JEONG, HONG AND WARREN TAKE THE ICE IN INNSBRUCK AT 2012 YOUTH OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES
 

A general view of the Skating Oval during the Winter Youth Olympic Games on January 12, 2012 in Innsbruck, Austria.

(Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images)
 

The 2012 Youth Olympic Winter Games (YOG) are underway in Innsbruck, Austria. US Speedskating is proud to have three of our junior athletes representing Team USA - Clare Jeong (long track) and Thomas Insuk Hong and Sarah Warren (short track). US Speedskating coach Joe Rohraff, is serving as the U.S. YOG Speedskating Coach and Team Leader.

Long track and short track competitions will take place throughout the Games. In short track, competition will feature the 500m, 1000m, and for the first time, a Mixed-NOC Team Relay, where teams will consist of two women and two men from different countries. Long track skaters will compete 500m, 1500m and 3000m distances and a Mass Start race.

Good luck to Clare, Thomas, Sarah, and thank you to Joe!
 
Find out all the latest results, news and more thorough the following links…
 
Website

Results

Facebook

Twitter

YouTube

Speedskating Event Schedule

(includes events Team USA is scheduled for competition. All times are CET)

Long Track
January 18
11:00 Women’s 3000m
 
January 20
11:00 Women’s mass start
 
Short Track
January 18
17:00 Women's 1000 m Quarterfinals
17:16 Men's 1000 m Quarterfinals
17:47 Women's 1000 m Semifinals
18:18 Men's 1000 m Semifinals
18:49 Women's 1000 m Finals
19:22 Men's 1000 m Finals
 
January 19
10:00 Women's 500 m Quarterfinals
10:12 Men's 500 m Quarterfinals
10:39 Women's 500 m Semifinals
11:06 Men's 500 m Semifinals
11:33 Women's 500 m Finals
12:02 Men's 500 m Finals
 
January 21
17:35 Mixed Team Relay Semifinals
19:40 Mixed Team Relay Finals
 

TEAM USA SECURES SIX SPOTS FOR 2012 ALLROUND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Team USA’s allround skaters had outstanding performances at last weekend’s North American/Oceania Regional Qualifiers at the Calgary Olympic Oval.

Congratulations to the following athletes who will be heading to the 2012 ISU Allround World Championships in Moscow, February 17-19th.

Team USA Allround World Championship Roster

Shani Davis
Jonathan Kuck
Maria Lamb
Patrick Meek
Jilleanne Rookard
Joshua Wood

Complete results from last weekend’s qualifiers are available here.
 

ESSENT ISU WORLD CUP 4 COMES TO THE UTAH OLYMPIC OVAL JANUARY 21-22



Over 100 of the world’s top long track speed skaters will take to the ice at the Utah Olympic Oval this weekend to kick-off the second half of the 2011-12 Essent ISU World Cup season.
 
Good luck to our U.S. Sprint Team competing this weekend:

500m
Mike Blumel
Brittany Bowe
Lauren Cholewinski
Shani Davis
Tucker Fredricks
Kelly Gunther
Matt Plummer
Heather Richardson
Sugar Todd * inaugural World Cup competition
Mitch Whitmore

1000m
Brittany Bowe

Mike Blumel
Lauren Cholewinski

Shani Davis                
Tucker Fredricks
Mary Grace             
Kelly Gunther

Heather Richardson

Mitch Whitmore                
Joshua Wood
 
Competition starts at Noon (MST) daily. Admission is free. If you can’t make it to Utah to see the event in person, log on and tune in to ISU’s Skating Channel for live event coverage, and follow the action on US Speedskating’s Twitter and Facebook pages.

ASK JACK….

Jack Mortell answers some of your frequently asked USS board election questions:

Q: Per the US Speedskating  By-laws it appears as if I qualify for  USS Membership in two different Categories” Elite Athlete” because I am a 2010 Olympian and “General Membership” because I am currently still a “ Competing Athlete”. Do I get to vote in both the Elite Athlete Election and the General Membership Election ?

A: Section 5.10 of the US Speedskating By-laws clearly states, “Any individual may vote in only one membership category in which they qualify”

Q: If I qualify for two different categories of USS membership who or what determines which one I am placed in?

A: Per the By-laws US Speedskating is responsible for determining and preparing, by category, alphabetical lists of the names of all members who are entitled to vote.

Q: I am currently a “ Competing Athlete “ under the General Membership category but as a 2010 Olympian that qualifies me as an “ Elite Athlete”, shouldn’t it be my choice as to which of those two membership categories I belong?

A: The USS Bylaws determine which category you belong –

4.4.2  General Memberships:
General membership includes competing athletes, individual members, coaches, officials, and members of the US Speedskating Board of Directors, as well as lifetime members.

A.  “Competing Athlete.”  An individual shall be eligible for Competing Athlete membership in US Speedskating if he/she actively competes or desires to actively compete in US Speedskating-sanctioned competitions, provided that any individual who qualifies for Elite Athlete or Retired Elite Competitor membership shall be a member in that classification and shall not be a Competing Athlete member.

B.  “Individual Membership.”  An individual shall be eligible for Individual Membership in US Speedskating if he/she joins US Speedskating and satisfies any and all membership criteria, provided that any individual who qualifies for Elite Athlete, Retired Elite Competitor or Competing Athlete membership shall be a member in that classification and shall not be an Individual member.

Q: How do nominations work? Even though I am an Elite Athlete can I nominate someone to run in the upcoming election for “General Membership” or “Retired Elite Athlete”?

A: We have established that your Category of USS Membership is “ Elite Athlete” So per the US Speedskating By-laws you are only able to nominate other Elite Athletes to run for election in the Elite Athlete Category.

Q: What about when my status changes to “ Retired Elite Athlete”.

A: Only Retired Elite Athletes are able to nominate someone to run for a Retired Elite Board Position. However the Retired Elite Athlete making the nomination can nominate someone from any of the other Membership Categories.

For Example – Terry McDermott is a Retired Elite Athlete, he can nominate anyone from Retired Elite Membership, General Membership or Elite Athlete Membership to run for a Retired Elite Board Position. In other words anyone in USS Membership can run for a Retired Elite Board Position but they must be nominated by an actual Retired Elite Athlete to do so.

Q: So how did this work when I was in General Membership?

A: Anyone that has General Membership, Retired Elite Membership or Elite Membership can run for a General Membership Board Position but they must be nominated by someone from General Membership to do so.

Do you have additional Board election questions? If so, please e-mail jmortell@usspeedskating.org.

UTAH OLYMPIC OVAL SKATER TIGH ISSAC COMPETES IN RED BULL CRASHED ICE U.S. DEBUT
 

Tigh Issac, a member of the Utah Olympic Oval’s Short Track Program, took a break from the rink to focus on downhill, on skates, on a 1,400-foot track of ice in last week’s U.S. debut of the Red Bull Crashed Ice Series.

Check out a quick clip of the event here:

Red Bull Crashed Ice will air on Saturday, January 21st, 1PM-3 CST airing across NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network to kick of The Red Bull Signature Series. For more information visit www.redbullsignatureseries.com.

We’ll visit with Tigh in the next few weeks and share an interview in Inside Track about his adventure on ice.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

ANNOUNCING SPRING 2012 US SPEEDSKATING BOARD OF DIRECTORS MID-TERM ELECTION

As many of you have received a membership e-mail and announcement in last week’s Inside Track, USS  would like to announce that three positions will be on the ballot for election to the US Speedskating mid-term election. These positions are Competing Athlete and Individual Member (2) and Retired Elite Athlete (1).

Please review the following information regarding candidate eligibility, nomination procedures and election timeline.

Competing Athlete and Individual Member positions to be elected –

5th Competing Athlete and Individual Member position (aka General Membership )

6th Competing Athlete and Individual Member position (aka General Membership )
 

• Length of term - 2 years until Spring 2014
• Who is eligible? -  Please see US Speedskating By-Laws Article IV Members  & Article V Board of Director
• Who can nominate a candidate? -  Any member eligible to be elected as a Competing Athlete and Individual Member Director may nominate himself/herself, or may be nominated by another member. Note: A member can only nominate a member for election as a director in that nominating member’s category.
• How do you nominate candidate? - Nominations may be made by mailing, faxing, or otherwise delivering to US Speedskating Headquarters at the Utah Olympic Oval all relevant information on a member’s candidacy, including ( without limitations ) the name of the candidate, the candidate’s membership status and the category of membership for which the candidate is being nominated to represent.
• When do nominations close? - Wednesday Feb. 8th 2012                                         

Retired Elite Athlete position to be elected –

• Length of term - 2 years until Spring 2014
• Who is eligible? – Please see US Speedskating By-Laws Article IV Members  & Article V Board of Directors
• Who can nominate a candidate? – Any member eligible to be elected as a Retired Elite Athlete Director may nominate himself/herself, or may be nominated by another Retired Elite Athlete member. Note: A member can only nominate a member for election as a director in that nominating member’s category.
• How do you nominate a candidate? – Nominations may be made by mailing, faxing, or otherwise delivering to US Speedskating Headquarters at the Utah Olympic Oval all relevant information on a member’s candida, including ( without limitations ) the name of the candidate, the candidate’s membership status and the category of membership for which the candidate is being nominated to represent.
• When do nominations close? - Wednesday Feb. 8th 2012

Nominations may be sent to:

Linda Jager
E-mail: ljager@usspeedskating.org
Fax: 801-417-5361

Mail:

US Speedskating
5662 S. Cougar Lane
Kearns, UT 84118   

Election Timeline:

Wednesday, February 8th 2012- The names of all nominees shall be sent in an e-mail notice to the USS Membership.

Saturday, February 18th 2012 - Last day to decline to stand for election if nominated by someone other than himself/herself

Monday, February 20th – Ballots mailed to membership

Tuesday March 20th – Voting closes

Monday March 26th – Voting results posted on US Speedskating website and Inside Track

For additional information, please contact Linda Jager at ljager@usspeedskating.org or 801-417-5360.

SAVE THE DATE: SPRING BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

The Spring board meeting will be held in Cleveland, OH on April 20-22, 2012.  Full details to come.

U.S. MASTERS SINGLE DISTANCE CHAMPIONSHIPS RECAP
By Karri Cox

On January 7 and 8, some of the best masters skaters in the world came to the Pettit National Ice Center to compete in the Second US Masters Single Distance Championships.

Skaters battled to determine the US Champions in age groups from 30 to 75, in distances from 500 to 5000 meters.  The meet highlighted the recent growth in masters skating in the U.S., as this year 55 skaters competed, up from 36 last year.  

Skaters ranged in experience from first-year racers to five skaters who currently hold IMSSC Masters Records (“Masters World Records”)—Andrew Love, Bruce Conner, Marty Haire, Boris Leiken, and John Diemont.

At the end of two days of racing, numerous skaters had achieved Personal Best or Season’s Best times.  Thirteen skaters had achieved MAT 1 qualifying times in one or more distances.  And three skaters had set new IMSSC records: Leah Lambert, just entering the ranks of masters skaters after a successful career in the “younger” age groups, set the record in the Women’s 30-34 age group in the 500 meters with a time of 41.4; Jackie Munzel, a former figure skater in only her second season as a speedskater, set the record in the Women’s 45-49 age group in the 5000 meters with a time of 8:20.06; and Bruce Conner, who currently holds IMSSC records in the Mens 50-54 age group in the 500 and 1000 meters, set the record in his new 55-59 age group in the 500 meters, with a time of 39.84.
 
In addition to the world-class racing, skaters enjoyed an equipment swap meet, a party hosted by local skater and meet Co-Chair Olu Sijuwade, and a post-race lunch that was attended by skaters, families, and meet officials alike.

The next Masters skating meet in the U.S. will be the Masters International Long Track Championships, a pack-style completion held on Feb. 11 and 12 at the Pettit National Ice Center.  In addition, U.S. skaters will be competing in the Fourth Masters International Sprint Games in Heerenveen, NED on Feb. 11 and 12, and in the 21st Masters International Allround Games in Erfurt, GER on March 9-11.

For complete results of the Second Masters Single Distance Championships, please click here. For more information on Masters skating, please visit www.mastersspeedskating.org

SKATERS COMPETE IN GREAT LAKES MEET AT THE PETTIT
 

Long track athletes took to the ice at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee last weekend for the Great Lakes Long Track competition. Full results from Saturday's Time Trial results can be found here 
and Sunday’s Mass Start results can be found here.

Congratulations skaters and thanks to Mike Bernico for sharing photo highlights from the event. Look for an album of images from the event coming soon to our Facebook page.

MARKETING NEWS

US Speedskating Member Deal at Hilton Hotels

Looking for a great place to hang your hat for a few nights?  Hilton Hotels has 3600 hotels and 10 brands to fit any stay or budget.  When you book online through US Speedskating, you’ll receive 15% off the best available rate.  Need more than 1 room?  No problem, you can book groups too.  And every time you book a stay through us, you’ll be helping our athletes work toward their own stay at the Olympic Winter Games in 2014. Go to hhonors.com/teamusastays and clicked on speedskating

This Week with 24 Hour Fitness

US Speedskaitng is excited to partner with 24 Hour Fitness for two special events tomorrow:

• Athlete Meet and Greet from 5:00-6:00pm (MST) January, 18, with 2010 Olympians Travis Jayner and Rebekah Bradford, and 2011-12 World Cup Team Member Patrick Meek.
                                        
• Athlete chat from 6:00-7:00pm (MST) January, 18, with 2010 Olympic bronze medalist Travis Jayner and 2011-12 World Cup Team Member Patrick Meek.

If you live in the Salt Lake City Area, Please come out and join us at 24 Hour Fitness- West Jordan (3813 Center View Drive, West Jordan, UT 84084) If you do not live in the Salt Lake Area, Please join us here and join the conversation at 6pm (MST).
 
Do You Want Your Universal Sports Back?

If you lost Universal Sports you are missing the world’s best Speedskating and Olympic sport action. Help get Universal Sports Network back on your TV channel lineup by calling your TV provider at 1-800-55-GET-US. Don’t miss out on the 2012 season, including the Speedskating World Cups and Short Track, Distance and Allround World Championships listed below.  Help the cause, call 1-800-55-GET-US and click on this link.

World Cup Speed Skating from Salt Lake City, Utah
Watch 1/28/12 – 1/30/12 @ 10:00pm– 12:00am ET  
 
World Sprint Speed Skating Championships from Calgary, Canada
Watch 2/1/12 – 2/2/12 @ 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET
 
World Allround Speed Skating Championships from Moscow, Russia
Watch 2/22 – 2/23 @ 9:00 PM – 11:00 PM ET  
 
World Short Track Speed Skating Championships from Shanghai, China
Watch 3/12 – 3/13 @ 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM ET  
 
World Cup Speed Skating Final from Berlin, Germany
Watch: 3/14 – 3/15 @ 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET  
 
World Single Distance Speed Skating Championships from Heerenveen, The Netherlands
Watch: 3/26 – 3/27 @ 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM ET
 
Get Some Gear and Show Your Team Spirit

Show your pride and get your official US Speedskating apparel on usspeedskatingshop.com

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