Speed Skating
Three American men combined to win seven medals in Turin. This included three for Chad Hedrick, who entered the Games attempting to equal Eric Heiden's record of five gold medals. Hedrick won his first event, the 5000 metres, but when the men's pursuit team lost to Italy, his chances were dashed. He did not manage a second gold, but did win a silver and a bronze. Hedrick was the source of some controversy when he called out team-mate Shani Davis, who skipped the team pursuit in order to prepare for his specialty, the 1000 metres. Davis won this event to become the first ever Winter Olympic individual gold medalist of African descent. The third medalist was Joey Cheek, who won gold in the 500 metres, and was chosen to carry the U.S. flag in the closing ceremonies.
- Men
| Athlete | Event | Race 1 | Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Rank | Time | Rank | ||
| K. C. Boutiette | Men's 5000 m | n/a | 6:37.29 | 19 | |
| Kip Carpenter | Men's 500 m | 36.40 | 35.68 | 1:12.08 | 26 |
| Joey Cheek | Men's 500 m | 34.82 | 34.94 | 1:09.76 | |
| Men's 1000 m | n/a | 1:09.16 | |||
| Men's 1500 m | n/a | 1:47.52 | 9 | ||
| Shani Davis | Men's 1000 m | n/a | 1:08.89 | ||
| Men's 1500 m | n/a | 1:46.13 | |||
| Men's 5000 m | n/a | 6:23.08 | 7 | ||
| Casey FitzRandolph | Men's 500 m | 35.78 | 35.34 | 1:11.12 | 12 |
| Men's 1000 m | n/a | 1:09.59 | 9 | ||
| Tucker Fredricks | Men's 500 m | 36.02 | 35.99 | 1:12.01 | 25 |
| Chad Hedrick | Men's 1000 m | n/a | 1:09.45 | 6 | |
| Men's 1500 m | n/a | 1:46.22 | |||
| Men's 5000 m | n/a | 6:14.68 | |||
| Men's 10000 m | n/a | 13:05.40 | |||
| Charles Ryan Leveille Cox | Men's 10000 m | n/a | 14:14.81 | 15 | |
| Derek Parra | Men's 1500 m | n/a | 1:48.54 | 19 | |
- Women
| Athlete | Event | Race 1 | Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Rank | Time | Rank | ||
| Margaret Crowley | Women's 3000 m | n/a | 4:17.37 | 22 | |
| Kristine Holzer | Women's 3000 m | n/a | 4:26.60 | 27 | |
| Maria Lamb | Women's 1500 m | n/a | 2:02.12 | 27 | |
| Elli Ochowicz | Women's 500 m | 39.83 | 39.86 | 1:19.48 | 23 |
| Women's 1000 m | n/a | 1:19.94 | 32 | ||
| Catherine Raney | Women's 1500 m | n/a | 2:01.17 | 18 | |
| Women's 3000 m | n/a | 4:10.44 | 11 | ||
| Women's 5000 m | n/a | 7:04.91 | 7 | ||
| Jennifer Rodriguez | Women's 500 m | 38.97 | 38.73 | 1:17.70 | 11 |
| Women's 1000 m | n/a | 1:17.47 | 10 | ||
| Women's 1500 m | n/a | 1:59.30 | 8 | ||
| Amy Sannes | Women's 500 m | 39.42 | 39.47 | 1:18.89 | 17 |
| Women's 1000 m | n/a | 1:18.50 | 25 | ||
| Chris Witty | Women's 500 m | 40.23 | 40.46 | 1:20.69 | 28 |
| Women's 1000 m | n/a | 1:18.70 | 27 | ||
- Team Pursuit
| Athlete | Event | Seeding | Quarterfinal | Semifinal | Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Rank | Opposition time |
Opposition time |
Opposition time |
Rank | ||
| From: K. C. Boutiette Chad Hedrick Charles Ryan Leveille Cox Clay Mull Derek Parra |
Men's team pursuit | 3:51.32 | 7 | Italy (2) L 3:44.11 |
Did not advance | Final C Russia (6) L 3:49.73 |
6 |
| From: Margaret Crowley Maria Lamb Catherine Raney Jennifer Rodriguez Amy Sannes |
Women's team pursuit | 3:07.83 | 6 | Canada (3) L 3:04.59 |
Did not advance | Final C Netherlands (4) W 3:04.22 |
5 |
Read more about this topic: United States At The 2006 Winter Olympics
Famous quotes containing the words speed and/or skating:
“The greatest felony in the news business today is to be behind, or to miss a big story. So speed and quantity substitute for thoroughness and quality, for accuracy and context. The pressure to compete, the fear somebody else will make the splash first, creates a frenzied environment in which a blizzard of information is presented and serious questions may not be raised.”
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“Good writing is a kind of skating which carries off the performer where he would not go, and is only right admirable when to all its beauty and speed a subserviency to the will, like that of walking, is added.”
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