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)

Post from: EveryJoe

World Short Track Speedskating Results

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)}

Post from: EveryJoe

Speedskater Davis Wins World Championship

“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 that an athlete will step up and perform or totally lose it. Good to know that for Hughes, she got it back in time. She placed second to world record holder Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic during the Oval Invitational, which qualifies her to compete in the World Cup. Good on ya, Hughes!

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Post from: EveryJoe

Speedskater Clara Hughes Gets Her Mojo Back

“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 going to be a lot of pressure, a lot of hype and stuff like that. I’m just trying to prepare for that and get ready now, so when it hits us then, I’ll feel ready and comfortable.”

Which brings me to think that the saying, “Waiting is half the battle” is true. We all know that the Olympics runs every 2 and 4 years — alternating between Winter and Summer Games — so it’s safe to assume that there will be a lot of mental preparation alongside the expected physical training as athletes “wait their turn”, so to speak.

I’m sure that the temperature’s rising cuz we’re months away from the next Games. Can you imagine what goes through these athletes’ minds while they wait? Personally, my heart and nerves will be all over the place. Good thing I’m not competing cuz the idea is disastrous. Heh.

Post from: EveryJoe

Waiting is Half the Battle

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:

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 on Klassen’s mind, even though they are almost three years away. But she never considered taking the entire season off from competition.

Source: CBCsports

Post from: EveryJoe

Cindy Klassen Leads Canadian Team into World Cup Final

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

Post from: EveryJoe

When was the 1st Winter Olympic Games Held?

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:

• Klassen’s six career Olympic medals are the most by a Canadian athlete summer or winter. She was also the most successful athlete at the Turin Olympics
• Five Olympic medals for Cindy Klassen which is the most medals won by a Canadian at one Olympics and the most by a female speed skater at the Games.
• 1st overall and in all distances at the 2006 World Championships
• World Cup champion in the 3000m in 2006
• Canadian Press Female Athlete of the year in 2005 & 2006
• Selected as Speed Skating Canada’s 2003, 2005, and 2006 Female Skater of the Year – Long Track
• World Cup champion in the 1500 in 2003 & 2005
• World Champion in the 1500m and 3000m and silver medallist in team pursuit at 2005 World Single Distances Championships
• Silver medallist at the 2005 World All Round Championships
• Won a silver and bronze medal at the 2004 World Single Distances Championships after missing over 75% of the season due to a forearm injury
• In 2003, Cindy became the first Canadian in 27 years to win the overall title at the World Speed Skating Championships
• Placed 2nd overall at the 2003 World Sprint Championships
• Placed 2nd overall at the 2002 World Speed Skating Championships
• Bronze medallist in 3000m at Salt Lake City Olympics

Source: Gymbrooke Sports News | globeandmail

Post from: EveryJoe

Cindy Klassen, Queen of Canadian Sport

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.

1. Steve Waugh – cricket
2. Shane Warne – cricket
3. Pat Rafter – tennis
4. Mick Doohan – motorcycle racing
5. Layne Beachley – women’s surfing

1. Luc Longley – basketball
2. John Eales – rugby
3. Gary Ablett – footy | aussie rules football
4. Dennis Lillee – cricket
5. Susie O’Neill – swimmer [freestyle, butterfly]
6. Greg Norman – golf
7. Ian Thorpe – swimming [freestyle]
8. Kieren Perkins – swimming [long distance events]
9. Allan Langer – rugby league
10. Cathy Freeman – athletics [track]
11. Pat Cash – tennis
12. Dave Nilsson – baseball
13. Anne Sargeant – netball
14. Ryan Bayley – athletics [track]
15. Andrew Gaze – basketball
16. Grant Hackett – swimming [long distance events]
17. Phil Anderson – cycling
18. Andrew Johns – rugby league
19. Gary Neiwand – track cycling
20. Stephen Bradbury – speed skating

I recommend you check his article for a more thorough explanation on why these sports stars made his list.

Source: Sports Australia

Post from: EveryJoe

Top Athletes of Australia

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 Heiden’s five gold-medal performance, but didn’t come close as he lost the men’s 10,000 metres to Bob de Jong of the Netherlands at the Torino Olympic Winter Games.

De Jong, the reigning world champion, set the winning time in the fourth of eight pairings, clocking 13 minutes, 1.57 seconds amid chants of “Holland, Holland” at Turin’s Oval Lingotto.

De Jong not only skated a personal best but erased the indignity of finishing next to last at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, in a race he was favoured to win.

[..News at NBC..]

Hedrick, who already had a gold and a bronze, became just the third U.S. Winter Olympian to claim as many as three medals at one games.

“I could feel Carl catching me,” Hedrick said. “I decided with six laps to go that the best way was to rest a little bit, let him catch me, let him think he has me. Then I sprinted away from him on that one lap.”

Verheijen scoffed at Hedrick’s strategy.

“I’m glad Chad was thinking about me rather than himself,” he said. “Instead of considering how to win the silver medal, he should have considered how to win the gold medal.”

Post from: EveryJoe

Speed Skating – Men’s 10,000m

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!

Post from: EveryJoe

Canada double: Klassen Gold, Groves Silver