Speedskating
Richmond Olympic Oval
FEB. 13-27

Best of the U.S.: Shani Davis is the name everyone will remember and is the favorite in both the 1,000 and 1,500. In 2006 in the 1,000-meter race, Davis became the first African American athlete to win gold in an individual Winter Games sport. He won the silver in the 1,500. Tucker Fredricks had podium finishes in each of the World Cups he skated in 2009-10 in the 500. Chad Hedrick and Trevor Marsciano lead the U.S. team pursuit squad, with Davis not participating as expected. Three-time Olympian Jen Rodriguez will lead the U.S. women’s team.
Best of the rest: Canada’s Christine Nesbitt was the 2009 world champion and won the overall World Cup title in the 1,000. Germany’s Monique Angermueller could make an impact in her Olympic debut. Canada’s Denny Morrison set a world record in the 1,500 in 2008, since broken by Davis. Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic is the world-record holder in the 5,000. Sven Kramer of the Netherlands is the world-record holder in the 10,000. Kramer’s countryman, Bob de Jong, is the defending Olympic champion.
Predictions
Men’s 500: 1. Lee Kyou-Hyuk, South Korea. 2. Joji Kato, Japan. 3. Fredricks, U.S.
Women’s 500: 1. Jenny Wolf, Germany. 2. Annette Gerritsen, Netherlands. 3. Wang Beixing, China.
Men’s 1,000: 1. Davis, U.S. 2. Mark Tuitert, Netherlands. 3. Lee, South Korea.
Women’s 1,000: 1. Nesbitt, Canada. 2. Annette Gerritsen, Netherlands. 3. Angermueller, Germany.
Men’s 1,500: 1. Davis, U.S. 2. Morrison, Canada. 3. Hedrick, U.S.
Women’s 1,500: 1. Groves, Canada. 2. Nesbitt, Canada. 3. Ireen Wust, Netherlands.
Men’s 10,000: 1. Kramer, Netherlands. 2. De Jong, Netherlands. 3. Havard Bokko, Norway.
Women’s 5,000: 1. Sablikova, Czech Republic. 2. Groves, Canada. 3. Stephanie Beckert, Germany.
Men’s team: 1. Canada. 2. Italy. 3. Netherlands.
Women’s team: 1. Canada. 2. Netherlands. 3. Germany.