Olympians in Wisconsin

Haven’t had enough of the Olympics? If you couldn’t stop watching the speed skaters slicing through sheets of ice and leaving the rest of us in the dust, then maybe you should stop by Wisconsin to see the US National Short Track Championship and the American Cup Final, which starts today. The city of Weston has been preparing for this big deal—the final annual speed skating and short track meet—for over a year.

Photo from: http://www.wausauspeedskating.com/nationalsamericancup.htm

Short track speed skating involves four to six skaters racing around an oval ice rink, and its smaller rink and shorter races than long track speed skating have gained popularity for the sport over the years. It has been an Olympic sport since 1992.

Check out this video for one of the races in 2007. Here, the skaters are cutting through the ice at practically 30 degree angles!

I spoke with Dan Fiorenza, the meet director and a coach at the Central Wisconsin Speedskating club, who has been organizing the 120 volunteers and juggling a multitude of logistics. He said about 40 competitors  (including some athletes fresh from the Olympics) will compete in the American Cup Final, the biggest speed skating competition in the country, for a spot in the World Team Championships in Italy. (A few successful Olympians have already earned their place in the championship by performing well at the Olympics, so they don’t have to compete.)

“It’s not only a competitive sport,” Fiorenza said. “People do it for recreation, just for fitness. It’s something people can always become better at ... builds a lot of good self-confidence.”

The Short Track competition also offers a chance for skaters from ages 10 through 65 to improve their standing within their own age divisions. The competitions will take place at the Greenheck Fieldhouse: 6400 Alderson St. Weston, WI 54476.