2010 U.S. Short Track Team Nominated

Marquette, MI. September 12, 2009.

It was a roller coast ride of an event that included falls, injuries and heartbreak. At the end of the evening, the 2010 U.S. Olympic Short Track Team nominees were announced and presented to a supportive crowd. Once again, Apolo Anton Ohno (Seattle, WA) and Katherine Reutter (Champaign, IL) earned the overall classification for the event and retained their U.S. Short Track Championships titles.

Along with Ohno and Reutter, J.R. Celski (Federal Way, WA), Jordan Malone (Denton, TX), Travis Jayner (Midland, MI) Simon Cho (Laurel, MD), Alyson Dudek (Hales Corners, WI), Kimberly Derrick (Memphis, TN), Allison Baver (Sinking Spring, PA) and Lana Gehring (Glenview, IL) were nominated to the Olympic Team. These skaters will go on to compete in World Cup competition to qualify for starting positions during the Olympic Games in 2010. Jeff Simon (Las Vegas, NV), Anthony Lobello (Tallahassee, FL) and Jessica Smith (Melvindale, MI) will also participate in 2009-2010 World Cup events.

The event was overshadowed by two serious injuries. Celski fell during the final heat in the Men’s 500m semi-finals and injured his leg as he landed on his skate blade. Medical personnel immediately responded and treated him on the ice before removing him by stretcher to take him to a nearby hospital. He is expected to make a full recovery and will return to training soon. During an earlier heat, Olympian Maria Garcia was also injured after a fall and was taken to the hospital.

Despite the injuries, the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Short Track Speedskating continued and the five men and five ladies selected to qualify for Olympic starting positions leave on September 13 for Beijing, China and the first World Cup event. The bios for the ten skaters are below:

Apolo Anton Ohno (27): Apolo Anton Ohno is the face of short track speedskating in the United States. A two-time Olympian and five-time Olympic medalist (including two gold medals), Ohno has been the controlling force on the Men’s team since 1997. He was the 2008 World Short Track Champion and part of the Men’s team that won the 2008 World Short Track Team Championships. Ohno has been the U.S. Short Track Champion for ten consecutive years. He was named the 2010 U.S. Short Track Champion following the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Short Track Speedskating.

J.R. Celski (19): As the U.S. Junior Short Track Champion for 2008 and 2009, J.R. Celski’s rise up the speedskating ranks has been swift. During the 2009 World Short Track Championships, Celski took second overall winning a gold in the 3000m and the Men’s Relay, as well as a bronze in the 1000m and 1500m. Celski currently holds a Junior World record in the 500m and the 1000m.

Jordan Malone (25): As a 14-time World Inline Champion and 19-time National Inline Champion, Jordan Malone decided to switch to short track speedskating in order to earn a spot on the Olympic Team. After a devastating injury, Malone was not able to qualify for the 2006 U.S. Olympic Team but is proud to represent the U.S. in Vancouver in 2010.

Travis Jayner (27): Travis Jayner is a versatile skater, competing well in any distance. He has been a World Cup team member since the 2004-2005 season and was the 2009 U.S. Men’s Short Track 500m champion. Born in New Brunswick, Canada, Jayner started skating at the age of 5 after being encouraged by his father who was also a speedskater.

Simon Cho (17): The youngest member to be nominated to the 2010 U.S. Olympic Short Track Speedskating Team, Simon Cho skated a strong event to take the fifth spot on the Men’s team. Cho started skating at the age of 3 and earned a place on the national short track training program in 2008. He participated in two world cups during the 2007-2008 season. 

Katherine Reutter (21): A two-time U.S. Short Track Champion, Reutter earned her third consecutive championship during the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Short Track Speedskating. A dynamic force on the ice, Reutter won the overall distance classification in the 1500m and the 1000m at the Olympic Trials. She earned three silver medals in the 1500m during 2008-2009 World Cup competition and a silver in the 1000m. Reutter holds the current American record in the 1000m plus two Junior American records.

Alyson Dudek (19): The 2008-2009 World Cup season was Alyson Dudek’s first experience in the World Cup circuit. She was part of the Ladies Relay Team taking fourth place at the 2009 World Short Track Championships and a bronze medal at the 2009 World Short Track Team Championships. Dudek exploded on the ice at the beginning of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Short Track Speedskating winning the 4-Lap Time Trial and ended up winning the overall distance classification in the 500m as well as second in the overall classification.

Kimberly Derrick (24): Kimberly Derrick started skating on inlines when she was six and ended up dominating the inline world, winning numerous national championships. In order to achieve her Olympic dream, Derrick switched to short track speedskating when she was 19. She won the 2005 American Cup and earned a place on the 2006 U.S. Olympic Team for Short Track Speedskating.  During the 2008-2009 World Cup series, Derrick earned three individual medals and was part of the gold-medal relay team in World Cup 6. She finished third in the overall classification for this week's event.

Allison Baver (29): A former inline skater, Allison Baver switched to short track speedskating in 2000 and quickly rose to the top of the speedskating world. An Olympian in 2002 and 2006, and U.S. Champion in 2007, Baver overcame what could have been a career-ending injury in February when she broke her leg during a competition in Bulgaria. Baver’s fast skating and great skill will be a definite asset moving toward Vancouver.

Lana Gehring (19): One of the youngest members of the U.S. National Short Track Training Program, Lana Gehring is an experienced short track speedskater. She was the U.S. Junior Champion in both 2007 and 2008 and skated in the World Junior Championships in both years. During the 2008-2009 World Cup series, Gehring helped the Ladies win a gold and bronze medal during the Ladies Relay.

For complete results, visit the US Speedskating Results Page at www.usspeedskating.org or follow US Speedskating on Twitter @usspeedskating for up-to-the-minute competition updates and results. The US Speedskating Community page, Up to Speed, also carries results, photos and information.