United States speedskater Shani Davis was far from a sure thing to qualify for his fifth Olympics in PyeongChang, but after nailing down his spot, there was one emotion he felt more than any other.
“It was just a relief, like a big weight lifted off my shoulders to qualify,” he said. “I’m really excited nonetheless that the Olympics are in Korea, and I can go there and compete.”
Davis, who won gold medals in the 1000 meter race in the 2006 and 2010 Olympics, will compete in that race again in PyeongChang. He will also compete in the 1500 meter race, joining teammates Joey Mantia and Brian Hansen in that competition.
Shani Davis Through the Years: Olympic Performances
After his performance in Sochi, Davis likely won’t be coming into the Games with the same buzz that he did in previous years. After winning his gold medals in Torino and Vancouver, Davis struggled in 2014, finishing in eighth place in the 1000 meters and in 11th in the 1500 meter race.
Even with those setbacks, Davis is making sure that he is not only preparing for his own competitions, but that he is available for his teammates as well.
“It gives me a great honor and pleasure to be able to do that because when I was younger and having a hard time at the Olympic Games, a lot of people weren’t that outgoing and friendly with me because we were so competitive and they didn’t want to give me a lot of those things, but I always made sure that if I was ever in a position to do such a thing like that, I would not do things the same way,” he said.
Local
[NATL-CHI] 10 Fascinating Facts About Speedskating Star Shani Davis
Surrounding himself with younger athletes could help Davis feel a bit younger himself, as he admits that he isn’t able to train the same way he could when he was a young Olympian in 2002 and 2006.
“I still feel young at heart,” he said. “I think in the training, I have to remind myself constantly that I’m not a kid anymore and that I can’t do the same training I did four, six years ago because I don’t recover the same.
“I guess you change your youth for wisdom and knowledge and expertise,” he added.
Even though he has the wisdom of a veteran skater, Davis knows that the secret to his success is that he approaches the sport with the zeal and enthusiasm that he has always approached it with.
“I love to compete. I love to skate as fast as I possibly can and beat other people trying to do the same thing,” he said. “That’s why I became a speedskater. So as long as I stick to those morals, I think everything else is great.”
