Andrew Love shared another great report from USA’s Long Track Speed Skating Olympic Team Trials; US Olympic Trials, Day 2.
And it’s so true. This is a sport. There are winners and losers. We do it for these reasons; it brings out the best in us. Winning teaches, and losing often teaches more. But it’s still hard to see the heartbreak in so many good people, who have all gone “all in”.
Not to sound too overly nationalistic about this, but athletes don’t appear out of thin air, they are part of a culture, an informal society, a web of families, coaches, training partners, friendships. Despite legit quibbles here & there- there is a pretty good skating culture here.
When an Olympic team is eventually named, they do represent “us”, in all our good & bad, and it’s not too weird to take pride in them, just as they take pride wriggling into that National team skinsuit with the USA on the back.
It has been a week and a half of uncertainty for Shane Dobbin and his team, Ingmar Berga, Arjan Smit, Jan Maarten Heideman and Jens Zwister. With the bankruptcy of their sponsor DSB Bank this left all marathon team members, long track team members and their individually sponsors skaters lost their sponsorship. The Marathon series is no long the DSB bank Cup but just the Marathon Cup after only two races for the 2009-2010 ice season.
You can find pictures & videos using the following links;
NSC 1 is shaping up to be in interesting event; with the caliber of athletes we have in our sprint races it’s difficult to take your focus off of them, but let’s shift our attention to the endurance athletes. This event could very well be the passing of the torch from old to new, but not if veteran Jeremy ‘The Hammering Husky’ Anderson has anything to do with it.
Nistevo is excited to have Jim back as our ‘go-to-guy’ at events nationwide. As Nistevo’s product line expands and evolves it is imperative that skaters, coaches and dealers are kept abreast of all our products, product technology and availability. Just as important is Nistevo’s ability to service skaters, coaches and dealers during events. To this end, Jim will provide impeccable service and support on behalf of Nistevo to the skating community all year long.
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