Winter Olympics
John-Henry Krueger falls twice during U.S. speed skating trials.
In his young career in short track speed skating, John-Henry Krueger has emerged as one of the best in the world. But Krueger, 18, a Peters Township native, until this weekend had never skated with the stakes that accompany the U.S. Olympic trials.
Under that increased pressure, Krueger had a night to forget Friday in Kearns, Utah, falling in each of his semifinal races at the 1,500-meter distance. Krueger came into the event ranked No. 9 in the world at that distance, but he will have to make a strong move at the 500-meter and 1,000meter distances today and Sunday, respectively, to qualify for the Sochi Winter Games in February.
After two days of skating — Krueger was placed fifth after 9-lap and 4-lap time trials Thursday — he sits in eighth place in the overall classification, which adds up the points from all four days. The top five skaters in the overall classification after Sunday will qualify for Sochi.
Cole Krueger, 22, John-Henry’s brother, gave a steady performance Friday night and sits in ninth place in the overall classification.
Meanwhile, J.R. Celski qualified for his second Olympic team with a victory in the 1,500 meters and Jessica Smith made her first despite finishing second in the women’s final.
“To cross the line and realize I got a spot for Sochi was amazing,” Celski said. “There was definitely a little bit more pressure than last time. But I’m taking it more serious than last time, as well.”
Celski cruised to an easy win in the second of two 1,500 finals. With seven laps to go, Celski zipped from fourth to first. Eddy Alvarez took the lead back before Celski regained it with four laps left. He built a big lead the rest of the way, and threw both arms in the air as he crossed the finish line.
“I kind of looked back and was like, ‘What happened?’” he said. “It was cool. I went out there and raced my race.”
Smith finished behind winner Emily Scott in the second women’s 1,500, but earned her Olympic berth by virtue of her lead in the overall point standings at Utah Olympic Oval. Smith clapped her hands and smiled broadly as she crossed the line.
“I skated too conservative in the second 1,500 just to be safe and make sure I was where I needed to be,” Smith said. “I just wanted to be on the team.”
Five men and three women will make the U.S. team for the Sochi Games.
Celski also won the first 1,500 final of the night. Celski, from Federal Way, Wash., came back to beat the same five rivals in the second final with retired short track star Apolo Anton Ohno looking on as a TV commentator.
Celski leads the 1,500 standings with 2,500 points. Alvarez, a former inline skater from Miami, was second with 1,632. Chris Creveling was third with 1,528.
Creveling was disqualified in the second final for bumping Alvarez midway through the race when the skaters began jostling for position. That dropped Creveling to third in the standings and Alvarez moved up to second.
Celski won two bronze medals at the Vancouver Olympics. He made that team after a serious injury sustained in a crash five months before the games. Celski’s right skate sliced his left leg open in September 2009, bruising his femoral artery and coming inches from severing it, which could have been fatal.
On the women’s side, Smith leads the 1,500 distance standings with 2,300 points. Scott was second at 2,200, and Alyson Dudek third with 1,600.