Chad Hedrick
Encyclopedia
Chad Hedrick is an American
inline speed skater
and ice speed skater
. He was born in Spring, Texas
.
Hedrick revolutionized the inline speed skating world with his unique technique, called the double push
or DP. During his career he won 93 national championships and 50 world championships, as well as having a brand of inline skating wheels named after him.
, in 2002, he switched to ice speed skating after watching, on a television in a Las Vegas casino in 2002, fellow inline skater Derek Parra
win a medal at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. In February 2004, a year and a half after he made his switch, Hedrick won the 2004 World Allround Speed Skating Championships
, knocking more than a point off the world record points, reducing it to 150.478. On March 12, 2004, Hedrick won the gold medal in the 5,000 meters during the 2004 World Single Distance Championships
, which were held Seoul
, South Korea
. In 2005 he successfully defended his 5,000 m world title in Inzell
, Germany
. At the 2005 World Allround Speed Skating Championships he lost his title to Shani Davis
. Hedrick has set six world record
s in speed skating, but these have later been broken by others. He is currently 3rd in the unofficial world ranking, the Adelskalender after having led the rankings from November 2005-7. Hedrick is also one of only six men to have broken the 13 minute barrier on the 10,000 m more than once (the others being Jochem Uytdehaage
, Sven Kramer
, Lasse Sætre
, Eskil Ervik
and Carl Verheijen
).
by proclaiming that he would equal Eric Heiden
's record of five gold medals. On February 11, 2006 Hedrick won his only gold medal at this Olympics at the 5,000 m.
Hedrick caused controversy when he insisted Shani Davis, fellow American speed skater in the 1,000 m race, should have participated in the men's pursuit, stating, "I don't see what his logic is. We can't be beat if he skates. It's his decision. I'm not going to get in the middle of it. I would like him to be in the pursuit, but am I going to beg him? No." Five-time gold medalist and Olympic-team physician, Eric Heiden, has publicly written that Shani Davis made the right choice in not participating in the team pursuit and thereby not jeopardizing his chances at a gold medal in his best event, the 1,000 meter race.
, journalists continue to insist that Davis "pulled out," "skipped," "opted out" of the team pursuit. "Shani did not pull out of the team pursuit because Shani never entered the team pursuit event," said Tom Cushman, who was the long-track coach in the 2006 games, adding: "Shani has been done an injustice."
Davis eventually won the gold medal in the 1000 m race, while Hedrick finished sixth. In the 1,500 meter race, Davis won the silver medal, while Hedrick won the bronze. Hedrick also added a silver medal in the 10,000 m to his Olympic tally, and with three medals, became only the third American ever to win three medals in a single Winter Olympics.
. Hedrick lost to Håvard Bøkko
in the final pair of the 5000 m event. He would ultimately finish 10 places behind the winner, Dutchman
Sven Kramer, in 11th place. Teammate Shani Davis finished one place behind Hedrick. Hedrick skated a 1:09.32 in the 1000 m which was good for the bronze behind teammate Shani Davis and South Korea's Mo Tae-Bum
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
inline speed skater
Inline speed skating
Inline speed skating is the sport of racing on inline skates It is often called inline racing by participants. Although it primarily evolved from racing on traditional roller skates, the sport is similar enough to ice speed skating that many competitors are now known to switch between inline and...
and ice speed skater
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
. He was born in Spring, Texas
Spring, Texas
Spring, Texas is a census-designated place within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Houston in Harris County, Texas, United States, north of Downtown Houston. The population was 54,298 at the 2010 census...
.
Hedrick revolutionized the inline speed skating world with his unique technique, called the double push
Double push
Double push is an inline speed skating technique. Its major advantage over the previously practised "classic" technique is that it allows the skater to do useful work during the part of the stride that was "wasted", and therefore to go faster...
or DP. During his career he won 93 national championships and 50 world championships, as well as having a brand of inline skating wheels named after him.
Speed skating
After winning his 50th World Championship, in Oostende, BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, in 2002, he switched to ice speed skating after watching, on a television in a Las Vegas casino in 2002, fellow inline skater Derek Parra
Derek Parra
Derek Parra is a Mexican-American speed skater from San Bernardino, California, who graduated from Eisenhower High School in 1988. Parra won two medals at the 2002 Winter Olympics, held in Salt Lake City, Utah....
win a medal at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. In February 2004, a year and a half after he made his switch, Hedrick won the 2004 World Allround Speed Skating Championships
World Allround Speed Skating Championships
The World Allround Speed Skating Championships are a series of speed skating events held annually to determine the best allround speed skater of the world...
, knocking more than a point off the world record points, reducing it to 150.478. On March 12, 2004, Hedrick won the gold medal in the 5,000 meters during the 2004 World Single Distance Championships
World Single Distance Championships
The World Single Distance Championships are a series of speed skating competitions organised by the International Skating Union.-History:Since the late 19th century, speed skating championships were always decided by racing multiple distances – four different distances for the allround...
, which were held Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. In 2005 he successfully defended his 5,000 m world title in Inzell
Inzell
Inzell is a municipality in the district of Traunstein in Bavaria, Germany. It is known for the Eisstadion Inzell, an outdoor artificial ice rink that has been used for many international speed skating championships....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. At the 2005 World Allround Speed Skating Championships he lost his title to Shani Davis
Shani Davis
Shani Davis is an Olympic Champion speed skater from the United States.At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Davis became the first Black athlete to win a gold medal in an individual sport at the Olympic Winter Games . He also won the silver in the 1,500 m...
. Hedrick has set six world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
s in speed skating, but these have later been broken by others. He is currently 3rd in the unofficial world ranking, the Adelskalender after having led the rankings from November 2005-7. Hedrick is also one of only six men to have broken the 13 minute barrier on the 10,000 m more than once (the others being Jochem Uytdehaage
Jochem Uytdehaage
Jochem Simon Uytdehaage is a former Dutch long track speed skater and two-time Olympic champion. He retired in 2007 at the age of 30, following two consecutive seasons of poor results.-Biography:...
, Sven Kramer
Sven Kramer
Sven Kramer is a Dutch long track speed skater. He is the Olympic champion of the 5000 meter in Vancouver 2010, and four-time European and World Allround Champion. He is also three-time world champion and world record holder in the 5,000 m, 10,000 m, and the team pursuit...
, Lasse Sætre
Lasse Sætre
Lasse Sætre is a former speed skater from Norway, who for several years was among the world's best long distance skaters. Sætre who grew up in Nord-Odal competed in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 Olympics, and won a 10,000-m bronze in the 2002 Winter Olympics. He won another 10,000-m bronze in the 2003...
, Eskil Ervik
Eskil Ervik
Eskil Ervik is a Norwegian speedskater. Ervik's best distance is traditionally the 5000-m, where he for several years was among the very best of the world, but his top priority for the most part of his career was to perform optimally in the allround championships...
and Carl Verheijen
Carl Verheijen
Carl Eduard Verheijen was 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. They have a daughter...
).
2006 Winter Olympic Games
The Texan raised the stakes for the Winter Olympics 2006 in TurinTurin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
by proclaiming that he would equal Eric Heiden
Eric Heiden
Eric Arthur Heiden, M.D. is an American former long track speed skater and road cyclist who won all the men's speed skating races, and thus an unprecedented five individual gold medals, and set four Olympic records and one world record at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York,...
's record of five gold medals. On February 11, 2006 Hedrick won his only gold medal at this Olympics at the 5,000 m.
Hedrick caused controversy when he insisted Shani Davis, fellow American speed skater in the 1,000 m race, should have participated in the men's pursuit, stating, "I don't see what his logic is. We can't be beat if he skates. It's his decision. I'm not going to get in the middle of it. I would like him to be in the pursuit, but am I going to beg him? No." Five-time gold medalist and Olympic-team physician, Eric Heiden, has publicly written that Shani Davis made the right choice in not participating in the team pursuit and thereby not jeopardizing his chances at a gold medal in his best event, the 1,000 meter race.
, journalists continue to insist that Davis "pulled out," "skipped," "opted out" of the team pursuit. "Shani did not pull out of the team pursuit because Shani never entered the team pursuit event," said Tom Cushman, who was the long-track coach in the 2006 games, adding: "Shani has been done an injustice."
Davis eventually won the gold medal in the 1000 m race, while Hedrick finished sixth. In the 1,500 meter race, Davis won the silver medal, while Hedrick won the bronze. Hedrick also added a silver medal in the 10,000 m to his Olympic tally, and with three medals, became only the third American ever to win three medals in a single Winter Olympics.
Post Torino career
On March 5, 2006, Hedrick won a 1500 m race in the Netherlands and captured the 2006 World Cup title in the event. Shani Davis finished second in the race and finished in fourth place overall in the World Cup rankings. Two weeks later, Hedrick participated in the World Allround Championships in Calgary, aiming to take back the title he lost to Davis in 2005. On the fourth and final distance, the 10,000 meter, Hedrick needed to beat Davis by 8.32 seconds, but made a crucial mistake midway through the race; he turned into the inner lane instead of his scheduled outer, and though he realised his mistake quickly, he was motioned off some laps later.2010 Winter Olympic Games
Hedrick qualified for the 1000 m, 1500 m, 5000 m, and the long-track team pursuit in the 21st Winter Olympiad held in VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. Hedrick lost to Håvard Bøkko
Håvard Bøkko
Håvard Bøkko is a Norwegian speedskater, widely considered to be one of the most promising talents for many years, with junior results similar to those of Sven Kramer, Gianni Romme and Eric Heiden. He is the older brother of Hege Bøkko.-Speed skating career:In 2006, Bøkko was the Junior World...
in the final pair of the 5000 m event. He would ultimately finish 10 places behind the winner, Dutchman
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Sven Kramer, in 11th place. Teammate Shani Davis finished one place behind Hedrick. Hedrick skated a 1:09.32 in the 1000 m which was good for the bronze behind teammate Shani Davis and South Korea's Mo Tae-Bum
Mo Tae-Bum
Mo Tae-Bum is a South Korean speed skater. He started speedskating while in the third grade. Prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics, Mo won two distances at the 2006 World Junior Speed Skating Championships...
Personal bests
World Ice Speedskating records
Hedrick has so far skated six world records on ice skates:- allround samalog, 150.478 (Hamar, 8 February 2004; beaten by Shani DavisShani DavisShani Davis is an Olympic Champion speed skater from the United States.At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Davis became the first Black athlete to win a gold medal in an individual sport at the Olympic Winter Games . He also won the silver in the 1,500 m...
9 March 2005) - 3000 m, 3:39.02 (Calgary, 10 March 2005; beaten by Eskil ErvikEskil ErvikEskil Ervik is a Norwegian speedskater. Ervik's best distance is traditionally the 5000-m, where he for several years was among the very best of the world, but his top priority for the most part of his career was to perform optimally in the allround championships...
5 November 2005) - 5000 m, 6:09.68 (Calgary, 13 November 2005; beaten by Sven KramerSven KramerSven Kramer is a Dutch long track speed skater. He is the Olympic champion of the 5000 meter in Vancouver 2010, and four-time European and World Allround Champion. He is also three-time world champion and world record holder in the 5,000 m, 10,000 m, and the team pursuit...
19 November 2005) - 1500 m, 1:42.78 (Salt Lake City-Kearns, 18 November 2005; beaten by Shani DavisShani DavisShani Davis is an Olympic Champion speed skater from the United States.At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Davis became the first Black athlete to win a gold medal in an individual sport at the Olympic Winter Games . He also won the silver in the 1,500 m...
19 March 2006) - 10000 m, 12:55.11 (Salt Lake City-Kearns, 31 December 2005; beaten by Sven KramerSven KramerSven Kramer is a Dutch long track speed skater. He is the Olympic champion of the 5000 meter in Vancouver 2010, and four-time European and World Allround Champion. He is also three-time world champion and world record holder in the 5,000 m, 10,000 m, and the team pursuit...
19 March 2006) - allround samalog, 148.799 (Calgary, 22 January 2006; beaten by Shani DavisShani DavisShani Davis is an Olympic Champion speed skater from the United States.At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Davis became the first Black athlete to win a gold medal in an individual sport at the Olympic Winter Games . He also won the silver in the 1,500 m...
19 March 2006)
U.S. & World Roller Speed Skating Records
- National roller skating record in the 3,000 meters relay race (1993)
- National inline skating record in the 5,000 meters relay race (1998)
- National inline skating record in the 3,000 meters male-female relay race (1998)
- National inline skating record in the 1,500 meters race (1996)
- National outdoor track record in the 1,000 and 1,500 meters races (1999 and 1998 respectively)
- National outdoor track record in the 15,000 meters race (1998)
- National outdoor road record in the 500 and 1,000 meters races (2001)
- National outdoor road record in the 1,500 meters race (1998)
- National outdoor road record in the 10,000 meters race (2001)
- World outdoor road record in the 1,500 meters race (1999)
- World outdoor road record in the 10,000 meters race (1996)
- World outdoor road record in the 15,000 meters race (2000)