While many were skating their final laps at the Rollerdome, Paul Dyrud was in Kearns, Utah at the Olympic Oval attempting to represent our nation at the 2014 Olympics. Top three make the team:
Congratulations to Paul on a great effort and best of luck to him in the rest of the events. Impressive performance by the young Steven Hartman. Rebekah Dyrud was 8th in the 3k.
According to U.S. Speedskating “after day two of U.S. Olympic Long Track Trials, four Speedskating athletes have secured their nomination to the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team. Heather Richardson and Mitch Whitmore will be joining Jilleanne Rookard (3000m nominee) and Jonathan Kuck (5000m nominee) in Sochi, Russia for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.”
Mac Blumel finished 14th in the Samalogs (the combined time for two heats in the 500m – one each in the inner and outer starting lane). His brother Mike was 16th. KC Boutiette, without training, finished 18th.
On the ladies side, inliner Briana Kramer was 7th in the 3k, followed by Rebekah Dyrud. Fifty year old Jacqueline Munzel, recovering from injury, skated a personal best for 13th place.
In the ladies Samalog, the wife of former Minnesota inliner Eric Plath, Rebekah Bradford-Plath took sixth place.
Events continue on Sunday and are covered by NBC.
MN Masters Speedskating 