Tomorrow is the night Shani Davis competes in the 1000m speed skating event. As the world champion and record-holder, he's the favorite. It's ridiculous that so many continue to blame Shani for the Americans dismal performance on Wednesday—especially against athletes who have multiple gold medals and this would be his first. For instance, an AFP article that just moved begins, "World record-holder Shani Davis might have cost Chad Hedrick his chance at five Olympic gold medals by shunning the US team pursuit squad ..."
NBC Olympics barely offers some context. "The addition of the team pursuit -- a nation against nation event -- to the Olympic program has presented speed skaters with a new question: Should they participate in the pursuit if doing so might compromise their ability to succeed in their individual events?" But the editors totally blow the point by headlining the story "Heiden: Davis Could Have Raced.",Gold medalist Eric Heiden admits that "Shani had to make one of the most important decisions of his career" yet he waffles on what his decision would have been. It's a moot point because it was Shani's race.
Rod 2.0 obsession Sean Golden continues to vault toward Beijing 2008. (Hey, we said "Olympics Update, not just Torino.) Last week, the 5'5 Houston phenom placed at the Winter Cup, earning his place for the upcoming American Cup. As expected, David Durante took first but we're more than happy that our Golden boy is still number two-ranked in still rings and vault.
Keith profiles Vonetta Flowers, the first black athlete to win a Winter Olympic gold medal. Vonetta says her breakfast of champions is .... McDonald's Apple Pies? "In Europe you can still get the fried ones, and I love them. So I eat three a day." On Monday, she competes in Women's Bobsled.
Carl Quintanilla profiled Shani Davis on Thursday night's Nightly News with Brian Williams. There's text and video available: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11388930/ .
I've asked around for opinions on this issue. In the last comment thread about Shani, most people disagreed with my comments about Davis' behavior.
I think I need to clarify. I respect Shani Davis and it is his right to choose not to participate in team competition, whether it's because he wants to focus on his individual events or because he feels he was shunned in 2002 by the American speedskating team.
I'm proud that Davis is representing our country, and even more proud that he's the current No. 1-ranked skater.
I don't presume to know what happened in Salt Lake City. Davis has put the business out there by saying he was shunned by the team; "the team" hasn't responded (at least, in the dispatches that I've read).
Either way, it's Davis' right to choose to return the cold shoulder in whatever way he pleases. But, I look at it from the perspective of being the bigger person. Someone has to step up, whether it be a parent, a team member, a coach, a trainer or Oprah and stop whatever has caused this riff between Shani & Co.
Again, full disclaimer, I'm not claiming to know what (if anything) the white members (well, there's Derek Parra, too) of the team did to Shani. He doesn't exactly elaborate. But it has become a public spat. And not a very fun-to-watch one either.
Wouldn't it be funny if this was a misunderstanding that snowballed into the alienation that it is today?
*sigh* Gotta love the peace and love at the Olympics.
Posted by: BRIAN | 17 February 2006 at 12:30