Tough Questions: "Go get 'em, European media!"

This fall, during my last set of World Cup competitions, I had the dubious honor of observing some of US Speedskating's relations with the media. While sitting in on a press conference before the Salt Lake World Cup, I got to learn some things that I may or may not have actually wanted to know; the "cultural terrorist" in me smiled and thought, "I told you so." But what remained of the honest athlete within me wanted to reach for the Pepto-Bismol.

At some point during the press conference, Program Director Mike Crowe said a few words on athletes who trained with programs outside USS. His comment was that athletes who train with alternative programs are very important to our team because they increase our level of competitiveness.

At this point, I began to think about how this statement fits with US Speedskating's treatment of outside-program athletes. If they believe athletes like Chad, Shani, Derek, Chris Witty, and others who train outside USS are important to the U.S.'s performance in speedskating, then why do they insist on trying to take everything possible away from us?

I wondered if Crowe was aware that one coach is not necessarily the best coach for every athlete; that an athlete may work better with one coach than another. I was reasonably sure that he understood this. In fact, Derek Parra later told me, "Mike knows that Bart Schouten is the best coach for me." But we couldn't figure out why, while knowing what was best for the athletes, Crowe wasn't willing to stand up to the administration in defense of the athletes' rights.

If everybody agrees that Derek works best with Bart, what's the problem with letting him work with Bart, while still having access to TOSH physical therapy, massage, and testing, high altitude funding, training camps, catered dinners, etc.? Derek tried working with the National Team the same season I did, and obviously it didn't work for him, because he went back to Bart the next year. As soon as he did, all of the benefits I mentioned above were taken away from him. How does this demonstrate USS's supposed belief that athletes in alternative programs are helpful and important to them?

During that press conference, it became obvious that the American media were willing to let things slide and had no further questions. If US Speedskating didn't want to make clear the difference between what they called the "US National Team" and "the actual athletes who represent the USA on the international level in speedskating," then the American reporters weren't going to press the issue.

There was one reporter (I think he was Dutch) who asked a very interesting question, directed towards Tom Cushman. The reporter said, "US Speedskating held several training camps in Milwaukee this summer because the ice there is more similar to the ice in Torino. Is that correct?"

Tom replied that they had held three two-week camps in Milwaukee. Then, the reporter went on to ask, "And who was invited to these camps?"

To which Tom replied, "The US National Team."

Of course, nobody asked what was meant by that, but I think the Dutch guy got the answer he was looking for. Anyone who is aware of the situation would realize that none of the skaters who train with outside programs were invited to these camps. In other words, several Olympic medal favorites were not invited to six weeks' worth of camps held on ice similar to that in Torino.

When someone spends several months trying to set up inequalities between you (and fellow alternative-program athletes) and his "favorites," the last thing you want to hear is that person wishing you "good luck" 10 minutes before your World Cup race, and asking if there's anything you need. Come on. Maintain some integrity! What they should have said is, "You know, Rodansky, I didn't want you to make this World Cup team, but now that you're here, I hope you fall on your face."

It really became uncomfortable for me to travel on the World Cup circuit with such two-faced people. Now that they're in Europe preparing for the Games, I'm counting on the tough questions of the European sports media to make THEM squirm.