Denny Morrison Website

Canwest News Service January 27, 2010

In this file photo, Denny Morrison of Canada competes during the men's 1,000 meter event at an ISU World Cup Speed Skating event. Photograph by: Vincent Jannink, AFP/Getty Images

VANCOUVER — Denny Morrison of Fort St. John. B.C., won a silver medal in the team pursuit at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy. He was world champion in the 1,500 metres in 2008 and third in the 1,000 metres. At the 2009 world championships at the Richmond Olympic Oval, he was second in the 1,000 metres and third in the 1,500 metres.

He shared his feelings about what’s in store for the 2010 Games in Vancouver.

On friend and rival Shani Davis of the U.S.: “When he broke my 1,500-metre world record in Salt Lake City in December, it was by 8/10ths of a second. It’s not like it was by two seconds. And you want to talk about pressure, breaking the world record going into the Olympics, that’s pressure. I feel like I’m in a better spot because it’s easier to build momentum than to maintain momentum. I’ve got this headline from USA Today saying ‘Shani’s untouchable’ on my fridge. It’s a good motivator.

On getting started in the sport:

“I was a natural-born balance kid. I was riding a bicycle without training wheels at two. I was three years old when my mom first started taking me to parent-and-tot skates in (Chetwynd, B.C.) I had no problem balancing and skating, so she would get me to jump the blue-lines and the red line at the rink. I didn’t get my first pair of long-track skates until I was 13 or 14. My parents bought them for me. It’s funny, they didn’t always have the means to buy a new computer or video game I wanted, but if I needed a new pair of soccer boots or running shorts or a T-shirt to train in, I got it.

“A lot of kids don’t have opportunities in sports and it’s one of the reasons why I recently signed on with KidSport to raise money to help pay for entry fees into sport and clubs. Hopefully, those kids will fall in love with a sport like I did and become an Olympic champion.

On the benefits of being an Olympic athlete:

“I did this piece for Westjet’s inflight magazine, picking my favourite fancy restaurants in Richmond and I mentioned the Chop Steakhouse. It was picked up on my fan club’s website and the president from Chop saw it and wanted to send a thank-you note. I thought that’s awesome. I wasn’t expecting too much, but he sent me a $150 gift certificate just for mentioning the place.

On his plans leading up to the Games:

“I might go to the athletes’ village before the opening ceremonies, but I’ll spend most of the time in my condo in Richmond. Talk about a home advantage. I feel right at home there. When I leave Calgary, which is where I live and train most of the time, I don’t need to take a toothbrush because I already have that. I just have to do a little shopping when I get there, take the laundry out that I left in the drier and I’m ready to go.

On performing before a home crowd:

“Pressure and expectation won’t be a problem for me. I have an Olympics under my belt and three world championships, where I’ve won medals. I know what to expect, what it’s going to be like and I’m pretty confident I can do what I need to do.”

Vancouver Sun

Five to watch

• Kristina Groves

Age: 33

Hometown: Ottawa

Olympic experience: silver in 1,500, team pursuit (2006)

Career highlights: Overall World Cup winner over 1,500 metres in 2008-2009, she won five medals at the 2008 world single distance championships (one gold, two silver and two bronze).

• Clara Hughes

Age: 37

Hometown: Sutton, Que.

Olympic experience: gold (2006) and bronze (2002) in 5,000 metres

Career highlights: Fourth person and second woman to win medals at the Summer and Winter Games. She won two bronze medals in cycling at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta.

• Cindy Klassen

Age: 30

Hometown: Winnipeg

Olympic experience: five medals (one gold, two silver, two bronze) in 2006; bronze in 2002

Career highlights: Her five medals in Turin was the most ever at a single games by a Canadian athlete.

• Christine Nesbitt

Age: 24

Hometown: London, Ont.

Past Olympics: silver in team pursuit (2006)

Career highlights: Took the 1,000-metre title at the world sprint championships in 2009 and won the overall World Cup title at that distance.

• Jeremy Wotherspoon

Age: 33

Hometown: Red Deer, Alta.

Olympic experience: four-time Olympian won bronze in 1998

Career highlights: Has set 10 world records over the course of his career. The 12-time World Cup overall champion is the all-time winningest World Cup skater.

Speedskating trivia

• Canadian speedskaters have won 16 medals at the last three Olympic Games. Over that time, only the Netherlands (28), Germany (17) and the United States (17) have won more. Half of Canada’s 16 medals were won four years ago in Turin, where Cindy Klassen hauled in a Canadian-record five medals. Only the Netherlands, with nine medals, had a more successful showing. The United States was right behind the leaders with seven medals.

• Speedskating has been contested at every Winter Olympic Games since the first one, in 1924. Women’s events were added as a demonstration sport in 1932, but didn’t get official Olympic status until 1960.

• German Claudia Pechstein has been banned for doping for two years, but remains the most successful speedskater in Olympic history with nine medals, five of them gold. She’s one of just four Winter Olympic athletes to have won medals at five straight Olympic Games.

• Team pursuit became an Olympic medal event at the 2006 Games in Turin, with Canada winning silver in both the men’s and women’s races. The pursuit pits three athletes from eight countries against each other in a series of elimination races, with the top two teams eventually facing off for gold. Teams must complete six laps around a 400-metre oval (a short track, by comparison, is only 111.12 metres around), with skaters taking turns leading the team. Skaters who aren’t leading follow closely behind, taking advantage of air currents.

Vancouver Sun

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