U.S. Olympic Athletes
Chad Hedrick
EVENT - LONG TRACK SPEEDSKATING
HEIGHT 5'11"
 |
OLYMPIC HIGHLIGHTS
- 2006 Olympic Winter Games
- 5000m: gold medalist
- 10,000m: silver medalist
- 1500m: bronze medalist - 2010 Olympic Winter Games
- 1000m: bronze medalist
- 5000m: 11th
- 1500m: 6th
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- 2004 World All-Around Champion
- 2005 World All-Around silver medalist
- Two-time World All-Around Championships gold medalist
- Seven-time World All-Around Championships silver medalist
- Three-time World All-Around Championships bronze medalist
PERSONAL
Hedrick is one of several elite speedskaters who made the transition from inline skating. With 50 World Championships and 93 National Championships, he is the most accomplished inline skater ever. He even originated an inline skating technique called the double push that revolutionized the sport. In 2002, shortly after his 50th world title, he switched to the ice partly because inline skating wasn't going to become an Olympic sport and partly due to the motivation of watching former inline rival Derek Parra win gold at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
DID YOU KNOW...?
- Nicknamed "The Exception" for his seamless transition from inline to ice
- Judged the 2006 Miss USA pageant
- Registered a hole-in-one at a 2006 charity golf event for Special Olympics
- Had lunch with fellow Texan and former President George H.W. Bush
- Has raised more than $200,000 for the Special Olympics
- Married Lynsey Elizabeth Adams in 2008 and welcomed first daughter, Hadley, in March 2009
