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2006 Torino Olympic preview ... short track speedskating
// U.S. Olympic Committee // October 31, 2005
Allison Baver (Sinking Springs, Pa./Colorado Springs, Colo.), finished sixth in the overall World Cup standings is the top returnee for the U.S. women’s team. She was integral to the American relay team that set a new American record and is the American record holder in the 1000m. Sixteen-year-old Hyo-Jung Kim (Fullerton, Calif.) has burst onto the scene and is blowing away the competition. She finished her first her on the World Cup circuit in seventh position. She is the junior American record holder in the nine-lap time trial and the 500m. Kim set all three of these records in 2004. Others to watch include Bridgid Farrell (Saratoga Springs, Pa.) who set an American record in the 1500m, Maria Garcia (Carson, Calif.) and returning 2002 U.S. Olympian Caroline Hallisey (Natick, Mass.).
Ohno fever promises to return to the Olympic Winter Games in 2006 as Apolo Anton Ohno (Seattle, Wash./Colorado Springs, Colo.) continues his dominance in the short track world. Ohno finished first in the overall World Cup standings. Ohno might have found his rival in media attention if Shani Davis can become the first U.S. speedskater to make the U.S. Olympic Team in both short track and long track. Rusty Smith (Long Beach, Calif./Colorado Springs, Colo.) is back despite suffering a major fall at a World Cup in Madison, Wis. He finished sixth in the overall World Cup standings. J.P. Kepka (St. Louis, Mo.) is also back attempting to make another U.S. Olympic Team.
According to International Skating Union regulations, qualifications for the Torino Games will be through the World Cup Series. In the Olympic season, only four World Cup competitions count for classification and the two World Cups held on the same continent as the forthcoming Olympic Winter Games are taken into consideration when determining the Olympic participants. For this purpose, a specialty classification on 500m, 1000m, 1500m and relay is made over these two competitions following the same rules and principles as the World Cup classifications. Entry in the two designated World Cups is considered as a confirmation of the country’s intent to participate in the Olympic Winter Games with the same number of skaters as qualified. The number of skaters per individual distance at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games is 32, including the host country (Italy) in all distances. Countries qualified for the relay events, which consist of four skaters, may enter a maximum of five skaters in total. The women's relay is 3000m and the men's relay is 5000m.
Team size will be a maximum of five women and five men and a minimum of two women and two men. Skaters must finish in the top five in the overall final classification (total points accumulated) of the 2006 U.S. Olympic Team Trials to qualify for the U.S. team. The 2006 U.S. Olympic Team Trials are scheduled for Dec. 14-15 and Dec. 17-18, 2005 in Marquette, Mich. From the top five skaters, a subclassification for the 500m (based on four lap time trial and 2x500m), 1000m (based on 1000m pursuit time trial and 2x1000m) and for the 1500m (based on the 1000m pursuit time trial and (2x1500m) will determine which three skaters will start in each individual event.
Top Hopefuls:
Ladies:
Allison Baver (Sinking Spring, Pa.)
Brigid Farrell (Saratoga Springs, Pa.)
Maria Garcia (Carson, Calif.)
Caroline Hallisey (Natick, Mass.)
Hyo-Jung Kim (Fullerton, Calif.)
Men:
Shani Davis (Chicago, Ill.)
J.P. Kepka (St. Louis, Mo.)
Apolo Anton Ohno (Seattle, Wash.)
Rusty Smith (Long Beach, Calif.)
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