This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Kearns • Staring out on the ice he's sliced upon for over a decade, Shani Davis expounded upon why, at 33, he's still pushing for more.
More wins. More podiums. More medals. More titles. More speed.
The two-time Olympic gold medal long-track speedskater wants more because he isn't taking these days lightly. One of the most — if not the most — decorated long-track skaters in U.S. history, Davis faces another grueling ISU World Cup season ahead of him. But he's enjoying the moment, not plotting for a fifth Olympic medal in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in the 2018 Winter Olympics.
"I'm not really planning that far out," Davis told The Tribune on Sunday morning.
It's been over a decade since his first World Cup season as an up-and-coming 18-year-old kid from Chicago. As expected, Davis qualified in the men's 1,000-meter as well as the 1,500-meter events in this weekend's World Cup qualifiers at the Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns.
Boiling it down, Davis said he's always just been a guy who wanted to skate fast — and skate faster than those he's competing against. That passion was instilled as a kid and as explained said, it's never left him. A world champion several times over, Davis says age isn't slowing him down. It's only made him become more of a strategic racer.
"The work is not work for me," he said. "It's still play. I still have a lot of fun with it. Until that day comes, man, I'm not going to worry about it."
After U.S. speedskating's failure at the Sochi Games in Feb. 2014 — the long-track program was shut out for the first time in 30 years — Davis' ensuing World Cup season was a tremendous struggle, he said. He had no World Cup victories. There was one World Cup podium last season, a third-place spot. The speedskating star was in a "big fight" to find himself and his form.
On Valentine's Day, he peaked, and at the perfect time.
Davis won his first world championship in four years in the men's 1,000 meters in Heerenveen, Netherlands. Not one for emotion, Davis broke down after his 10th individual world championship gold.
"That was so uplifting to me," he said. "I said to myself, 'I still have something left to give.'"
U.S. long track all-around coach Tom Cushman knew Davis did all along.
"It also gives you the confidence to say, 'I don't have to be rocking it in October,'" he said. "I need to be rocking it in February."
This year, Davis said, he'll take the same approach to ensure the best results at some World Cup events, but most importantly, world championship events late in the season. It's something he didn't have to worry about before, timing his performances and peaking at the right time.
"Father Time is the only thing that's undefeated," he said grinning.
When he was younger, he'd win at least 80 percent of his races in a season. Sometimes, he'd finish a campaign unblemished. Now he jokes that it hurts his feelings just thinking about those days in the rear-view mirror. But Davis accepts it as a challenge. It's part of growing up and facing younger talent from around the world.
"It's a game of chess," he said. "Whoever has the best moves wins that given day."
When the Pyeongchang Games are broached, Davis laughs. The idea of competing in a fourth straight Olympics is not being entertained — at least not yet. Last year, he'd spoken of possible retirement if his results didn't improve.
Yet another world title won in February changed that conversation, at least for the time being.
"If I still have the motivation and energy to pursue being in an Olympics, I will," he said. "If not, it's been a great career."
Twitter: @chriskamrani —
Shani Davis file
Career • Long-track speedskater
Age • 33
Hometown • Chicago
Highlights • Two-time Olympic gold medalist (2006 Turin, 2010 Vancouver), two-time Olympic silver medalist (2006 Turin, 2010 Vancouver), 10-time world champion, Grand World Cup champion 2013-2014, Seven-time World Cup champion.