MILWAUKEE — Great news for all the Greta Myers fans in Minnesota and beyond: The pride of Lino Lakes has qualified for the 1,500-meter event in women’s speed skating at the upcoming Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. It’s just that she had to stay after school to make it happen. Myers was required to re-skate the 1,500-meter event in the U.S. speed skating trials Sunday afternoon at the Pettit National Ice Center, this after making contact with veteran Brittany Bowe during their heat. On the back st
It’s just that she had to stay after school to make it happen.
Myers was required to re-skate the 1,500-meter event in the U.S. speed skating trials Sunday afternoon at the Pettit National Ice Center, this after making contact with veteran Brittany Bowe during their heat.
On the back stretch of their race, Myers, 21, failed to give Bowe sufficient room, triggering a disqualification. Bowe nonetheless wound up with a time of 1 minute, 55:030 seconds, first overall, to secure her spot on the U.S. team in the 1,500. Myers finished second and appeared to already have an Olympic spot secured before the ruling.
Because the U.S. trials are a “selection event,” Myers was allowed to redo the 1,500. She registered a time of 1 minute, 56.04 seconds, good for second place overall and Olympic qualification.
“No big deal,” Myers said with a wide smile after the event.
No big deal now, anyway.
“Honestly, I’m relieved,” Myers said. “In the moment on the backstretch, I didn’t know I was as close to (Bowe) as I was. And when we accidentally hit, I knew immediately it was going to be a disqualification.”
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It was one of two unscheduled wrinkles that took place at Sunday’s trials. On the men’s side, Jordan Stolz started the 1,500-meter race but stopped after just a few strides. Having already pre-qualified for the 1,500 in the Olympics, and still feeling the effects of what his parents have termed “nasal congestion,” he needed only to start the race to make things official.
But earlier in the day, Stolz did compete in — and finish — the 500-meter, even though he’s pre-qualified for that as well. He finished in 34.761 seconds, edging the Milan-bound Cooper McLeod (34.820).
This excuse-me by Stolz served as a warm-up act to the Myers re-do, which was held after the men’s 1,500-meter heats had been completed, with fans lingering for what turned out to be a solo bonus race against the clock.
Myers, speaking with reporters after she re-staged her 1,500-meter race, admitted she “felt that sinking feeling in my stomach” after the disqualification.
Racing a second time wasn’t taxing, Myers said, because “we do a lot harder stuff at practice, so I know that I can. But it was amazing to have the opportunity to re-skate.
“I was just so relieved that I got to re-skate because I didn’t know (at first) I had that opportunity. So I’m really happy I didn’t lose out on the opportunity to skate in the Olympics over such a silly mistake.”
You know who else is happy Myers got that second chance? Brittany Bowe.
Recalling her conversation with Myers after the heat, Bowe said, “She said, ‘Do you think I’ll get disqualified?’ I told her I hope not because it didn’t really change my rhythm, it didn’t really impede. I just told her to re-focus and get this re-skate in. Because there’s no question she deserves that second starting position in the Olympics.”
Assuming the role of post-race analyst, Bowe saw things this way: “(Myers) did not yield. But it was just tough, how our speeds aligned at the same time. It’s just unfortunate when that happens.
“It’s just kind of luck, or unluck, of the draw with how the speeds go,” Bowe said. “And actually, in the 1,500, I find that to be a close call for me more times than not because I’ll get paired with the girl that’s coming from the distant side, and I’m coming from the sprint side. Kind of in the middle or at the end of the race, those speeds can kind of collide. In the 1,500, that’s something I always have to be aware of.”
Bowe, 37, will be competing in her fourth, and last, Olympics. On Sunday, she raced as though she were trying to get there for the first time.
“I always want to win,” said Bowe, who also qualified Saturday for the 1,000-meter race. “I want to win every time I get out there. I thought my biggest competition was the person that I was paired with (Myers), so it was a great pair for both of us. I felt pretty confident throughout the race, but still wanted to stay solid.”
Analyzing her own Sunday performance, Bowe said, “I’m really happy with that race. I wanted to open up pretty quick and just lock in and skate a solid race. I’m really happy with the execution and obviously thrilled about getting another starting position at the Olympics.”
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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