U.S. speedskater gets food for thought
GANGNEUNG, South Korea – Brian Hansen felt stuffed, like he had just eaten Thanksgiving dinner. He couldn’t get comfortable. He had eaten so much he felt like he was going to be sick.
That might be great on Thanksgiving Day, but not for a speed skater at the Winter Olympics.
“It’s gonna sound crazy,” Hansen said, after finishing 15th Tuesday in the 1,500 meters with a time of 1 minute, 46.44 seconds. “It’s gonna sound like a big excuse but I ate way too much before today.”
Too much rice.
“I felt like I just had Thanksgiving out there,” said Hansen, who has trained extensively at the Pettit National Ice Center. “It took me awhile to take my skates off. I felt like I was going to throw up for a good 30 minutes. I’m not even kidding.”
The Netherlands swept the gold and silver medals, as Kjeld Nuis was first with a time of 1:44.01 and Patrick Roest was second (1:44.86). South Korea’s Kim Min Seok was third (1:44.93). Joey Mantia was the top U.S. skater in eighth (1:45.86) and Shani Davis finished 19th (1:46.74).
“I was like, oh my gosh, I can’t believe I screwed this up,” Hansen said.
It’s not like Hansen is a newcomer to this kind of competition, or skating on such a huge stage. This is Hansen’s third Olympic Games. At the 2014 Sochi Games, Hansen had a pair of seventhplace finishes and a ninth-place finish.
But he has always struggled trying to eat the right amount of food.
Sometimes, he doesn’t eat enough before a race.
“It’s hard with nerves to judge where you are at,” he said. “I’ve eaten too little, too often. Then you bonk.”
And bonking isn’t good.
“It’s my regular meal,” he said. “I was nervous. It sounds so stupid and it is so stupid, but I misgauged it. That’s how racing goes, you make mistakes like that. It’s hard to nail it perfect every time. I was kicking myself at the starting like: ‘What were you thinking?’ ”
Now, he will turn his attention to the Team Pursuit event Feb. 21.
“I’m absolutely excited for the Team Pursuit,” said Hansen, who earned a silver medal in Team Pursuit at the 2010 Vancouver Games. “I can’t wait to get back on the ice and start practicing for it tomorrow. The three of us are really starting to click in that race and we have everything to gain and nothing to lose in that race. There is no pressure on us, no expectations to do it, but there is hope. I think that’s the perfect mentality.”
Hansen said that he plans to take a few weeks off after the Games and enter the workforce. He’s looking at about 20 to 30 opportunities in Chicago and Milwaukee.
“Probably have a couple of weeks to wind down after this,” said Hansen, who will be looking for a job in marketing or business. “Then, (I’ll) be entering into a new world for me, and that’s the job world. It will be totally different.”
He said he will “probably” retire after these Games.
“It has given me good focus going into these Games,” he said. “I hope to put down a good Games. So far, it’s been decent. I have some regret but it’s been decent. I think more good races to come.” Good races.
No more big pre-race meals.