ORGANIZED CHAOS?
Young skaters from several speedskating clubs in Wisconsin and northern Illinois take part in a demonstration of the Mass Start, a pack-style race that will make its Olympic debut next month in South Korea. The youths were skating at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, where the U.S. Olympic Team long track trials are being held through Sunday.
Jonathan Garcia spent two days beating himself up mentally over not making the U.S. Olympic longtrack speedskating team in the 1,000 meters.
It’s his favorite race, his best race, the one he focused on going into the Olympic trials at the Pettit National Ice Center. He thought the 1,000 gave him the best chance to win a medal at the Winter Games next month.
And then he finished fourth Wednesday. Only the top three qualified for the Olympic team. Garcia needed to be three-tenths of a second faster.
“I’m still trying to get over the 1,000,” he said Friday. “That was a pretty big blow for me . ... It’s going to be something that I’m probably going to look back on and be upset over for a long time. But I did everything I could. I flat-out just got beat that day.”
Fortunately, he had another day. On Friday, he punched his ticket to Pyeongchang by finishing second to Waukesha’s Mitch Whitmore in the 500 meters in front of a sellout crowd of 1,350.
Whitmore won the race in 35.03 seconds and Garcia’s time was 35.12. Both are guaranteed spots on the U.S. team. Kimani Griffin finished third in 35.26, but his spot is tentative and depends on other skaters doubling up in other events, because only eight men can make the team.
Skaters raced two heats in the 500 but only their fastest time counted.
The women are guaranteed three spots in the race in South Korea, and the qualifiers were Brittany Bowe (37.95), Heather Bergsma (38.24) and Erin Jackson (39.04).
Former Milwaukee resident Sugar Todd, who finished 29th in the 500 at the 2014 Sochi Games, was fourth in 39.27 and did not make the team.
Garcia, of Houston, has been focused on the 1,000 in his training and now will have to make some adjustments to prepare for a shorter, faster race. He finished 28th in the 1,000 in Sochi.
“I’ll really have to start working on my start,” he said. “I really went all-in in the 1,000. I wanted to do the best in that race because that was probably the best (chance) I had of medaling at the Games. But I am thankful to be going back to the Olympics for the second time.”
Whitmore, 28, qualified in the 1,000 on Wednesday and went into the 500 as the favorite. He holds the American record (34.19).
He had to overcome a false start in his second heat, and his pair was called back to the line in the first heat because of crowd interference.
“Yeah, I was a little frustrated with the starts today,” Whitmore said. “I thought the first race was a really long hold (by the starter) and then the second one, I thought I timed it really well but it turns out I didn’t. And then I was really slow off the line on that second one.”
Bowe has bounced back from a bout with walking pneumonia earlier this season. She looked strong in both of her heats, beating rival and close friend Bergsma each time.
“Really, really pleased with that performance,” she said. “Really happy with how my opening 100 meters is coming along. Obviously, we still have a little bit of work to do on that top-end speed for the lap but I’m really, really pleased and happy with two solid 500s today.”
Jackson, 25, of Ocala, Fla., was the biggest surprise of the day. An accomplished inline skater, she started speedskating in February, went back to inline racing for the summer and came back to the ice at the end of September.
She was not projected to make the Olympic team but set a personal best in her first race (39.22) and then lowered it an hour later.
“I surprised myself a lot,” she said. “I really wasn’t expecting any of this, just coming in as a newbie, just trying to do the best I can. … It’s been a crazy experience. A couple weeks ago I was still in the 40s (seconds).”
“Never underestimate Erin,” she said. “I’ve known her since she was a little thing, both of us growing up in Ocala, both of us on the same inline skating team. (She’s) one of the most talented girls I know and I keep telling people if she gives this thing a shot and stays focused and determined, she’s going to be a force to be reckoned with.”