How to Make Short Track Speedskating Popular…in 8 Steps:

Posted on October 22, 2008 by johnkcoyle

I spent the weekend watching some of the world’s great athletes participate in one of the most exciting, dangerous, unpredictable and absolutely unknown Olympic sports on the planet. I scratched my head wondering, “How is it that car racing, baseball, figure skating, volleyball, even curling – are so much more popular than short track speedskating?!”  So, as the action [...]

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2008 Short Track World Cup Day 1 (October 18)

Posted on October 19, 2008 by johnkcoyle

Speedskating is an odd sport. Teams travel half the globe in order to compete in the world cup, and, if their first races don’t go well, can find themselves finished after the first day and only 1 or 2 races. Hence the the repechage round – a sort of “wildcard berth” opportunity was invented to provide these skaters [...]

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2008 Short Track World Cup #1, Salt Lake City: What are the ‘rules’ of short track?

Posted on October 17, 2008 by johnkcoyle

Flying out this afternoon to announce the first short track world cup competition of the year in Salt Lake City, along with my compatriots from last year Carl Roepke and DJ Paul Helms. Should be a blast. So, you might ask, what is this short track thing all about – seems a very dangerous and [...]

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2008 Short Track Nationals: apparently I don’t suck THAT much as an announcer…

Posted on March 11, 2008 by johnkcoyle

I was invited to announce the national short track championships over the weekend at the Petit Center in Milwaukee, WI. My co-announcer, Jeff Brand, let it slip shortly before I headed up that he has announced over 100 meets and I was forced to confess I’ve announced only 1 – granted it was a biggie. The days were [...]

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Day Three of the Short Track Worldcup, Salt Lake City, Utah

Posted on February 12, 2008 by johnkcoyle

Men’s results: Apolo fans got and eyefull and earful on this final day of racing here at the Utah Olympic Oval. Wearing the usual red bandana under his helmet, Apolo led the team in overall results by winning the men’s 1000m final in a finish that can only be described as “typically bizarre” – with 2 of [...]

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Day Two of the Short Track Worldcup, Salt Lake City, Utah

Posted on February 10, 2008 by johnkcoyle

The racing last evening was fantastic. To the tune of a sold out crowd, every American qualified in their first rounds (500 quarterfinals and 1500 semis) - Jeff Simon, Apolo Ohno, Katherine Ruetter and Allison Baver – and moved on to the next round. Quarters & Semis: The first heat of quarterfinals of the evening set the tone [...]

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Day 1 1/2 of the Short Track Worldcup, Salt Lake City, Utah

Posted on February 9, 2008 by johnkcoyle

I managed to get a decent amount of rest last night despite being out on the town with all 3 of my teammates from the 1994 Olympic games – the first time in probably 10 years that we had a chance to spend more than a few minutes together.  The evening was filled with good [...]

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Day One of the Short Track Worldcup, Salt Lake City, Utah

Posted on February 9, 2008 by johnkcoyle

(For those new to short track and the vagaries of this sport – check out my post under Torino Olympic Journal 2006 -  Torino #3 1/2 – its an insider’s view into the sport based in some part on Apolo’s own ups and downs within this turbulent but exciting world.) Its been a long, but interesting [...]

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Heading to Salt Lake City to announce the World Cup

Posted on January 28, 2008 by johnkcoyle

I fly out Feb 7 and return Feb 11. My cronies from the 1994 Games will all be there: Gabel, Bartz & Flaim. Should be a good time. TV info below: (note I’m not doing TV – I’m doing the on site announcing – Andy Gabel is doing the TV) NBC Universal will broadcast the Essent [...]

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