www.mlive.com/sports/bctimes/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1205507712306500.xml&coll=4&thispage=1Izykowski keeps Olympic speedskating dream alive despite injury that kept him off the ice this season Friday, March 14, 2008By Mike Spencermspencer@bc-times.com | 895-3541
Alex Izykowski has basically taken a year off while his American speedskating teammates are making gains all over the world.
It's been bittersweet for the 24-year-old Bay Cityan, who can't wait to be able to help the United States Short Track Team once again.
Izykowski made a name for himself in the 2006 Olympic Trials in Marquette and followed it up with a bronze medal in the 5,000 meter relays at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy.
But he hasn't been the same since.
Still Izykowski is skating this weekend in the North American Speedskating Champiopnships at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee.
''I'm just going to participate and kind of go through the motions,'' said Izykowski, after a short practice session at the Midland Civic Arena earlier this week.
Two straight seasons of injuries have taken their toll on the former Bay City Western grad, who had been hoping to get a lot more skating experience around the world.
Izykowski, who missed the first American Cup because of an injury, made his season debut in the U.S. Senior Short Track Championships/World Team Trials in Salt Lake City last December. Although he posted his fastest 1,000-meter time trial, even better than his Olympic Trial effort in Marquette, he was only the eighth fastest American.
Although he was shooting to make the World Cup Team, which took the top five skaters including champion Apolo Anton Ohno, he wound up 13th overall. Last week in Gangneung, Korea, Ohno, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, skated off with the International Speedskating Union World Short Track Speedskating Championship.
It was Ohno's first World Championship. American Ryan Leveille was fifth overall and Jeff Simon, despite a broken collarbone, was seventh. It one of the best finishes ever for the U.S. men's team.
"I saw those results,'' Izykowski said. ''Three guys int he top seven.
''It's never happened before. Now I don't feel so bad about getting beat by those guys.''
Despite being nagged by injuries at the season's start, Izykowski posted a personal best in the nine-lap time trial in the U.S. Senior Championships Dec. 21-23. He finished in 1 minute, 26.001 seconds.
Izykowski also placed ninth in the 500 (43:305), 10th in the 1,500 (2:25.947) and 13th in the 1,000-meter race (1:27.315).
After missing the cut for the World Team, Izykowski tried to keep up the intensity but to no avail.
''I tried a couple of weeks to stay with it,'' Izykowski said. ''But after talking with my coaches, they told me to take the rest of the year off and get healthy for the summer training ahead.''
Izykowski skated in one event last week at the American Cup finals.
''I'd like to be skating more, but I'm at the point now where I need to get back in shape so I can get skating healthy again,'' Izykowski said. ''I just need some time off because I've got a pretty intense year ahead and I have to be ready.''
Although Izykowski went into the 2006 Olympic Time Trials with nagging injuries and illnesses, he was able to skate his best.
This year, he hasn't done much competitive skating.
''I'd like tot get back to being nice and fit,'' Izykowski said. ''Right now, I've pretty much lost two summers of the most important training and I couldn't even salvage this season.''
The U.S. Senior Championships/World Team Trials marked the halfway point from the 2006 Olympics to the 2010 event set for Vancouver.
''I've had that in the back of my mind,'' Izykowski said. ''The 2010 Trials aren't that far away.
''It's been a pretty different year from 2006. And it's harder to keep that Olympic fire going.''
''I think this year has been harder for Alex than last year,'' said Midland's Travis Jayner, an elite men's skater who also did not qualify for the World Team. ''I don't know what kind of pressure he's under because I'm not in his shoes, but I know people want to beat Alex because he's one of the best.''
Jayner, who went on to win the men's American Cup, admitted Izykowski is a marked man because he was one of the few American short track medals.
''Our teams in the past haven't won many medals,'' Jayner said. ''Alex is one of those guys so he's definitely a target."
I live about a half an hour from his home town and my friend's boyfriend was friends with him in high school. I've tried to get him to help me meet Izzy and Apolo, but it hasn't worked yet. 
