THREE MEDALS JUST AREN'T ENOUGH FOR TEXAN SPEEDSKATER HEDRICK DISAPPOINTED WITH GOLD-SILVER-BRONZE COMBO.Byline: Paul Oberjuerge Staff Writer TURIN, Italy - Chad Hedrick Chad Hedrick (born April 17, 1977 in Spring, Texas) is an American inline speed skater and ice speed skater. Hedrick revolutionized the inline speed skating world with his unique technique, called the double push or DP, now the standard skating technique for élite skaters. is the only American in the athlete's village with three medals. As well as being the only American disappointed he doesn't have more. ``I felt like I left a lot of medals out there,'' the U.S. speedskater said Friday. ``I didn't skate skate, fish: see ray. skate Any of nine genera (suborder Rajoidea) of rounded to diamond-shaped rays. These bottom-dwellers are found from tropical to near-Arctic waters and from the shallows to depths of more than 9,000 ft (2,700 m). perfect. I won the first one, then went 0 for 4.'' The blunt Texan, who insists he never said he would win five gold medals gold medal traditional first prize. [Western Cult: Misc.] See : Prize here but didn't seem to mind when others suggested he might, finished the Turin Games with a silver in the 10,000-meter race, giving him three medals, one of each hue. He wanted more, and he wanted more gold. ``I'm a little upset,'' he said. Somebody always seems upset when Hedrick is around - Hedrick himself or an opponent who doesn't appreciate his perceived arrogance and lack of respect for a tradition-steeped sport. After finishing second to Holland's Bob de Jong Bob Johannes Carolus de Jong (born November 13, 1976 in Leimuiden) is a Dutch speed skater, who specializes in long distances: five and ten kilometers. In 2006, he won the gold medal for the ten kilometer race at the Olympic Games in Turin. , Hedrick made one of those sweeping, boastful statements that seem to get under the lycra skins of his competitors. Asked how he won silver despite being taxed by four previous events, Hedrick tapped his chest with his right hand. ``Right here,'' he said. ``My heart is bigger than anybody else out there. If anyone else had been out there feeling like I did, they wouldn't have gotten to the podium podium In architecture, a pedestal on a large scale. It may be any of various elements that form the base of a structure, such as the platform forming the floor and substructure of a Classical temple, a low wall supporting columns, or the structurally or decoratively . That's just me. I refuse to lose.'' That was a bit much for bronze-medalist Carl Verheijen Carl Eduard Verheijen (born May 26, 1975 in The Hague) is a Dutch speedskater specializing in the longer distances 5,000-m and the 10,000-m. Verheijen is the son of skater Eddy Verheijen and has a relation with retired skater Andrea Nuyt in Leusden. , de Jong's teammate. ``Only one guy had a really big heart,'' Verheijen said, ``and that was Bob (de Jong De Jong is the most common Dutch surname. Many people bear this name, including many important historical figures. Some of these people are mentioned below. De Jong may mean:
Said de Jong: ``It's American-style, fighting in the Olympics. He wants to win every race. He was mad with a bronze medal'' in the 1,500. So went the final appearance here by Hedrick, the former inline skater who has roiled the conservative world of long-track speedskating with his style as well as his record-breaking performances in only three years on ice. He won the 5,000-meter race Feb. 11, but his bid to equal Eric Heiden's haul of five gold medals, at Lake Placid Lake Placid, village (1990 pop. 2,485), Essex co., NE N.Y.; settled 1850, inc. 1900. In the Adirondack Mts. at an altitude of 1,800 ft (549 m), the village surrounds Mirror Lake. It is a famous resort and sports center. in 1980, went off the tracks when the team pursuit squad was eliminated in the quarterfinals. Then came two contentious races with teammate Shani Davis Shani Davis (born August 13, 1982 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American speed skater who competes in both short track and long track speed skating. At the 2006 Winter Olympics, Davis became the first black athlete to win a gold medal in an individual sport (1,000-m) and the : the 1,000, which Davis won as Hedrick finished fifth (and refused to congratulate Davis) and the 1,500, in which Davis was second and Hedrick third. That set off a spate of stories about a bitter feud feud, formalized private warfare, especially between family groups. The blood feud (see vendetta) is characteristic of those societies in which central government either has not arisen or has decayed. between Hedrick and Davis when, in fact, Hedrick seems to annoy all sorts of people in the sport. Friday, de Jong went early and put up a time of 13 minutes, 1.57 seconds. Hedrick was ahead of de Jong's pace for eight laps of the grueling, 25-lap event at the Oval Lingotto, then slowly faded, his 30-second laps slipping to 31 seconds, then to 32. Verheijen almost caught him before Hedrick found one last burst of energy to pull away on the 23rd lap. Hedrick was clocked in 13:05.40, 10 seconds off the world record he set in Utah on New Year's Eve. Verheijen came in at 13:08.80. Holland's 1-3 finish pleased its numerous and boisterous fans. Verheijen was further annoyed when he was informed Hedrick said he let Verheijen cut into a big early gap, luring him close so he could wreck him with a lap of sprinting. ``I'm glad he thinks about me and not just himself,'' Verheijen said, sarcastically sar·cas·tic adj. 1. Expressing or marked by sarcasm. 2. Given to using sarcasm. [sarc(asm) + -astic, as in enthusiastic. . ``Maybe he should think about the gold and not the silver.'' Hedrick said he knew the gold wasn't realistic after seven or eight laps, when he felt himself tiring prematurely, a problem he attributed to competing in five events. ``I knew Carl and I were racing for the silver,'' he said. Paul Oberjuerge, (909) 386-3865 paul.oberjuerge(at)sbsun.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box Photo: (1 -- color) The United States' Chad Hedrick, left, holds off the Netherlands' Carl Verheijen to take second place in the men's 10,000 meters Friday in Turin, Italy. Al Bello/Getty Images (2 -- color) Chad Hedrick celebrates with an American flag after claiming his third medal of the Turin Games - a silver in the 10,000. Matt Dunham/Associated Press Box: NEED FOR SPEED |
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