Long Track World Cup, World Sprint Championship teams announced

(Jan. 4, 2009) - US Speedskating is proud to announce the Men's and Ladies' 2008-2009 Winter World Cup and World Sprint Championship teams, as well as those skaters who will participate in the Regional Qualifier on Jan. 10-11 in Salt Lake City. The teams were selected at the conclusion of the US Long Track Speedskating Championships held in Milwaukee, Wis., on Dec. 27-30.

Chosen to represent the USA at the World Sprint Championships on January 17-18 in Moscow, Russia will be Shani Davis (Chicago, IL), Tucker Fredricks (Janesville, WI), Heather Richardson (High Point, NC) and Jennifer Rodriguez (Miami, FL).

Following the World Sprint Championships, US Speedskating will send a team to participate in the Sprint World Cup in Kolomna, Russia on January 24-25. This team consists of Davis, Fredricks, Richardson, Rodriguez, Elli Ochowicz (Waukesha, WI), Lauren Cholewinski (Murray, UT), Rebekah Bradford (Apple Valley, MN), Brent Aussprung (Madison, WI), Chris Needham (Belmont, MA), Mike Blumel (Woodbury, MN) and Nick Pearson (Vernon, WI).

At the All Distance World Cup in Erfurt, Germany on January 30 through February 1, Team USA will consist of the above-mentioned World Cup members (minus Blumel) plus Mitchell Whitmore (Waukesha, WI), Ryan Bedford (Midland, MI), Joshua Wood (Salt Lake City, UT), Trevor Marsicano (Ballston Spa, NY) and Chad Hedrick (Spring, TX) who recently won the U.S. Men's Allround Speedskating Championship title.  Additionally, Catherine Raney-Norman (Elm Grove, WI), Maria Lamb (River Falls, WI) and Nancy Swider-Peltz, Jr. (Wheaton, IL) will compete at the event.

Participating in the Long Distance World Cup in Heerenveen, The Netherlands on February 14-15, will be Swider-Peltz, Jr., Lamb, Raney-Norman, Hedrick, Marsicano, Kuck, Dyrud and Davis.

The World All-Around Championship team will be named following the Regional Qualifer. Participating in this qualifying event will be Swider-Peltz, Jr., Lamb, Anna Ringsred (Duluth, MN), Jilleanne Rookard (West Allis, WI), Mia Manganello (West Jordan, UT), Kelly Gunther (Waukesha, WI), Hedrick, Marsicano, Wood, Brian Hansen (Glenview, IL), Jonathan Kuck (Champaign, IL) and Paul Dyrud (Plymouth, MN).

The World All-Around Championships will be held in Hamar, Norway, on Feb. 7-8.

Tags: All Distance World Cup, Brent Aussprung, Chris Needham, Elli Ochowicz, Heather Richardson, Jennifer Rodriguez, Lauren Cholewinski, Long Distance World Cup, Long Track World Cup, Mike Blumel, Nick Pearson, Rebekah Bradford, Shani Davis, Tucker Fredricks, World All-Around Championship team, World Sprint Championship