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December 27, 2007

Lori's report from Nationals

Memoirs of a Short-Track 'Virgin' by Lori (Girl Next Door)

As a first-timer to short track competition, I started writing down things that made this weekend special to me, and more than anything I really hope that it inspires others to attend an event. People told me how wonderful it would be, but I'll admit I didn't totally believe. Now I do.

First of all, let me say how great it was to meet fellow OZ'ers - Flying African, Tony Luu, Susie, Jen, JL, new posters Lily (and her prince of a husband, Sam), Mtnme, Skaterswaltz and of course, reuniting with my favorite photographer, DebbieF!

We showed up for the first warmups on Friday, not knowing what to expect, but the warmups themselves were so interesting that we made sure we were there on Saturday and Sunday. It's fascinating to watch each skater do his/her own thing for awhile, then suddenly they fall into line and skate as one, getting faster and faster, before they break up and start the process all over again later. Mtnme likened it to a flock of birds in formation, turning in unison, perfectly cued to each other. It was beautiful.

During the time trials, Rusty Smith and Jimmy Jang were coaching skaters from a box just to our right. It was so much fun watching Jimmy practically do a flip over the pads to give instructions to his skaters. No words would do it justice, but let me say - he REALLY gets into it!

It has been mentioned that we went through the tunnel to the restrooms which the skaters apparently had to share with the fans. The pic that was posted here in an earlier thread of Jordan Malone and coaches Jimmy & Jae Su in the tunnel were representative of what it was like going through that area. I remember one time I threaded my way between Kyle Carr working on his skates and Tina Koenig lying on her back with her feet up on a pillar. I'm glad to hear that the skaters will still be accessible during the World Cup, but it sure would be nice to have access to that tunnel. It was a priceless experience!

Allison Baver's sheer guts totally won me over. She came in second place in the U.S. on barely a month of training after injuries. What a 'warrior'! I was so impressed with what she accomplished in such a short time. We slipped into the Press Only area during the relay (nobody else was there), and when Allison's team won and she was 'cruising' during her cool-down, she looked at us as we were cheering and gave a big smile. She may have had issues with her heart (the one that beats), but she's certainly not having issues with the 'heart' that drives these skaters to play through the pain.

I can't even begin to tell you how frightening it is when a skater crashes - it's far more violent than I was expecting. It's heartbreaking, to say the least, that they're out of the race, but you really, REALLY fear for them. Even the warmups are dangerous - Katherine Reutter crashed hard during warmups on Sunday and had to leave the ice for a while. It's 'painfully' obvious that they could be badly hurt. I've heard it said that the way the skaters slam into the pads is part of the excitement of short track, but please! These are young people who have to live with those bones and ligaments for the rest of their lives, and it just seems that if there's any way to improve safety for them, we should...

I have to mention what a thrill it was to see Apolo skate. He is EXPLOSIVE! During one race, he was coming out of the turn and in TWO touches of the ice (right foot, left foot), he had made a critical pass. O---M---G!!! Watching him warm up was special, too. It was fascinating to see him so focused, totally comfortable and in his element, and always one of the last ones to leave the ice. It's also heartwarming the way Apolo relates to his dad, and ALWAYS looked for him after a win. Yuki was sitting right behind us on Sunday, and was such a great resource for questions that we had. I can't think of a better class than 'Short Track 101' by Yuki Ohno - he was both patient and thorough, as were ALL the parents whose ears I bent with my questions. THANK YOU!

I already told y'all about DebbieF and I speaking to Apolo in the tunnel on Friday night, and the 'mini' repeat of our San Diego camera fiasco. I now believe that (for me) it's not JUST the OFF. It's also the KFF (Katherine), the SPFF (Skater's Parents), and even the freakin' ZDFF (Zamboni Driver). I've come to the conclusion that when Girl Next Door gets ready to take a picture that she's really excited about, it ain't gonna happen... For instance, I felt totally comfortable around Katherine, but when she posed 'just for me' with her Penguin in the tunnel after winning the Championship, no 'anti-shake' feature in the world could'a saved that shot... :/

I want to say again how much I loved meeting the families of these amazing young people. They noticed when we were cheering for their kids. They posed for photos, showed us photos of their own, and cared enough to introduce us to their World Class (and first-class) sons and daughters. They answered EVERY technical question, no matter how stupid it may have seemed, and they were genuinely happy we were there... (Side note to the Koenigs - if you're ever in L.A., let me know, and we WILL fire up the barbecue! LOL!)

I think I've (finally) turned a corner. I want to go on record to say that I am no longer an Apolo Fangirl. (Oh, wait - yes I am! :D). But I am no longer JUST an Apolo Fangirl. In some races I was screaming for a different skater every lap! After seeing and hearing first-hand about the struggle - the 'sacrifice' of the skaters who rarely make the headlines, who seldom put their feet on that podium, who don't go home with a Penguin or a medal, who 'Eat, Sleep, Skate' just like Apolo, honing those skates to perfection, putting in the same hours, living apart from their families at a young age, and the parents who let their kids go to follow their dreams, despite the heartache of not being able to hug them goodnight... all I can say is 'wow'...

On that note I want to thank the Winslow family. Late Sunday afternoon, Mtnme, Skaterswaltz and I were 'hogging' the computer in the Country Inn - checking out OZ and GA as we waited out the last few hours before our flights, and enjoying the comments of SO MANY people who were watching USS's live feed. A man and his daughter were anxious to use the computer, so we logged off. As we talked to them, we realized that they were Barry Winslow's family, a young skater whose name I was familiar with from OZ, but who didn't make the top 16 for this competition. To make a long story short (as if I'm ever able to do that), we ended up in the family's hotel room getting a fascinating tutorial on speedskates. I remember an article some time ago about Apolo diligently preparing his skates every night, and the process boggled my mind - we were truly amazed to see it demonstrated by the Winslows. They showed us Barry's skates (surprisingly light), and Barry pulled out his 'jig' and sharpening tools, all carefully wrapped - he described 'bend' and 'burr', 'booting out', 'stripping an edge', etc. His enthusiasm for the sport was contagious, and this family is representative of what we experienced all week... what a great way for us to end our stay in SLC!

Another memory that I will always carry with me is Apolo in the tunnel on Saturday night. I felt I had 'been there, done that.' I've had 3 memorable encounters with him, so this time I just stood back and watched him interact with other people. I didn't even have my camera out. I just watched him smiling and relating to the kids and the people who were meeting and seeing him for the first time. Even after the disappointment of a DQ, he seemed radiantly happy. If he was in a hurry to leave you never would have known it. As others have said, he makes everyone think they're the only person who matters. Even though it wasn't 'up close and personal' for me, I believe that this was the experience I'd most like to repeat.

In conclusion, I'm gonna quote Apolo - this says it all for me... "They can just throw me in the desert and bury me. I (feel like I) got a gold medal. I'm good now."

Posted by noelle at 3:46 PM | Comments (75)

2 new photos from Nationals

Many thanks to skaterswaltz and Jerry Search for these two shots!

Apolo being interviewed after his 1500m win on Friday, December 21 at Nationals
Apolo%20interview%201500%20win%2012-07.jpg
photo by skaterswaltz

photo by Jerry Search

Posted by noelle at 8:52 AM | Comments (19)

December 23, 2007

Final standings at Nationals

2008 World team members in red; top 6 men and women will make up the team for World Cups 5 and 6. Congratulations to our new national champions, Apolo Anton Ohno and Katherine Reutter!

Overall results - men
1. Apolo Anton Ohno - 3136 points
2. Jeff Simon - 1640
3. Charles Leveille - 1635
4. J. P. Kepka - 1440
5. Jordan Malone - 1080
6. Simon Cho - 880
7. Ryan Bedford - 672
8. Anthony Lobello - 644
9. Joey Lindsey - 165
10. Kyle Carr - 112
11. J.R. Celski - 99
12. Travis Jayner - 96
13. Alex Izykowski - 89
14. Kyle Uyehara - 87
15. Ansis Robs - 84.5
15. Robert Lawrence - 80

It's pretty impressive (but not surprising!) that Apolo can take almost 2 seasons off in a row while the competition has grown stronger and still emerge on top like this - welcome back, champ! I particularly salute Simon Cho - what a breakout nationals this has been for him.

Overall results - women
1. Katherine Reutter - 4590 perfect score!
2. Allison Baver - 2445
3. Kimberly Derrick - 1605
4. Lana Gehring - 869
5. Carly Wilson - 734
6. Tina Koenig 645
7. Halie Kim - 570
8. Maria Garcia - 223
9. Alyson Dudek - 155
10. Jessica Smith - 107
11. Cherise Wilkins - 106
12. Sonia Milan - 100
13. Lezleigh Jaworski - 89
14. Skylar McCormick - 85
15. Tamara Frederick - 80
16. Ericka Hawke - 53.5

Big, huge ups to Katherine Reutter on a clean sweep of ALL the ladies' races! Astounding!! It's great to see Allison and Halie back in the mix. What a great blend of veterans and newcomers we've got.

Congratulations to EVERY SKATER - thanks for thrilling us with your performances this weekend. We're proud of all of you and your accomplishments!

Deseret Morning News | Baver doesn't win but still triumphs
Salt Lake Tribune | Move pays dividends
Seattle Times | Ohno returns in style, wins 2 finals in Utah

Posted by noelle at 10:14 PM | Comments (56)

Nationals day 3 - 3000m & 1000m finals

Sorry for the delay - I'm sure everyone already knows the results (except for me - internet has been down and no cell phone reception here!). Complete results for the men's 1000m A final and the 3k are now up.

Men's 3000m final results
1. Charles Ryan Leveille
2. Apolo Anton Ohno
3. Anthony Lobello
4. Ryan Bedford
5. Jordan Malone
6. Jeff Simon
7. J.P. Kepka
8.Simon Cho

Women's 3000m final results
1. Katherine Reutter
2. Allison Baver
3. Carly Wilson
4. Kimberly Derrick
5. Tina Koenig
6. Lana Gehring
7. Halie Kim
8. Maria Garcia

Men's 1000m A final results
1. Apolo Ohno
2. Jeff Simon
3. Ryan Charles Leveille
4. J.P. Kepka
5. Simon Cho

I missed the semis and USS hasn't posted results from them... What happened with Ryan Bedford, Anthony Lobello and Jordan Malone? They're listed as DNS for the men's B final.

Women's 1000m A final results
1. Katherine Reutter
2. Allison Baver
3. Lana Gehring
4. Halie Kim

Posted by noelle at 2:00 PM | Comments (22)