SPEEDSKATING WORLD CUP
The big news from the Olympic Oval would be if a new world record wasn't set during an event like the annual long track World Cup.
There were four new ones set this year. There were also hula dancers, bare chested men, a brass band and a radio-guided blimp. The event was a three day party.
It began Friday, when Canada's Jeremy Wotherspoon smashed the old world record for the 500 meter distance by skating it---more than a quarter mile---in 34.03 seconds. It was Wotherspoon's first race in over a year. He took some time off for both his head and body, and came back with both in better shape.
But the most exciting race was the men's 1000 meters, where Wotherspoon was paired with U. S. skater Shani Davis. Deafening cheers rose and filled the big cavern of the oval as the two raced the final lap side by side. Wotherspoon won by a barely measurable time: one tenth of a second.
Not quite hiding his disappointment, Davis said, "I have to practice more, maybe shooting a leg earlier. It will be an improvement, because you don't want to make that mistake more than once. Being second by so little gives me extra motivation, so (next time) I'm going to be the guy on the highest podium."
Long track speedskating is exciting, because the pairs go racer against racer, but each skater also races against the time of all the others. But because there are a dozen different distance races for both men and women, and they are all done two by two, it's interminable.
Still, long track is extremely popular. The stands were crowded. Tourists had flown in from China and Canada to see the race. As word spread that tickets were free, more spectators began showing up.
The Adventure Sports Weekly award for the most obnoxious team uniform of the season goes to Sweden, who are wearing the colors of their flag, blue and bright, bright yellow. It was the half circle of yellow on their butt, as if they had mistakenly sat on an egg, that clinched the award.
One of the bravest skaters was America's Jessica Smith, who smashed her collarbone while skating in the inline World Championships and had surgery a little more than two months ago. She had to bear the pain of the speedskater's arm swing while her shoulder was still healing, just to recover enough to be in the event. Smith switched over from inlines to ice just two years ago.
As the races went on, it was obvious that the Canadians---as well as the Chinese and Koreans---were sending a message to the competition for Vancouver: 'watch our backs---because that's all you'll see.'
The U. S. team is in a rebuilding phase, like the high school championship team whose top stars were all seniors who have graduated. They didn't do well in the World Cup opener, but by 2010, they may be ready.