Short track trials to begin Sept. 8

Salt Lake City, Utah - On September 8-12, 2009, the country's top short track speedskaters will compete in Marquette, Michigan for spots on the 2010 U.S. Short Track Olympic Team . The Berry Events Center at Northern Michigan University will be the stage for skaters like Apolo Anton Ohno, Katherine Reutter, J.R. Celski, Jeff Simon, Allison Baver and Kimberly Derrick as they make this first stop on the road to Vancouver.

Normally held during December, the date of the U.S. Short Track Olympic Trials was moved up to allow the team more time for skaters to prepare for the Olympic Games. "[This] will give us 10-12 weeks for training prior to Vancouver," said Guy Thibault, US Speedskating High Performance Director. The Canadian team will hold its trials in August, while "both Korea and China, the other top competitors, already know who their teams will be."

The top five men and top five women short track speedskaters in the U.S. will be determined in Marquette during the event and the skaters will then earn Olympic berths during World Cup 3 in Montreal, Canada, and World Cup 4, back in Marquette.