Olympics: Tough day for American speedskaters

Speedskating • Long-, short-track competitors fail to medal; 4th-place Celski is top American.

SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10:
Shani Davis, of Chicago, Ill., and Mitch Whitmore, of Waukesha, Wis., compete in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Davis placed 24th with a time of 70.98. Whitmore placed 27th with a time of 71.06. (Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune)

SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10:
Shani Davis, of Chicago, Ill., after competing in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Davis placed 24th with a time of 70.98. (Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune)

Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune

Han-Bin Lee, of Korea, (240) J.R. Celski, of Salt Lake City, and Dequan Chen, of China, (208) compete in the 1,500-meter short-track speedskating finals at Iceberg Skating Palace during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday Feb. 10, 2014. Celski finished in fourth place with a time of 2:15.624, 0.639 behind gold medalist Charles Hamelin of Canada.

SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10:
Park City's Mitch Whitmore reacts after competing in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Whitmore finished in 27th place.
(Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune)

Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune

J.R. Celski, of Salt Lake City, and Dequan Chen, of China, (208) compete in the 1,500-meter short-track speedskating finals at Iceberg Skating Palace during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday Feb. 10, 2014. Celski finished in fourth place with a time of 2:15.624, 0.639 behind gold medalist Charles Hamelin of Canada.

Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune

J.R. Celski, of Salt Lake City, and Dequan Chen, of China, (208) fall after finishing in the 1,500-meter short-track speedskating finals at Iceberg Skating Palace during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday Feb. 10, 2014. Celski finished in fourth place with a time of 2:15.624, 0.639 behind gold medalist Charles Hamelin of Canada.

SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10:
United State's Brian Hansen competes in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Brian Hansen withdrew from the second of two heats to prepare for his future events, after finishing 33rd in the first heat.
(Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune)

SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10:
United State's Tucker Fredricks and Russia's Dmitry Lobkov compete in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Fredricks finished in 26th place.
(Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune)

SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10:
Shani Davis, of Chicago, Ill., after competing in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Davis placed 24th with a time of 70.98. (Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune)

SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10:
Shani Davis, of Chicago, Ill., and Mitch Whitmore, of Waukesha, Wis., compete in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Davis placed 24th with a time of 70.98. Whitmore placed 27th with a time of 71.06. (Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune)

SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10:
United State's Eduardo Alvarez and Russia's Semen Elistratov compete in the 1,500-meter short-track speedskating competition at Iceberg Skating Palace during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. (Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune)

SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10:
United State's Tucker Fredricks competes in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Fredricks finished in 26th place.
(Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune)

Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune

Charles Hamelin, of Canada, hugs Marianne St-Gelais after winning in the 1,500-meter short-track speedskating finals at Iceberg Skating Palace during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday Feb. 10, 2014.

SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10:
Shani Davis, of Chicago, Ill., and Mitch Whitmore, of Waukesha, Wis., compete in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Davis placed 24th with a time of 70.98. Whitmore placed 27th with a time of 71.06. (Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune)

SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10:
Shani Davis, of Chicago, Ill., and Mitch Whitmore, of Waukesha, Wis., compete in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Davis placed 24th with a time of 70.98. Whitmore placed 27th with a time of 71.06. (Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune)

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SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10: Shani Davis, of Chicago, Ill., and Mitch Whitmore, of Waukesha, Wis., compete in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Davis placed 24th with a time of 70.98. Whitmore placed 27th with a time of 71.06. (Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune) SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10: Shani Davis, of Chicago, Ill., after competing in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Davis placed 24th with a time of 70.98. (Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune) Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune Han-Bin Lee, of Korea, (240) J.R. Celski, of Salt Lake City, and Dequan Chen, of China, (208) compete in the 1,500-meter short-track speedskating finals at Iceberg Skating Palace during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday Feb. 10, 2014. Celski finished in fourth place with a time of 2:15.624, 0.639 behind gold medalist Charles Hamelin of Canada. SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10: Park City's Mitch Whitmore reacts after competing in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Whitmore finished in 27th place. (Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune) Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune J.R. Celski, of Salt Lake City, and Dequan Chen, of China, (208) compete in the 1,500-meter short-track speedskating finals at Iceberg Skating Palace during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday Feb. 10, 2014. Celski finished in fourth place with a time of 2:15.624, 0.639 behind gold medalist Charles Hamelin of Canada. Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune J.R. Celski, of Salt Lake City, and Dequan Chen, of China, (208) fall after finishing in the 1,500-meter short-track speedskating finals at Iceberg Skating Palace during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday Feb. 10, 2014. Celski finished in fourth place with a time of 2:15.624, 0.639 behind gold medalist Charles Hamelin of Canada. SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10: United State's Brian Hansen competes in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Brian Hansen withdrew from the second of two heats to prepare for his future events, after finishing 33rd in the first heat. (Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune) SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10: United State's Tucker Fredricks and Russia's Dmitry Lobkov compete in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Fredricks finished in 26th place. (Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune) SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10: Shani Davis, of Chicago, Ill., after competing in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Davis placed 24th with a time of 70.98. (Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune) SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10: Shani Davis, of Chicago, Ill., and Mitch Whitmore, of Waukesha, Wis., compete in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Davis placed 24th with a time of 70.98. Whitmore placed 27th with a time of 71.06. (Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune) SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10: United State's Eduardo Alvarez and Russia's Semen Elistratov compete in the 1,500-meter short-track speedskating competition at Iceberg Skating Palace during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. (Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune) SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10: United State's Tucker Fredricks competes in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Fredricks finished in 26th place. (Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune) Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune Charles Hamelin, of Canada, hugs Marianne St-Gelais after winning in the 1,500-meter short-track speedskating finals at Iceberg Skating Palace during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday Feb. 10, 2014. SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10: Shani Davis, of Chicago, Ill., and Mitch Whitmore, of Waukesha, Wis., compete in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Davis placed 24th with a time of 70.98. Whitmore placed 27th with a time of 71.06. (Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune) SOCHI, RUSSIA - JANUARY 10: Shani Davis, of Chicago, Ill., and Mitch Whitmore, of Waukesha, Wis., compete in the long track men's 500m race at the Adler Arena Skating Center during the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games Monday February 10, 2014. Davis placed 24th with a time of 70.98. Whitmore placed 27th with a time of 71.06. (Photo by Chris Detrick/The Salt Lake Tribune)

By Michael C. Lewis The Salt Lake Tribune

· February 10, 2014 1:36 pm

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Sochi, Russia • J.R. Celski could only shake his head.

"That's short-track," is the familiar refrain.

The short-track speedskater who lives in Salt Lake City just missed the podium in the 1,500 meters at the Sochi Olympics on Monday, undone by a rival's fall that forced him to ease up just enough to keep him from contending in the final three laps at the Iceberg Skating Palace.

He finished fourth.

"It happens to everybody, really," he said. "Sometimes you're on the good side of it, and sometimes you're on the bad."

Four years ago, Celski won a bronze medal in the 1,500 at the Vancouver Games after two Koreans crashed in front of him on the final lap. But this time, he was on the other end, part of a disappointing day for U.S. Speedskating.

Celski was the only American man to reach the final of the 1,500 — Canada's Charles Hamelin won the race, then leaped over the crash pads to kiss his girlfriend — while Emily Scott of West Jordan was the only U.S. woman to advance out of the heats at 500 meters. Top medal threat Jessica Smith, also of West Jordan, crashed out.

Across the street at Adler Arena, things weren't any better.

None of the four men racing the 500 meters in long-track came close to the podium.

Shani Davis finished 24th, Tucker Fredricks finished 26th, and Mitch Whitmore finished 27th. Brian Hansen withdrew from the second of two heats to prepare for his future events, after finishing 33rd in the first heat.

None of the men was favored to reach the podium, but Salt Lake City's Fredricks and Park City's Whitmore were thought to have an outside shot. Michel Mulder won the race by 0.012 seconds in a two-run combined time of 1:09.392 to lead a Dutch sweep.

"I don't know what to say," Fredricks said. "I wish I could have performed better."

Expectations for the Americans will be much higher in the 1,000 and 1,500, where both Davis and Hansen are expected to contend for gold. Heather Richardson and Brittany Bowe are top contenders in those distances, too, while Richardson also has a good shot at a medal in the 500.