By RYAN HAMILTON
As a precursor to the 2002 Winter Olympics, 130 international ice skaters converged on Provo for one of six World Cup Short Track Speed Skating events.
Each year North America, Asia, and Europe each host two of these events. Provo’s World Cup comes as this season’s second event, following last week’s opener in Montreal. With 19 countries represented, Provo’s World Cup is the largest to date.
The U.S. team was pleased to be able to come to Provo for this event.
“This is really good for us to have a World Cup in our home country,” said U.S. team coach Susan Ellis.
Skaters also agreed that coming to compete in the same arena that will host the next Winter Olympics is beneficial.
“It is nice to have the opportunity to skate in Salt Lake,” said Annie Perreault of the Canadian team.
Similar to swimming and track, a series of elimination races is used to determine the winner of each event. Short Track Speed Skaters race against each other rather than against a clock, but times are kept for record purposes. Four to six racers compete in any single race around a 111-meter track. Contact between racers and an occasional spill is not uncommon.
Short Track Speed Skating includes five different events. There are divisions for both men and women in 500 meters, 1,000 meters, 1,500 meters, 3,000 meters, and a 5,000-meter relay race.
Many of the skaters will be returning to Provo for the opportunity to compete on an Olympic level while some competitors in Provo’s World Cup also competed in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic Games.
The U.S. team did not advance any racers to the finals of the 1,500-meter event on Friday, but Apolo Anton Ahno of the American team placed third in the 500-meter event on Saturday. At only 17 years old, Apolo is a contender for the gold medal in 2002.
The U.S. Olympic coach said she was pleased with the outcome of the races.
“Maybe we are not getting as much results on paper, but I am very pleased,” Ellis said.
The U.S. Olympic team is relatively young in comparison to other teams. Ellis said her team is still learning, but that the youth of the team is beneficial.
“We have fun,” she said, “They know how to be loose. Also, they’re all very hungry.”
The recently completed Peaks Ice Arena served as the venue for the event and has already hosted other events of Olympic caliber. The opening of the Peaks Ice Arena was initiated with an exhibition women’s hockey competition earlier this month that included Olympic hopefuls and past Olympic participants.
The recent Speed Skating event is just one of 16 other pre-Olympic events the Salt Lake Organizing Committee is participating in to help prepare for 2002.
“These events give the Organizing Committee an excellent opportunity to simulate game-time conditions and resolve concerns through testing all major functions,” Cathy Priestner Allinger, SLOC Managing Director of Sports, said in a news release.
The next event scheduled is World Cup men’s and women’s slalom and giant slalom races to be held at Park City Mountain Resort November 18-21.
