Hedrick breaks a track record at the Pettit National Ice Center

Milwaukee, Wis.- Long track speedskating gold-medal Olympian Chad Hedrick (Spring, TX) blazed around the oval at the Pettit National Ice Center during the Men’s 1500m event, breaking the track record set by Olympian Shani Davis (Chicago, IL) by .01 seconds, and finishing with a time of 1:44.47. Davis also skated strong at the U.S. World Cup/Olympic qualifier and finished just off the mark at 1:44.49. The two Olympic skaters and competitors keep pushing each other with stronger and faster performances. Hedrick believes the U.S. team will be a force at the Olympic Games in Vancouver.

“These guys around the world are going to deal with us just like last time,” Hedrick said. “I don’t like to lose at anything I do.”

The Men’s 1500 World Cup team consists of Hedrick, Davis, Trevor Marsicano (Ballston Spa, NY), Jonathan Kuck (Champaign, IL) and Brian Hansen (Glenview, IL).

For the ladies, three-time Olympian Jen Rodriguez seemed unstoppable as she earned another first-place finish. The Ladies 1500m showcased Rodriguez’s speed as she won the event with a time of 1:58.45. Following behind her, the winner of the Ladies’ 5000m event, Jilleanne Rookard (Woodhaven, MI) skated to a fast second-place finish with 2:01.07. Olympian Maria Lamb (River Falls, WI) and Nancy Swider-Peltz, Jr. (Wheaton, IL) rounded out the Ladies 1500m World Cup team.

Rookard, who started speedskating just three years ago, has had a breakout performance during the qualifying event. “I know I had the lap times and I was very confident,” she said. “I have very realistic goals but I don’t set any limits.”

Skating concludes tomorrow with the second 1000m, the Ladies 5000m and the Men’s 10,000m events. For results, visit www.usspeedskating.org or follow USS on Twitter @usspeedskating.

About US Speedskating
US Speedskating is a non-profit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union as the governing body for the sport of speedskating in the United States. Its mission is to be one of the premier speedskating organizations in the world through excellence in leadership, development and performance. To date, US Speedskating has won 75 Olympic medals, making it the most successful winter sport in the U.S. In addition to its elite programs, US Speedskating is responsible for the grassroots development of speedskating. For additional information about US Speedskating please visit www.usspeedskating.org.

Tags: Chad Hedrick, Pettit National Ice Center, Shani Davis, Vancouver 2010