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Post by Laura (Lori) on Oct 26, 2009 14:14:45 GMT -8
This was originally posted by Gasp on Chad Hedrick's thread, but I thought it warranted a post here, too!
Davis feels strong—but not ready to chase Heiden By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP National Writer 8 hours, 27 minutes ago
He’s not going to start talking about his chances of winning five gold medals—maybe even six—at the Winter Olympics.
He’s not about to compare himself to Eric Heiden.
“Those are some really big shoes to fill,” Davis said. “There’s no way you’ll ever hear me say that.”
Still, let the hype begin.
Davis finished up a brilliant week at the U.S. speedskating trials with a surprisingly easy win in the 10,000 meters Sunday. Then he delivered even bigger news: He’s willing to consider being part of the team pursuit in Vancouver.
Davis made the U.S. World Cup team in all five individual events, ranging from 500 to 10,000, and the team pursuit gives him a sixth possible race. He won the 10,000 with a time of 13 minutes, 29.01 seconds—easily his fastest ever on a sea-level track.
Would he consider trying to break Eric Heiden’s iconic Winter Olympic record of five gold medals, less than two years after Michael Phelps took down Mark Spitz’s mark in the Summer Games? Davis dismissed that possibility, but acknowledged that he’s not ruling out any event at this point.
“I love the challenge,” said Davis, the first black athlete to win an individual gold medal at the Winter Games. “I like trying to push myself to greater and bigger heights.”
Davis didn’t skate pursuit at the 2006 Turin Games and his decision sparked a nasty feud fellow American Chad Hedrick. After blowing away the field— Hedrick included—by more than 10 seconds in the 10,000, Davis accepted his nomination as one of five skaters who could take part in the pursuit.
That doesn’t mean he’ll do it for sure in Vancouver, but it’s a tantalizing first step. The Americans would likely give the favored Dutch a major challenge if they can send out a team with Davis, Hedrick and rising star Trevor Mariscano.
“I would love for him to be part of it,” said Hedrick, who finished sixth in the 10,000, more than 19 seconds behind Davis. “If we can get it together, we’d be the team to beat.”
Back in ’06, Davis said all along he didn’t want to skate the pursuit, believing the first-time Olympic event would hurt his individual races. Hedrick — who entered five events and didn’t shy away from comparisons to Heiden—felt Davis let down his country by skipping a chance to give the Americans another speedskating medal.
With Davis on the sideline, the U.S. team had to use a slower skater and was eliminated in the early rounds.
At Vancouver, team pursuit will be the final event of the speedskating program and presumably wouldn’t interfere with Davis’ individual races. He’s certainly willing to consider it, having already tried out the concept when he skated with Hedrick and Mariscano at a meet in the Netherlands last year (they finished a close second to the Dutch).
“That could be the cherry on top of my sundae if everything goes my way,” Davis said.
For now, his only sure bets in Vancouver are the 1,000 and 1,500—he holds the world record in both. But his performance in Milwaukee, where he won the 5,000 and 10,000 and took third in the 500, might prompt him to expand his horizons.
“I didn’t think I would be as strong as I am now,” he said. “I skated really well. I’m super-excited about what lies ahead of me. For sure, I’m stronger and faster than I’ve ever been. It’s all about timing. I’ve just go to pay attention to what’s going on around me.”
The Milwaukee trials actually determined the World Cup team that will head to Europe next week for the first of five meets, the results of which will determine the U.S. Olympic squad. Davis said those meets will give him a better idea of his program for Vancouver.
“I could do every event but a lot of it has to do with scheduling,” Davis said. “I wouldn’t like to water down the potency of my skating just trying to go out there and skate everything. There are some specialists out there and you’ve got to bring your ‘A’ game for those guys. If I’m watering myself down skating 5,000s and 10,000s and 500s, then that’s not so good for me.”
Both Davis and Hedrick said they want to put aside the bitterness that marred their stellar performances in Italy, where Davis won a gold and a silver and Hedrick claimed a medal of every color.
They seem on their way to patching things up.
On their way out of the arena Sunday night, they ran into each other in a basement hallway.
“Good job Shani,” Hedrick said.
“Thanks, man,” Davis replied. “See you soon.”
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Dec 12, 2009 11:43:55 GMT -8
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Post by wildfire on Dec 22, 2009 22:39:21 GMT -8
Courtesy of the Salt Lake Tribune...blogs.sltrib.com/olympics/index.php?p=7886&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1Speed Skater Poised for Colbert ShowdownLooks like Shani Davis is ready to race. That's the word from speedskating teammate Tucker Fredricks, who told his hometown newspaper that he will help “coach” comedian Stephen Colbert in a race against the world-record holder — which will be taped Sunday at the Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns. Officials with U.S. Speedskating have not confirmed the event, but have hinted strongly at it in recent days. “At first, I was supposed to race, but they decided to have somebody else,” Fredricks told the Janesville Gazette in Wisconsin. “Shani’s name came up, and Shani said ‘Yeah.’ ’’ Davis still has not commented publicly about calling Colbert a “jerk,” which led to Colbert challenging Davis during his show “The Colbert Report” last week. Colbert said all he wanted was a 1,000-meter head start, and the chance to have Davis' spot on the U.S. Olympic Team for the 2010 Vancouver Games, if he won. If Davis wins, he will receive an autographed copy of the Sports Illustrated magazine that features Colbert on the cover, giving him credit for helping raise some $270,000 for the speedskaters after they lost a major sponsor to bankruptcy earlier this year. This entry was posted on December 21st, 2009 at 08:22:29 am and is filed under Speedskating, Long-Track.
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Dec 23, 2009 21:19:32 GMT -8
Hahaha - that's awesome, Wildfire! I wonder if the public will be able to see it (?) (probably not)...
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Jan 18, 2010 20:44:29 GMT -8
www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/28193/Breaking Barriers, Setting Records—U.S. Speed Skater Shani DavisBy James Fish / Epoch Times Staff / Jan 18, 2010 FLYING ON ICE: Shani Davis competes in the 1000 m event during the U.S. Speedskating Championships in Utah in December. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)Speedskating has been an Olympic sport for nearly a century, and for most of that century, it, along with all the other winter sports, has been the domain of people from colder climates. U.S. speedskater Shani Davis has changed all that. Davis, an African-American who grew up in Chicago, showed so much natural talent on roller skates that at age six he was invited to join the Evanston, Illinois, Speedskating Club. Within a few years, he was competing in—and winning—local events. Davis credits his mother for providing constant support and encouragement. When he was 10, she moved across town to be closer to the skating rink so he could have more time to practice. His mother still manages him. "My mom never thought of herself first, and I credit most of my success to her,” Davis says on his Web site. At age 13, Davis won the first of five National Age Group Championships, and at 17, a North American Championship. That same year, he became the first U.S. athlete chosen to compete on both the short-track and long-track events on the Junior World Team, a feat he repeated twice more. In 2002, Shani Davis became the first African-American athlete chosen by the U.S. Olympic speedskating team. He was an alternate and did not compete. In 2006 he became the first black athlete to win an individual medal in the Winter Olympics, taking home a gold and a silver medal. Davis went on to win seven World Championships at various distances by 2009. Davis doesn’t make much of the fact that he is the first African-American to excel in winter sports. "I'm one of a kind,'' he admitted after winning the gold at Torino. Davis sees himself as an athlete, not a representative of any specific race. Now 27, Shani Davis is heading to Vancouver to compete in his third Olympic Games. Davis Enters All Individual Events In Vancouver, Davis will be reaching for yet another milestone. He will be trying to win medals in all five Men’s Individual speedskating events. Davis will be contesting the 500 m, 1,000 m, 1,500 m, 5,000 m, and 10,000 m races. Most of Davis’s success has come in shorter events. He currently holds the world record for 1,000 m and 1,500 m. The 5,000 m and 10,000 m races will stretch him to his limits. Davis will compete in five events over 10 days. He will have a day to recover between events. But the first event is the second longest, the 5,000 meters. Then on Day 12, he will skate in the grueling 10,000 m—6.25 miles of skating at 35 mph. Davis should be up to the task. He has won the World Allround title three times consecutively, 2004–2006. The Allround requires a skater to compete in the 500 m, 1,500 m, 5,000 m, and 10,000 m races all in a two-day span. Davis’s most successful year was 2009. He won all four World Cup 1,000 m races, as well as four firsts and a second place in the 1,500 m. His world records in the 1,000 m and 1,500 m still stand. Shani Davis is heading to Vancouver to break more barriers and set more records, and chances are, he will. He is the gold medal favorite in the 1,000 m and 1,500 m races.
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Feb 1, 2010 10:15:44 GMT -8
As in the Frank Sinatra song: I Did It My Way... Or, to coin the Mark Twain quote in this article: "Be good and you will be lonesome." An unusual path, but an obviously successful one... Solo act: Shani Davis alone in front with unusual approachMike Dodd, USA TODAY Olympic and world champion Shani Davis is noticeably absent from US Speedskating's media guide, except for in the small type in the records section. He is not among the eight athletes pictured on the cover; his biography is omitted inside.
All by his choice.
Three of Davis' four main sponsors are European companies virtually unknown in the USA.
Team Davis, as his website refers to its endeavor, is an exclusive club. It's essentially Davis and his mother, Cherie, who serves as his manager. On the ice, he is essentially his own coach, an unparalleled strategy at the elite levelRead the entire article at: www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/vancouver/speedskating/2010-01-31-shani-davis-solo_N.htm
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2010 10:25:23 GMT -8
This is a great "all inclusive" article on Shani. A MUST READ for sure.
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Post by mtnme on Feb 4, 2010 18:00:34 GMT -8
. Another awesome article on Shani, that makes an effort to delve into who he really is, as opposed to what the media looking for sensationalism and controversy is prone to traffic in.
'bout time Shani! ============================================================ Shani Davis Does Things His WayThis dec 11, 2009 file photo shows Shani Davis, of the United States, smiling as he reacts to breaking the world record in the men's 1500-meter World Cup speedskating competition at the Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns, Utah. Davis broke the record with the time of 1:41.04. (AP Photo/Colin E Braley,File) Shani Davis shuns the spotlight and does things his way - even if it comes at a costBy PAUL NEWBERRY AP National Writer February 4, 2010 (AP) The Associated Press Days before the Winter Olympics, where he figures to shine as one of the brightest U.S. stars, a call seeking comment from Shani Davis receives this message: "You have reached the offices of Team Davis," the voice says. "Sorry, but Shani will not be available to honor media requests at this time." Call Davis the anti-star. Everything he does away from the ice — at least in his home country — would seem to indicate this amazing speedskater, the first African-American to win an individual gold medal at a winter games, has little desire to be famous. If anything, he seems to go out of his way to keep a low profile, in striking contrast to other American stars such as Apolo Anton Ohno. But, as with most things Davis, that's too simplistic a portrait. He's immensely popular in the speedskating hotbed of the Netherlands and seems to relish the attention he receives from the orange-clad Dutch fans. In fact, his mother, Cherie, is often decked out in orange when attending her son's meets. Davis is never the odd man out in a country which has long preferred individual pluck over servile team spirit. "Here, that is really appreciated. The Dutch love that — someone who doesn't live by the rules, takes care of himself, gets by all on his own," said Ruud Bakker, the leader of Kleintje Pils, a band that travels to most major skating meets and has serenaded the American for years. Davis basically coaches himself, setting his own training schedule and deciding what works best for him. That means no mention in the U.S. Speedskating media guide, at his request. He has a Dutch agent but no apparent representation in the United States, perhaps missing out on this once-every-four-years chance to cash in on his Olympic exploits. "I'm not sure he's a really shy guy, but he keeps his friends close," said Eric Heiden, who won a record five gold medals in 1980 and now serves as team doctor for the U.S. team. "He's a hard guy sometimes to understand. But once you sort of get past that, he's a very nice guy."..... ..... Ohno, a good friend and training partner of Davis, has taken the opposite tack. After Turin, he won "Dancing With The Stars." He posts constantly on Facebook. He's starting up a nutritional supplement company and may look into a possible acting career after he's done with skating. He's talked with Davis about taking a more conciliatory approach in the U.S. "We've discussed it thousands of times," Ohno said. "Shani says, 'I'm not going to change for anybody.' He feels like he's been burned badly in the past. I've said, 'Let people see the real you.'" Maybe we will in Vancouver. To read the entire 4 page article, go here:abcnews.go.com/Sports/wirestory?id=9751167&page=1
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Post by mtnme on Feb 8, 2010 16:50:25 GMT -8
Another good in depth article on Shani The Trailblazer Shani Davis, on Edge By MICHAEL SOKOLOVE Published: February 4, 2010 As Shani Davis approached the starting line for a World Cup race in November, at an ice oval in the Dutch town of Heerenveen north of Amsterdam, a marching band that was circling the arena stopped playing, and the festive crowd — many of them dressed from head to toe in orange, the national color — roared in anticipation. To read the entire 5 page article, go here: www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/magazine/07Davis-t.html?pagewanted=1
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2010 13:39:20 GMT -8
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2010 13:18:45 GMT -8
Article From FanHouse
RICHMOND, British Columbia -- When Shani Davis crossed the finish line Wednesday at the Olympic Oval in the last of 19 pairs of racers and with what was the gold-medal winning 1000-meter time, a roar erupted in the stands. Davis then peeled back his blue hoodie and unzipped his black top and showed a smile ripping across his face.
Moments later, for good measure, he grabbed one corner of an American flag, while his bronze-medal winning teammate Chad Hedrick -- with whom Davis was accused of selfishly feuding at the 2006 Winter Games -- grabbed another corner. Together, they hoisted the red, white and blue banner jubilantly in the air.
So maybe America can be happy with Davis now.
He became the first American man to defend an Olympic speed skating title. He is now the second most-decorated American man in Olympic speed skating. He was already the first black Winter Olympian to win individual gold.
But doing something more -- meeting whatever the contrived accepted behavior is for an American Olympian -- was an apparent prerequisite for Davis in order to be embraced by his country like other gold medal-winning Americans. He had to genuflect. He had to be thankful not for his own talent and ambition but for being given an opportunity from someone else.
Davis had to be, as Muhammad Ali infamously argued against once, what others wanted him to be. What a shame.
"I've lived 27 years of my life and I have self worth and I know what I am as a person," Davis said on the eve of the Vancouver Games. "I don't need anyone to define that for me if they're paying attention to me once every four years, or just these two weeks of the Olympics.
"I already have my self-definition, and I'm quite happy with it."
He made himself the finest speed skater this country has witnessed since Eric Heiden and Bonnie Blair. He is a father now.
Isn't it refreshing that Davis doesn't appear interested in being a mercenary Olympian who immediately takes his gold medal to the nearest consumer products company and tries to turn it into cash? He doesn't have a squadron of marketers around shopping him to every morning and night time talk show on television, though he does have a slick Web site. He even shucked the team's last-second financial savior, television-talk show jokester Stephen Colbert, by calling him a jerk. Colbert's entertainment style is, by the way, to be a jerk. So Davis wasn't off the mark.
Davis has just happened to achieve what he has by doing things mostly on his own, as an iconic American, Frank Sinatra, famously crooned.
Davis seems as if he just wants to be the best speed skater he can be. He is doing so and doing so to his country's credit. That should be enough.
He is an athlete who has not taken his skills for granted and appears to be squeezing every ounce from them.
"That last 200, 300 meters was very difficult," said Davis, who uncharacteristically swung both arms as he finished off his race. "I dropped the two arms to maintain speed. But you have to be careful because it can mess up your stroke."
It helped Davis set a record at this oval of 1:08.94, the only man under 1:09.
"I'm pretty happy," Davis said afterward, clutching a bouquet of flowers given to him on the podium and a stuffed blue bear someone gave him at his first Olympics in 2002. Davis nicknamed the bear Shani Jr. and explained the two had come a long way together.
In a lot of ways, Davis is an American ideal -- the self-made man. Why that hasn't been understood about him for so long is unfortunate. He is the son of a single mother who, he reminded Wednesday, instilled him with the fighting spirit that has won him gold in consecutive Olympics now. She also has opted not to share whatever spotlight shines on her son.
There is plenty of light now, though much of it is more searchlight than stage light. It shouldn't be that way given that Davis, at 27, has brought nothing but reason to cheer to the U.S. of A. He and his mother may have a fantastic uplifting story to tell but they've decided to keep it to themselves.
So Davis is still being asked to explain his individualistic approach to what is an individual sport as if he is different from other particularly individual competitors with USA on their chests. American snowboard sensation Shaun White has his own halfpipe that he reportedly has been reluctant to let other snowboarders use, which is a break from tradition in the bohemian sport. Bode Miller won nothing at the Turin Olympics while distancing himself from everyone except barflies.
Davis has been criticized for not making himself as available to the national speed skating organization, but he supports his own training with his own sponsors and the results at these games on Wednesday spoke for themselves. The results for Miller on the slopes, for example, haven't always been as good. But Miller has been celebrated as an iconoclast while Davis has been dismissed as, if one can believe it, un-American.
Davis is as American as any American athlete here. He even noted how good it felt to compete so close to the U.S. border where what he hoped would be friendly fans would turn out to make it feel like he was racing at home. That was a feeling he didn't have in Turin in 2006, he said. He said he felt as if some people were against him there.
"I learned not to pay attention to things that are negative," Davis said of reports questioning why he bailed on the 500-meter race the other day and refused again to join the team pursuit. "It [participating in just one 500 heat] helped me with my speed and maybe skipping the second 500 helped me [with endurance]. So with me, it was fine."
America got another gold. America should be fine with Davis, too.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2010 16:34:11 GMT -8
Shani won another GOLD. Woo Hoo!
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Mar 26, 2010 18:59:31 GMT -8
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Apr 13, 2010 9:49:14 GMT -8
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Post by Laura (Lori) on Apr 13, 2010 9:57:09 GMT -8
Here are a couple more Shani photos that caught my eye... Closing Ceremonies: Photo Credit: Cameron Spencer, Getty Images Club Bud Under Armour Party, Feb 2010, Vancouver: Photo Credit: Christian Petersen, Getty Images Tags: Shani Davis / Short Track Speedskating
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