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July 30, 2005
More from the Oregon training camp
Linda was smart to write that press release for the team's training camp because it's been generating some great local publicity. Here's the latest:
The Oregonian | Speedskaters training for Turin
Though Apolo was in Seattle yesterday and thus missed Friday practice, the article is full of quotes from Alex Izykowski, Rusty Smith and Hyo-jung Kim, as the skaters talk about the season ahead and how they're handling the pressure of Torino. Assuming Rusty makes the team again (which is a pretty good bet!) this will be his 3rd Olympics.
Also, many thanks to Linda for sending in the following photos from yesterday's ice session:
Travis Jayner training on the turncable with Marquette coach Jimmy Jang
J.R. Celski takes in the action
Derrick Campbell demonstrates a technique
Rusty Smith and Li Yan confer
Posted by noelle at 8:46 AM | Comments (8)
July 29, 2005
'Born for skating'
The Columbian | Race to Olympics begins now
This is an article from a Vancouver, Wash. newspaper, focusing on native Washingtonians Apolo Ohno and J.R. Celski.
Coach Li Yan on Ohno: "He has strong mental skill, good physical skill and he really tries hard to think a lot about strategy. I think he was born for skating. I think he loves it a lot."
And predictions for Celski: "I think J.R. has a lot of potential. Only 15 years old, and he's skating really nice right now. I think he will be a star in the future."
Some good quotes from Apolo as well on his preparations for Torino and his thoughts about the fame that enveloped him after the 2002 Games.
Posted by noelle at 5:15 PM | Comments (12)
July 28, 2005
Video clip: 500m semifinal #2 from Milwaukee
Here's another exciting race clip from Moz, Maggie and Sonia. This is the 2nd men's 500m semifinal from U.S. Nationals (for Apolo's semi, please see the entry of July 23).
This one is also not to be missed as it was extremely competitive and nearly too close to call at the finish. Skaters in this semi are J.P. Kepka, Shani Davis, Rusty Smith and Travis Jayner.
Posted by noelle at 6:01 PM | Comments (3)
July 27, 2005
U.S. team at training camp in Oregon
The top 8 U.S. men and women are in Portland, Oregon the next few days for a training camp there while ice time is unavailable to them at their home base in Colorado Springs. They'll get to spend some time doing dryland training at Nike HQ near Portland, with ice time courtesy of the Mountain View Speedskating Club in nearby Vancouver, Washington. Practice on Saturday is open to the public for anyone in the Portland area.
More details about the training camp in this press release.
Posted by noelle at 10:10 PM | Comments (7)
July 25, 2005
Canadian 'mock trials' results
With Canada's Olympic trials just weeks away, the Canadian short track team conducted some test races up in Chicoutimi last week. Sixteen men and 16 women preselected based on last year's ranking competed. These are the same skaters who will try out for the Canadian Olympic team at the trials scheduled for September 1-11.
All 32 athletes were invited to a 10 day training camp that culminated with a trials-style event last Wednesday-Friday. They did one distance each evening (no 3000m). Click the link below for results by distance.
Men - 1500m
1. Jonathan Guilmette 2:17.6
2. Steve Robillard
3. Francois-Louis Tremblay
4. Charles Hamelin
5. Remi Beaulieu
6. Olivier Jean
Women - 1500m
1. Tania Vicent 2:31.8
2. Anouk Leblanc-Boucher
3. Amanda Overland
4. Kalyna Roberge
5. Annick Plamondon
6. Raphaele Lemieux
Men - 500m A final
1. Daryl Rasmussen 42.6
2. Tremblay
3. Marc-Andre Monette
4. Mathieu Turcotte
Men - 500m B final
1. Eric Bedard
2. Jean-Francois Monette
3. Hamelin
4. Guilmette
Women - 500m
1. Overland 47.8 (time is slow because the other 3 crashed with 1.5 to go)
2. Leblanc-Boucher
3. Plamondon
4. Jessica Gregg
Men - 1000m A final
1. Hamelin
2. Robillard
3. Tremblay
4. Turcotte
Men - 1000m B final
1. Guilmette
2. Jean
3. Bedard
4. M-A Monette
Women - 1000m final
1. Roberge
2. Leblanc-Boucher
3. Alanna Kraus
4. Vicent
I haven't seen an overall ranking for this event, but extrapolating from the results, it appears as though Francois-Louis Tremblay is the men's overall winner. For the women, Anouk Leblanc-Boucher apparently came out on top.
Posted by noelle at 11:45 PM | Comments (3)
Apolo endorses LandRoller Skates
Some of you caught Apolo's appearance this morning on Good Morning America to discuss LandRoller Skates. LandRollers are a new kind of roller skate that he is endorsing -- very different in appearance to the more familiar Rollerblade-style inline skates. I'm not even sure if they can be called 'inline' skates because their design is such a departure from typical inline skates. The innovative LandRollers were named 2005's Sports Product of the Year. Plans are also in the works to develop an Apolo Ohno line of LandRoller skates.
Comment from LandRoller: "We are thrilled to have Apolo on our team. We cannot think of a better endorsement for our products because he's probably the most discriminating skater in the world. From the first time Apolo donned our skates, he loved them. He's a world-class athlete in every way – a world champion, a great role model and an inspiration to us all."
Apolo is also listed as a design consultant on the company's staff page. For more details and photos of Apolo skating on LandRollers, click here.
Posted by noelle at 11:49 AM | Comments (20)