Short Track Olympic Team nominated
By Melissa Scott // U.S. Speedskating // December 18, 2005
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| Photo by Getty Images |
MARQUETTE, Mich. – After an intensive week of spills and thrills, 10 U.S. short track speedskaters are one step closer to the 2006 Torino Winter Games in Italy in February, finishing as the top five men and five women competitors at the 2006 U.S. Short Track Championships.
Apolo Ohno (Seattle, WA) was the overall winner for the men, winning all three distances (500, 1000, 1500 meters). He had 225 points. Hyo-Jung Kim (Fullerton, CA) was overall winner for the women, winning two of three distances. She had 191 points.
The competitors skated each of the three distances twice after qualifying among the top 16 men or women in Monday’s time trials. Points were awarded for the top eight places. Scores from both races of the same distance, in addition to the time trials, determined the overall medalists in each distance.
Rusty Smith (Long Beach , CA) was the overall men’s silver medalist with 68.5 and Alex Izykowski (Bay City, MI) the bronze medalist at 61.5. J.P. Kepka (St. Louis, MO) and Anthony Lobello (Tallahassee, FL) also earned nominations with fourth and fifth places, respectively.
Allison Baver (Sinking Springs, PA) took silver with 152 points and Kimberly Derrick (Caledonia, MI) the bronze with 82 points. Maria Garcia (Carson, CA) and Caroline Hallisey (Natick, MA) also became Olympic Team candidates with fourth and fifth place finishes, respectively.
Baver won the 500 meters, clocking 45.670. She was trailed by Kim at 45.734 and Garcia at 45.757. The overall point winner of the 500 meters was Kim, followed by Baver and Hallisey, respectively.
In the women’s 1000 meters, Kim skated to first with a time of 1:34.790. Baver took second at 1:34.884 and Derrick snatched third at 1:36.271. Derrick was the overall winner of the 1000 meters. Baver took second and Kim finished third.
Ohno clocked 41:176 in the 500 meters. Misi Toth (St. Louis, MO) came in behind him at 42.176 and Shani Davis (Chicago, IL) was third at 42.176. Ohno was first overall, while Lobello took silver and Toth won the bronze in the distance.
In the men’s 1000 meters, Ohno had a time of 1:34.043. Kepka finished second at 1:34.065 and Smith grabbed third at 1:34.348. Overall, Smith took silver and Izykowski snatched bronze, behind Ohno.
Torino will be Ohno’s second appearance at the Olympic Games and Kim’s first. Ohno won gold in the 1500 meters and silver in the 1000 meters at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. It will also be Baver and Kepka’s second trip to the Games. Smith and Hallisey will be veterans as this will be their third Olympic Games, while Izykowski, Lobello, Derrick and Garcia will make their Olympic debut. Smith took home bronze in the 500 meters in 2002.
Nominated 2006 U.S. Olympic Short Track Team:
Ladies: Hyo-Jung Kim, Allison Baver, Kimberly Derrick, Maria Garcia, Caroline Hallisey
Men: Apolo Ohno, Rusty Smith, Alex Izykowski, J.P. Kepka, Anthony Lobello
500m: Kim, Baver, Hallisey (alt) 500m: Ohno, Lobello, Kepka (alt)
1000m: Kim, Derrick, Baver (alt) 1000m: Ohno, Smith, Kepka (alt)
1500m: Kim, Baver, Garcia (alt) 1500m: Ohno, Izykowski, Smith (alt)
2006 U.S. Short Track Champions
9 lap TT: Kim, Baver, Derrick 9 lap TT: Ohno, Izykowski, Smith
4 lap TT: Kim, Baver, Derrick 4 lap TT: Ohno, Kepka, Smith
500m: Kim, Baver, Hallisey 500m: Ohno, Lobello, Toth
1000m: Kim, Derrick, Baver 1000m: Ohno, Smith, Kepka
1500m: Kim, Garcia, Baver 1500m: Ohno, Izykowski, Ryan Bedford (Midland, MI)
Overall: Kim, Baver, Derrick Overall: Ohno, Smith, Izykowski
