This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Heather Bergsma may have the rest of the world staring up at her, but whenever she might feel a bit comfortable with the World Cup cushion she's cultivated for herself, the 27-year-old long-track speedskater is instantly reminded that a lead is just a lead.
"It actually gives me motivation, because I know that everyone sees that," said the two-time Olympic speedskater. "I know they're all training just as hard to be on top as well."
Of the 15 Olympic veterans and 150 skaters set to compete at this weekend's 2017 U.S. Speedskating Championships at the Olympic Oval in Kearns, no American athlete enters with as much momentum as Bergsma. The High Point, N.C., native already has six World Cup medals to her name this season — five are golds. Bergsma even skipped the third World Cup of the year, but still leads the World Cup standings with 655 overall points.
A former resident of the Salt Lake Valley, Bergsma is now based in the Netherlands. Following the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, she relocated to Europe full-time after marrying Dutch speedskater Jorrit Bergsma. But the Oval, she said, is still home ice to her.
"I love coming back here," she said. "It's the fastest ice."
In early December, Bergsma found herself back in a familiar spot — one that she hadn't been in for far too long. She held a bouquet of flowers on the podium with close friend and rival Brittany Bowe up there alongside her. Bowe, who returned to the World Cup circuit after being sidelined with lingering concussion symptoms for five months, won a bronze.
Together over recent seasons they've traded spots on the podium and broken one another's world records. Without Bowe there early in the World Cup season, Bergsma felt like she was missing that added bit of drive. But it's back now.
"I definitely did miss her," Bergsma said. "It looks like she didn't miss a beat by being right back on the podium. It was fun to see. I only wanted to go out and skate a faster time."
This weekend in Kearns, she'll be aiming for a top-two finish in the 500- and 1,000-meter events to qualify for the World Sprint Championships in Calgary in late February. Bergsma credits her thorough training regimen that has helped her enter each race prepared. Her World Cup success is building toward a peak at the World Championships next month.
Does Bergsma feel close?
"No, not yet," she said, "and I'm excited about that."
Also headlining this weekend is two-time Olympic gold medalist Shani Davis, who has two World Cup medals this season. The 34-year-old long-track star is now the all-time leader in career World Cup points. Joey Mantia has three podiums this year, while collecting his first World Cup gold medal in the men's mass start.
Twitter: @chriskamrani —
2017 U.S. Long and Short Track Championships
Jan. 6-8, Utah Olympic Oval, Kearns
• Friday. Jan. 6: Long track: 500m, women's 3,000m, men's 5,000, 9 a.m.; short track: 500m, 1,000, 1,500m, 3:40 p.m.
• Saturday, Jan. 7: Long track: 1,500m, women's 5,000m, men's 10,000, 9 a.m.; short track 500m finals, 1,500m finals, 3:40 p.m.
• Sunday, Jan. 8: Long track: 1,000m, mass start, 9 a.m.; short track 1,000, finals, 3,000, finals, 1:40 p.m.
Event is free to the public. From noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, food trucks will be available for fans