US olympic trials overview
Date: Jeudi, janvier 12 @ 05:10:50 PST :: Topic: long track
 December
27-31, 2005 marked the dates of the US Long Track Championships in Salt Lake
City at the Utah Olympic Oval, which also doubled as the US Olympic Trials.
Several skaters were pre-qualified in their best distances for The Olympic
Games, and others had a hard battle ahead of them. All but one of the
pre-qualified skaters competed, Shani Davis, who is pre-qualified in the 1000m,
1500m and 5000m. Davis had skated in the US Short Track Trials just two weeks
earlier but placed sixth overall. The US Short Track Team will only be taking
five men and five women to Torino.
by Stéphanie Lambert
The most highly contested distance was the Men’s 1000m in which three of the
four spots were already taken by Joey Cheek, Davis and Casey FitzRandolph.
Unlike the other sprint distance, the 500m where both races are combined to see
who was fastest, this spot would be determined based on the fastest time from
both 1000m races. On the first day of 1000m racing, Nick Pearson posted the
fastest time of 1:08.61 edging Chad Hedrick out by .01 sec. Kip Carpenter
finished in third place with a time of 1:09.02. On the final day of racing,
December 31, Joey Cheek posted the fastest time with a personal best time of
1:07.29. Second place was earned by Chad Hedrick with a time of 1:08.23, also a
personal best and third place was Nick Pearson in a time of 1:08.62. Since Cheek
was pre-qualified, the open spot went to Hedrick. Afterwards, visibly upset
about not making the team, Nick Pearson said, “All four guys have a chance to
medal” when referring to the guys who had qualified in front of him.
The final race of the day was the 10,000m pairing between Hedrick and KC
Boutiette. Earlier in the week Chad had predicted he would break the World
Record in the 10000m, and he came through after lapping Boutiette and posting a
time of 12:55.11. In true Hedrick fashion he stated that he has a lot to improve
on and could have gone faster. To sum up his week, he stated, “I’m happy, but it
wasn’t a good day.”
The US has until January 15 to nominate it’s full Olympic Squad, but as of
January 1 they have nominated Margaret Crowley, Kristine Holzer, Maria Lamb,
Elli Ochowicz, Catherine Raney, Jennifer Rodiguez, Amy Sannes, Chris Witty on
the ladies side and KC Boutiette, Kip Carpenter, Joey Cheek, Shani Davis, Casey
FitzRandolph, Tucker Fredricks, Chad Hedrick, Charles Leveille, Clay Mull, Derek
Parra on the men’s side. They can still nominate up to two ladies for the Team
Pursuit if they feel it’s necessary.
Photos from Day 1
Elli Ochowicz & Eva Rodansky - First 500m |
Kip Carpenter - First 500m
|
Parker Vance & Andrew Love - First 500m |
Joey Cheek after crossing the finish line is the first 500m |
Joey being helped up by Derek Parra after hitting the wall. He wound up with
a sprained ankle |
Derek & Joey leaving the ice after the crash |
Eva Rodansky - Second 500m |
Amy Sannes & Elli Ochowicz - Second 500m |
Chris Witty & Jen Rodriguez - second 500m |
Elli Ochowicz & Tucker Fredricks hugging before the medal ceremonies |
Chad Hedrick skates his 500m |
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Photos from Day 3
Photos from Day 4
Kip Carpenter & Donald Stewart in the first corner of the 1000m |
Kip Carpenter in the 1000m |
Chad Hedrick in his 1000m that qualified him in his fifth distance |
Tucker Fredricks warming up for his second 1000m |
Tucker Fredricks racing his 2nd 1000m |
Todd Porter, , setting up the electric timing system |
Nancy Swider Peltz, Jr in her 2nd 100m |
Amy Sannes & Chris Witty in their 2nd 1000m |
Elli Ochowicz warming up |
Elli Ochowicz & Eva Rodansky in the 2nd 1000m |
Eva Rodansky (1:17.39) & Elli Ochowicz (1:17.58) at the finish of their 2nd
1000m |
Brent Ausprung in the 10K |
KC Boutiette in his 10K |
Chad Hedrick at the finish line of his WR breaking 10K, 12:55.11 |
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Photos:
Casey FitzRandolph skates his 1500m
Credit: Stéphanie Lambert
For complete results of the event, see
US Speed Skating
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