#speedskating

#speedskating

the schoolkid's pink, heart-festooned backpack that Casey Dawson is schlepping around town as punishment for losing at fantasy football. It keeps me humble. It keeps me grounded. It puts a smile on my face every time I see it. It's kind of ridiculous, but it's fun. It keeps everything fun and light-hearted, said Dawson, a 25-year-old from Park City, Utah, whose first event at this Winter Games comes Sunday in the men's 5,000 meters.

It was just really surprising, I guess, because I felt like, How could that be?' she said in an interview with The Associated Press at the U.S. Speedskating trials ahead of the Milan Cortina Games. When you think about how many Winter Olympics we've had, I just thought it was really strange. I hope people can see my story and the stories of other Black women in winter sports and then, hopefully, we'll have more coming up soon.

If Goldilocks were a speedskater, hockey ice would be medium hard, for fast puck movement and sharp turns. Figure skating ice would be softer, allowing push off for jumps and so the ice doesn't shatter on landing. Curling ice is the softest and warmest of all, for controlled sliding. For speedskating ice to be just right, it must be hard, cold and clean. And very, very smooth.