Long-Track Speedskaters Finish Olympic Trials, Aim For Medals

After the U.S. Olympic long-track speedskating trials wrapped up Sunday night in Milwaukee, a U.S. coach said he thinks the U.S. men’s and women’s teams can win medals at the Winter Games next month.

The optimism comes despite U.S. long-track speedskaters being shut out at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

But U.S. speedskating high performance director Guy Thibault said he was impressed with many of the speedskaters during the week of Olympic Trials at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee.

“I think they kind of learned from what could have happened in Sochi,” Thibault said. “So we did a little more preparation — what to avoid, and what to do more, what to do less. I think they’re on the right track.”

Thibault said multiple qualifiers like Joey Mantia, Shani Davis, Heather Bergsma and Brittany Bowe are particularly impressive. He said the biggest surprise of the Winter Trials was Erin Jackson qualifying in the 500-meter race Friday, becoming the first African-American on the women’s long-track speedskating team.

Jackson has only been long-track speedskating for four months after switching from inline skating competitions, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Sunday night, eight women and 24 men skated in the mass-start races. Mantia placed first in the men’s race. Bergsma captured the women’s contest.

Meanwhile, a long-track speedskater with a Wisconsin tie has made the team. Marquette University engineering student Emery Lehman was added Sunday night to the team pursuit competition after not qualifying for the Olympic Games in two earlier events.

Lehman said the next few weeks will be focused on getting ready for next month’s Winter Games.

“Yeah, I gotta e-mail my adviser and withdraw from classes,” said Lehman, an Illinois resident. “But other than that, yeah, prepping for training camp here and just going to training like I trained for this meet.”

Lehman is still waiting to hear whether he will also skate in the 5,000-meter event. He joins Waukesha native Mitchell Whitmore on the U.S. men’s speedskating team. Several other members from other states train at the Pettit National Ice Center.