of 3 that have really had success at an international level. He finished 7th in worlds 2 years ago and has had a lot of success winning World Cups. I think he's probably the best 500m skater that we have. It's got to be so disappointing for him after all the success he's had at an international level =( Based on everything I've read from both USS and ISU, we can only send 5 skaters (the total amount of a relay). I don't even remember being able to send 6 skaters at either of the prior Olys I've paid attention to. I think the only way Jeff could go is if there is an injury or someone pulls out (and the replacement would probably be based on distance qualification anyway. I don't even know if Jeff has the points for an individual spot either so...) |
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Post by tdav on Sept 18, 2009 0:39:15 GMT -5
Well, if they wanted an almost fool proof (but, then again, how full proof can you get in a short track crash) pad system. But, if they wanted to, they have computers to do this stuff now. Hahah. I guess I should've put "to create the best possible pad system".
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trisha
Junior Member
Posts: 59
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Post by trisha on Sept 18, 2009 18:05:38 GMT -5
I want to thank everyone who came to the Trials last week for a great time. I enjoyed reuniting with old friends and meeting new ones and each of you helped make the week a memorable one.
Thank you all for everything!
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Post by susie on Sept 20, 2009 17:11:28 GMT -5
My report on MarquetteNormally, I allow lots of time to get to the airport, but with a 6:35 A.M. flight out to Marquette on Friday morning, I cut it rather tight. After the lady at Northwest/Delta's baggage drop kept insisting that I was going to Fairbanks, Alaska (she must have heard about Apolo's new sponsorship, lol) I finally got everything sorted out and made my first flight to Detroit. Detroit is one of the cooler, nicer airports that I've seen. You change terminals by going through a long "light tunnel" in which a light show is produced on the tunnel's walls in response to piped-in music. Awesome! To anyone going through Detroit on your way to Marquette in November, do try to allow a full 45 minutes for a transfer, because you'll need every bit of that time. Continuing on Northwest/Delta, I got on my little puddle-jumper to Marquette. Swooping in over Michigan's Upper Peninsula, I don't think I've ever seen so many trees in my life...in its own way, it's comparable to the level of vegitation in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. The Marquette airport is a tiny little thing, and you feel like you've landed in some remote northern outpost. Maybe I really did fly to Fairbanks by mistake? Many folks didn't care for the Holiday Inn Marquette, but I thought it was fine (just wished that it was closer to the rink.) Some of the younger skaters were staying there. The rumor was that Apolo and other National Team members were pretty much in private houses and condos with their family members, in order to focus for Trials and maintain privacy -- entirely understandable under the circumstances. A couple of GA'ers were staying at the Fairmount, downtown. Unlike many, I found Marquette charming, but I was amazed that a college town was so thoroughly dead at midnight on a Saturday night.  Friday, I went for a drive along the lake and out to lunch with friend. We went and had a look at the rocks where we *think* Apolo had his gorgeous photo taken.  Friday evening's racing was lots of fun. I had gotten the blow-by blow accounts of Wednesday's drama, so the fact that Friday's skating was so much fun and drama-free came as a relief to everyone. Apolo was in fighting form and easily dominated the men's side of the evening. As usual, he had me worried when he lingered too long in the back of the pack, but with one sweeping pass, he would zoom to the front. No one does it better! Apolo is still the master of the ice.  I had fun hanging out with my fellow OZ'ers and GA'ers. The arena was the warmest I've ever been in, and for me most of the time shirt sleeves felt perfectly adequate. On occasion I popped on a sweatjacket over that. Some people felt a little chillier and wore their coats. Despite the warmth of the arena, we heard that the skaters liked the condition of the ice, and that they found it "grippy." Visiting with other fan groups was rather inhibited by the assigned seating, but I did at least manage to pop by the other groups and say hello. Our catered food was great, but we had to wolf it down in order to make the start of racing. As it was, I didn't get enough time taking in the warm-ups, as I normally love to do. If I had to make one suggestion to the event organizers, it would be to start the meal service earlier. Apolo looked terrific. He was slender, but not skinny. The women were very appreciative, lol!  On Saturday, a bunch of us went sailing on a beautiful 1930's wooden schooner on Lake Superior. We managed to find a little wind, and we lazed around the deck chatting idly and taking in the scenery. I put my sailing skills to work and helped out the captain a bit. We hit a local microbrewery after our sail. Saturday night's skating was as disquieting as Friday's was pleasurable. We had been told (and could certainly see for ourselves) that the new padding in the Berry Center wasn't cutting it in terms of protecting the skaters. We had been told that hitting the pads felt like hitting a brick wall, and it certainly looked that way to us. The fans were deeply concerned about this, and it was a hot topic of conversation. Apolo continued to dominate the men's side. Jeff Simon had been imploding before our eyes. He had a miserable time trials earlier in the week, and was never really able to bounce back after that. All of the fans felt badly for him because we really wanted to see him make the team. But it seemed that he had psyched himself out and couldn't recover.  We watched Maria Garcia crash right in front of us. She was in a lot of pain. It took quite some time to get her on a backboard and safely on her way to the hospital. We had to wait for the ambulance crew to come back to the Berry Center before skating could resume. Later, Jeff also crashed right in front of us. Everyone in our section was studying him closely as he got up and started to skate away. We hoped that he was okay. I heard the gun go off twice to signal that the race had been called. Suddenly, there was a scream of distress from the far side of the arena. A large crowd had already gathered on the ice around JR. We were all in disbelief about his accident, and deeply worried about him. Rumors were flying around, some true, some not. I ran to watch Tony Chung's video, and saw what happened. He had cut himself badly while crashing into those awful, hard pads. This really shook everyone up, and I'm sure that many prayers were winging his way, my own included. Later, medals were awarded and the Olympic candidates were introduced. The surprises -- Simon Cho, and Aly Dudek. Both are very talented skaters, but I did not expect them to develop quite so quickly. The disappointments were many -- Jeff, Anthony Lobell, and Ryan Bedford to name a few. As for Allison -- that's her picture beside the word "determined" in the dictionary! I thought she looked surprisingly good while skating -- not 100%, but certainly good enough to get the job done. Saturday evening's events did not wind up until after midnight. As much as we like to connect with our favorite guy after an event, we wisely decided that Apolo needed his rest, so we high-tailed it out of there. As it turns out, we heard that he didn't get to bed until about 3:30 in the morning (I think?) after the press conference, team meeting, etc. Hugs to him for hanging in there in order to complete his duties. I'm sure he was sound asleep on his flight out the next day. Shhhh! The next day, many fans were lucky enough to see Apolo at the airport, and to even share his flight out of Marquette! (not me, alas.) One flight (the 11:00 A.M. to Detroit) was cancelled, and those poor fans had quite the adventure getting home -- first by being bused about four hours to Green Bay. A friend of mine got back to Baltimore at the same time I did -- and I left Marquette at 6:00 P.M.! I very much enjoyed viewing my first Olympic Trials. It was much more of an emotional roller-coaster than any other ST event I've attended. But we have a wonderful team who will represent us with pride. My best wishes to our young lion cub, JR, for a speedy recovery. Nothing is going to keep him down, trust me!
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Post by Lori on Sept 21, 2009 11:30:21 GMT -5
Very nice recap, Susie - it was like being there again! ------------------------------------------------ Y'all are gonna love this! During the long near-midnight wait as they were about to present the Olympic Team nominees (Saturday night), Travis Jayner's brother Alex started dancing to the music - soon a camera caught him and put him on the Jumbotron and the whole arena was watching him. Tony Chung was also videoing and put it on YouTube... Enjoy! www.youtube.com/watch?v=pveSt18EW8s |
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Post by rinkydink on Sept 21, 2009 14:32:44 GMT -5
Very nice recap, Susie - it was like being there again! ------------------------------------------------ Y'all are gonna love this! During the long near-midnight wait as they were about to present the Olympic Team nominees (Saturday night), Travis Jayner's brother Alex started dancing to the music - soon a camera caught him and put him on the Jumbotron and the whole arena was watching him. Tony Chung was also videoing and put it on YouTube... Enjoy! www.youtube.com/watch?v=pveSt18EW8sAnd lemme tell you, we all needed that. He had the whole crowd going. |
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Post by mtnme on Sept 21, 2009 16:31:30 GMT -5
nice recap Susie! I caught a darker, blurrier version of Alex, which I haven't even loaded to my computer to see if it's viewable. I'd rather watch Tony's, but can someone tell me how to watch an HD version without the thing hanging up every few seconds? (...or do I sadly have to buy a new, improved and faster computer to view these?) |
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Post by lilyover76 on Sept 21, 2009 17:50:35 GMT -5
My one shot of Alex Jayner worth sharing. I was sitting on the rail right next to the coaches box so this is the best I could do... looks weird cos of the red-eye reflections. LOL  |
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Post by lilyover76 on Sept 21, 2009 18:34:01 GMT -5
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sk8er
Full Member
Posts: 145
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Post by sk8er on Sept 21, 2009 19:50:00 GMT -5
Yes Susie a very nice recap ;D The folks in Marquette said we got the only summer weather they had all year, lol. It was warm, like this lovely little town. Things have much improved since I was last there....many coffee shops and some new restaurants. Still, things are pretty quiet after dark. I was disappointed that so few locals came to the competition, especially since there's really not much to do after dark. I've never seen more heartfelt or competitive skating. The men's 1500m final was a roller derby. As for hands on butts in corners, I see that all the time by men and women. They are so close and so fast it's a light touch to let the person in front know someone is following closely. That said, there are skaters out there who lack Apolo's skill and experience and IMHO skate beyond their abilities at times. There were some genuinely dangerous moments out there, and not confined the the falls and injuries. I think we are sending very strong teams to the Olympics. I think Baver the Brave (sorry for the hyperbole, couldn't resist!) will be back close to her usual speed by February, Derrick is much improved and Reutter is overall the best American woman skater I've seen recent years  I think our ladies have a good chance at a medal in the relay! Thanks everyone for comments, pictures (shout out Lily!) your company and mtmne's pineapple juice...my blood sugar was getting pretty low after that long haul from the west coast. |
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Post by number1fan on Sept 21, 2009 19:58:17 GMT -5
thank you all sooo much 
your recaps and photos plus tony's tweets are the next best thing to being there.
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Post by LurkerB5 on Sept 21, 2009 20:18:20 GMT -5
Very nice recap, Susie - it was like being there again! ------------------------------------------------ Y'all are gonna love this! During the long near-midnight wait as they were about to present the Olympic Team nominees (Saturday night), Travis Jayner's brother Alex started dancing to the music - soon a camera caught him and put him on the Jumbotron and the whole arena was watching him. Tony Chung was also videoing and put it on YouTube... Enjoy! www.youtube.com/watch?v=pveSt18EW8sHow much fun is that? And Susie - thank you so much for letting us be there with you!  |
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~Lori
I think our ladies have a good chance at a medal in the relay! 
