J.R. Celski of the United States (pictured above) captured the Gold at the Short Track Speedskating World Championships in Vienna this past weekend in the men’s 3000m event. He was followed by South Korea’s Lee Ho-suk and Canada’s Charles Hamelin.
In the men’s 1000m, former Olympic champion Apollo Anton Ohno was bested by Lee and finished second. Celski finished third in that event.
The US won the men’s 5000 relay, with China and Japan finishing second and third respectively.
(photo credit: Newscom)

Defending Olympic speedskating champion, Shani Davis showed that he’s still in top form at the World speedskating championship in Moscow on Saturday. The 26-year-old, 6′ 2″ skater took top honors in the 1000m event, the same race that earned him the Gold Medal in Turin in 2006.
Davis, a senior at Northern Michigan University, is currently ranked #1 in the world in the 1000m. He also competes in the 1500m and 5000m events.
Holland’s Simon Kuipers finished second in the Moscow race, with his countryman, Stefan Groothuis finishing third.
(photo © Newscom)

“I was really starting to feel like I couldn’t skate anymore,” the Olympic gold medallist said Sunday at the Olympic Oval. “Basically, I lost my mojo.”
“I’ve been trying to make my skating better and more efficient and have basically taken about 8,000 steps backwards. Not intentionally, but that’s what’s happened.”
Source: The Canadian Press
35-year old Canadian Speedskater Clara Hughes won the gold during the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin. She also has other medals under her belt but it seemed like even for someone like her, an athlete can actually lose their ‘mojo’ as what she called it.
It’ll either be …read more

I came across this article over at Winnepeg Sun, Olympics on Klassen’s Mind. Of course, it was referring to 28-year old speed skater Cindy Klassen, who won five Olympic medals during the last Winter Games in Turin, Italy.
“I’m thinking about how it’s going to be a long process to 2010 and not where I’ve got to be racing so fast right now, because there’s a lot of time and I’m really just trying to figure out, not just the physical part, but also the mental part,” Klassen said yesterday at the Olympic Oval.
“I know come the year 2010, there’s …read more

YES. She’s back!
After a break from the international scene, six-time Olympic medallist Cindy Klassen leads Canada’s speedskating team in the World Cup final today, Friday, 02 March 2007.
Klassen took a much needed off time to replenish her energy and drive after her multiple medal performance during the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino. She did win five medals, after all.
Her scheduled races are the following:
Friday – 1,000 metres
Saturday – 1,500 metres
Sunday – 3,000 metres
Other Canadian speedskaters that will be joining her are Christine Nesbitt, Kristina Groves, Denny Morrison, and Clara Hughes.
The 2010 Olympics in Vancouver are always …read more

CHAMONIX 1924
January 25, 1924
It was held in France, 83 years ago!
But, of course, they didn’t know what it was while it was going on. The IOC just named it as such afterwards. Originally, the competition was called International Sports Week 1924.
Trivia: First event to be decided on was the men’s 500m speed skating where Charles Jewtraw (US) won the first gold.
There were 258 athletes (11 women, 247 men) of 16 nations competed in 16 events of 6 sports (Biathlon, Bobsleigh, Curling, Ice Hockey, Skating and Skiing).
Source: www.olympic.org

… according to the article I just came across, that is. They’re claiming that 27-year old Cindy Klassen will be the Queen of Canadian sport when she competes in the Speed Skating World Cup in January.
Klassen was recently awarded the 2006 Lou Marsh Award by The Toronto Star. It’s an award decided on by a panel of sports editors and broadcasters and is given annually.
Highlights of her career are as follows:

… in Paul Johnson’s list.
The Australia’s Top 101 athletes list that was published on Alpha magazine pushed him to mull it over and come up with his own. But instead of listing 101 of them, he picked the top 25 that he thinks is notable.

Steve Waugh – cricket
Shane Warne – cricket
Pat Rafter – tennis
Mick Doohan – motorcycle racing
Layne Beachley – women’s surfing

Here are the final results .. it seems to have been missed in the smack middle of the curling and hockey games today .. Feb 24th
Rank / NOC / Skiier (time / gap)
1 – NED – Bob de Jong (13:01.57)
2 – USA – Chad Hedrick (13:05.40 / +3.83)
3 – NED – Carl Verheijen (13.08.80 / +7.23)
9 – CAN – Arne Dankers (13:23.55 / +21.98)
[..News at CBC..]
De Jong outskates Hedrick in 10,000

Bob de Jong of the Netherlands reacts to his winning time in Friday’s 10,000 metres. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
American speed skater Chad Hedrick vowed to match Eric …read more

Source: CBC
Cindy Klassen earned her fourth medal of the Torino Olympic Winter Games when she won gold as she and Kristina Groves finished 1st and 2nd in Wednesday’s women’s 1,500 metre long-track speed skating event.
This would have been unthinkable in 2002 in Salt Lake City as Canadians were not dominant in this event.
Great work and 4 years can lead to wonderful results.
Congratulations girls!

The podium
Photo : Yuri Kadbonov / AFP, from CBC