Hey guys! Sorry about the lack of updates here but during the last 3 weeks I've had almost no good internet connection to get things done online but hopefully I can get something up now in a few days :)

Before the Mass Start race in Heerenveen, the Netherlands (below)

Recap of the Obihiro World Cup (Nov. 14-16)

So sorry for getting this up here only today! And since it's almost bedtime and I have to race a 1500 meters tomorrow afternoon, I'm not going to be able to say too much.

(Below)  I signed some autographs for these girls and then told them we'd take a picture and I'll post it up here :) The Japanese staff/volunteers who organized the event were so kind and helpful, thanks so much.

Overall, I'm really happy with my 3 races but especially the 1500 meters since I finished 22nd overall! (A & B group combined). In both the 1000 and 1500 I raced in the "A group" (which is the best 20 in the world; the rest race in B group at a different time). I was sooo jittery racing for the first time in A group on Saturday that my hands were sweating all day until after my race, haha. My third race was the mass start which I finished in 5th place at the end of the 16 laps (but not in total points).

"A Group" 1500 meter results

"A Group" 1000 meter results

Woohoo! First World Cup races were awesome, and now a 1500 tomorrow, 1000 Saturday and a Mass

Start again on Sunday! Let's go!

Pairings for the 1000m tomorrow (wuuuuut!)

Let's go! The 1000's start at 3:30pm Japan time.

The big TV cameras are out

The Obihiro World Cup begins today (Friday). I'll be competing in the 1000 on Saturday and the 1500 & Mass Start on Sunday so I'll be only watching races today and touching the ice afterwards to get ready for Saturday.

The rink from outside, tucked in a forest almost (below)

My view driving past the rink on the bus

Arrived Tuesday in Obihiro, Japan, for the first World Cup!

15 hours difference, wow. The jet lag hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be but it's still difficult, and the legs are still feeling sloowww from traveling. But my two sessions on ice have felt good so I'm happy about that. Also, the Japanese event staff have been so nice, it's really made being an athlete in this competition fun.

Getting picked up from the Sapporo airport for a 3 hour bus ride to Obihiro with the Italian team (below)

Me and teammate Benjamin Macé gettin to the rink

The ice was so 'glidey' the last two days, making it really fun to skate on. What chemicals did they put in the ice this time? Anybody?

Inline training with Coach, Steve Meisinger (of Team Rainbo) and Benjamin Macé (of France) from October

Thanks so much to Thomas Stähler who was on a business trip from Germany, saw us on the road and wanted to shoot some photos of us :) The location is Conway business park in Lake Forest.

World Cup Qualifier Recap (Oct. 24-26)

Doin some TSP on the ice ??

So to make the US World Cup Team to go on tour for the Fall World Cup circuit, I needed to finish in one of these quota spots below that the US men's team has earned for international competitions:

4 spots in the 500 meters

5 spots in the 1000 meters

5 spots in the 1500 meters

5 spots in the 5000/10000 meters

1-2 spots in the (16 lap) Mass Start

Being a less chaotic post-Olympic year with a lot of spots earned for World Cup competitions, I thought there was a good chance I'd make the World Cup team in the 1500 meters but I'd still have to skate fast times to make it. So here are the results from last weekend:

6th in the 1000 meters, (dang!), PB (personal best)

2nd in the 1500 meters, PB

2nd in the 5000 meters 

2nd in the Mass Start

So I just missed the 1000 meters spot but qualified in the 1500, 5000 and Mass Start!! But it was also great to smash a couple of personal best times in the 1000 and 1500 meters, so I can see that I'm continuing to improve each year.

I'm so excited though cause this is my first World Cup Team and I'll be competing at all four of the World Cup competitions!! Praise the Lord.

Obihiro, Japan (Nov 14-16)

Seoul, South Korea (Nov 21-23)

Berlin, Germany (Dec 5-7)

Heerenveen, the Netherlands (Dec 12-14)

SLC when I arrived (below). Thanks Peter, Sarah and everyone at the Hampton Inn in Jordan Landing for always making it a fun place to be at.

Arriving at the rink

Warming up before ice in my hotel room

In the middle of the Mass Start race, me in the white boots (grabbed the photo from Peter Haeussler's FB)

Thanks coach!

Hey Everybody, hopefully gonna get an update on the US World Cup Qualifiers tonight :)

UPDATE: Ahh, sorry guys, I've been really busy today but I'll try to do a better
recap tomorrow. Until then, here's the results from today's 1500 meter qualifier, there were 5 spots so I made the team! (I took second, although two of the skaters disqualified had better times than me. But I still would have qualified anyways)

First Time Trials of the year last Friday (Oct. 10)

Already raced a 500 meters and 3k at last week's "time trials" after just about four weeks of training on the ice. And coming from some great off-ice training this summer, I was already able to see some big improvements in these races–which included crushing a personal best time in the 3k. So cool!

Olu Sijuwade also recorded all of the time trial races in a 15 minute video I put up below. My 500 meters begins at minute 4:12, and my 3,000 meters at minute 14:14 (navy skinsuit, white boots). Thanks Olu!

500m (Milwaukee PB from 2/28/14)                               37.05

500m (Oct. 10th time trials)                                        37.29 (2nd best 500m in Milwaukee)

3,000m (Previous Milwaukee PB from 9/28/13)               3:57.63

3,000m (Oct. 10th time trials)                                     3:53.08 (new PB)

I know these times may be confusing to some of you but if you do understand then you'll know why I'd be happy starting off a season like this–as racing in the beginning of the season often starts off slow.

Milwaukee Long Track Masters Camp (Sept. 25–28)

Coach and I, along with Matt Hickson and Bruce Connor, had the privilage to coach a clinic for masters skaters last weekend. Still not sure how many of you all came, 30–35? It was so fun to be around a bunch of older kids that love skating and worked with such concentration to improve their technique–you guys are what skating is all about (Trish, I still say you gotta chill out cause you were so focused that your face always looked angry haha). Also, I wasn't sure how coaching on my legs all day and continuing to train would work but I was still able to pull off some great workouts! And of course, thanks Glenn Corsoe for setting up the who shebang.

Thanks Peter Haeussler for the photos!

Photos from the first two days on ice last week

As of today I've been on the ice for a total of seven workouts over two weeks. Six on my own. The cool thing is that I've already skated some of my best practices ever, WOOHOO. Thanks to all of the inliners I've been skating with on Team Rainbo in Illinois! I also want to say thanks to Paul Golomski at the Pettit for rigging up a sweet timing system and monitor (second to last photo) for the skaters, it's been fun using it.

First Day Of Ice For Us All In Milwaukee Yesterday. Let's get it!

I'll be putting up some pics soon of the first few days on ice but before I can get back to my computer to do that, here's a couple examples of some skating exercises that's been part of my dryland workouts this summer.

Those exercises are just a small part of a workout that is a small part of my summer training that is just a small part of all the work I've put into speedskating. This summer I've had ample time to reflect on my future in speedskating and WHY I do it. What is the importance of training myself in such a self-centered regimen? Especially when you're never guaranteed results but only hope for them. From what in speedskating do I feel joy? (And it's not going fast because 35 mph on the ice seems slow after many years of doing it). Does God enjoy speedskating and watching speedskaters? How do spiritual matters and sport relate? These are some of the questions countless athletes are confronted with and I want to eventually post a response to them here.

Looking into the beginning of this season, I hope for two things; to be feel joy as I push myself hard on the ice over the next few months and that I can trust God to work everything for good, an abundant good–in winning and losing. "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us," (Eph. 3:20 NIV).

TSP Bandanas 2.0

So last year's bandanas looked like this. I just wanted to screen-print my own bandana that looked cooler than all those typical paisley ones, right?

I made about 40 in total but ran out with people asking me about more so I decided to try and create a different design and print a few more this summer. I wasn't sure where to start so I just went with some ideas and sketches I'd made throughout the year in order to be ready for a two week window I had to print them. I experimented with different colors and design combos to come up with a final design that could stand on it's own (like a poster) but also show creative shapes when folded up to wear. Basically I want to make the coolest bandanas out there (although I don't think I'm totally there yet). 

As you can see, the "ovalesque" design came from the original oval design (with little TSP logos making up the small pattern) and the thick, geometric lines spell out "USA."

SO HERE'S THE RESULT!

SOME EXAMPLES OF SHAPES CREATED WHEN FOLDED UP

AND SOME CLOSE UPS

SO HERE'S THE DEAL.

There are about 100 bandanas left and I'll be selling them for $15. I would really prefer that I see you in person to get one to you because it'll be difficult if I have to ship a bunch. So if you let me know which one you'd like, I can write a list and set the bandana aside until I see you next or I can ship it if it I'm not going to be seeing you in the near future. The designs to chose from are shown above and I have anywhere from 1 to 10 of each—but the cool designs are going fast so first come first serve!

EMAIL ME AT:       jpeltzspeedskater@gmail.com

EGYPT in just hours now!

The team: Jeremy, Wendy, me, Debbie, Tiffany, Claudia, Brian and Amber

We are in London {Heathrow} and waiting for our last leg flight to Cairo, Egypt...cannot update you quite yet on this summer's internship as it will take more than this short layover to truly give you an insight into the incredible summer I have had so far working out of North Coast Calvary Chapel. The people and connections I have experienced in the last months have blown my mind...as have others that have witnessed the connections I've made this summer, even if it was the sole purpose to make me feel less homesick and more at home.

But here is the short update on our team and where we are/what we are doing...

This trip: in London at the moment and heading to Cairo in an hour for 2 weeks. Going to Manhari, a village where the church family at North Coast Calvary Chapel sponsor kids and where the ministry Healing Grace focuses on helping turn around the cycle of poverty there. And then we will be coaching at a sports camp in Wadi the last week of our trip...and I will be coaching American football, haha. Still cannot believe I will be next to the pyramids in just over 5 hours, but I am so stoked to be once again being the hands and feet of God and serving alongside my Team members who are continually amazing me as I am slowly learning more and more about who they are and the journey God has taken them on in life. Love listening to people's perspective on life...

Ok, internet time is about to go out....bye for now. next time from Cairo.

God Bless,
Nancy Jr.

1 Corinthians 9:25

Summer training and other things

Heyy everybody. I know it's been a few months since we've gotten a post up (says every blogger always) but we haven't forgotten our little place here and as this next season approaches fast we'll keep you all in the loop.

SO WHAT'S GOING ON?

Nancy is still in the middle of her sports ministry internship in southern California and is very busy but loving every bit of it. No doubt she's got the energy to outlast those kids she's working with.

Also, as Nancy said in her previous post (from May), jumping back into a semester at Wheaton College was tough but important to keep training ourselves in other areas of life. We actually did take a class together called Christian Proclamation—basically a speech class–that had us giving talks in front of class trying not to laugh at each other. It was also sweet to have little bro Johnny (6 years younger than me) as a freshman baseball/football player at Wheaton too!

As for me, I've been training hard again since May with my favorite coach for the upcoming season. But the big difference for this year is that I'll be doing a lot of my training on my own since Nancy and Bri will be in college ... nooooo! (Brian at the University of Colorado Boulder). That means it's going to take extra motivation to, well, stay motivated. In May, I added inline speedskating as an integral training element to hopefully fill a gap in my endurance and strength on the ice. Big shout out to Illinois' Team Rainbo for some great training sessions already this summer! You guys are pushing me hard and I'm impressed with all your dedication.

Team Rainbo and me in the blue

Inlining last Saturday in Arkansas

ONE LAST THING.

Since the beginning, we as a team have been trying to change this sport for the better—advocating for the unrepresented athlete, helping younger athletes think big, standing up for what's right and condemning what's wrong, encouraging others and hopefully being seen as good examples to follow. Yet for years, USSpeedskating continues to take unfair actions directly against our coach and team as well as independent athletes across the country. USSpeedskating needs to realize that independent coaches and skaters—if dealt with fairly and respectfully—can only enhance their own image as an organization in the eyes of sponsors and the public.

Short update on my (Nancy Jr.) life...

Finals = done. The school year is officially over at Wheaton College and both Jeffrey and I survived, but just barely, lol. It was one tough semester for the two of us. Not just because we completely switched gears by jumping from training for the Olympic Trials to full-time students, but we enrolled ourselves in time-consuming, difficult classes. But though it was tough, the opportunities a student at Wheaton are priceless...and being in the out of Wheaton College as much as I have, being in the real world and then coming back to this community, has only made me realize Wheaton's worth even more. I absolutely love how as students, we can have meals with the professors, talk for hours with them after classes, be able to have meals at the dining hall (saga) with the greatest student body of Believers and share how the Lord is working in our lives, and then have to go to a Chapel service every other day. Not everyone likes having to go to chapel 3x a week, but I now greatly appreciate its value after being in a world that sucks life out of you...it's a time to be quiet, contemplative, and worship with the student body, something you don't ever have again once you leave Wheaton. Though it's been rough at times being in and out of Wheaton so many times (6 to be exact, haha!), I am thoroughly glad I have taken the super long route through college. And now I only have 1 more semester left...I will be graduating in December, walking commencement next May :) Never thought this time would come, lol.

http://www.northcoastcalvary.org

So now summer has officially begun, where my awesome summer plans are revealed. I am pumped to officially say that today starts the 1-week countdown til I head to Carlsbad, California next Tuesday, working with the North Coast Calvary Chapel for the whole summer! It's the 3rd summer this program has taken place, and I am proud to be following in the footsteps of two great friends from Wheaton College who've already done this program before me the last 2 summers: Keri Shannon and Chad Musgraves. It's a sports ministry internship (click for more info), using the universal love for sports as a platform to work with local ministries. These local mission programs include: KidsGames, EdgeGames, MaxCamps and International Sports Leadership Training (ISLT). I will also be interacting with local ministries, such as homeless, surfing, FCA, YoungLife, hospital chaplaincy, and military and urban. In addition, I will be joining a team from the church and sent on a two-week mission serving trip, visiting foreign missionaries associated with North Coast Calvary Chapel, to Egypt in August.

And that is going to be my summer. Crazy to think I will be gone for over 3 months, but super excited to be jumping into a passion of mine: sports ministry, something I have felt the Lord calling me to because of the opportunities I have already had: speaking about my Olympic experience in Speedskating and how my faith in Jesus Christ has played a larger role in my career. This summer will be a time to use skills I have already developed from previous experiences and perfect them with the mentoring I will receive working alongside the North Coast Calvary Chapel. For those wondering, I do receive a scholarship after the summer that goes towards my fall semester at Wheaton, but I still have to raise half of the budget laid out for this summer internship. Which is always a challenge, but a way to see the Lord work and provide for those who serve Him.

I don't know how much time I will have to devote to updating y'all on my summer via this blog, but I will try my best. The best way is always Instagram, where I am constantly posting pictures...and you can follow me on the link found on the right panel of this blog, or directly here: @NSwiderPeltzJr. As for speedskating, cause I know some people have been dying to know, I am not done yet. For now, I am focusing on finishing Wheaton College, but I will probably be jumping back into the world of speedskating come January 2015 :) 

Well...that was NOT a short update, lol, for those of you who know me, I actually don't think I ever do anything short, it's usually long. Long texts called novels, long embarrassing voicemails, long saga (dining hall at Wheaton College) "dates", long workouts, long conversations, long track speedskating (ha), long distance speedskating, etc. That's just how I roll I guess. haha.

God bless,
Nancy Jr.


| Be inspired by those around you | Discover Jesus Christ | Embrace the love people give you | Pursue your goals and passions in life | Take risks | Go on adventures | Learn to be vulnerable | Let yourself be embarrassed & uncomfortable | Have friends that are both much younger and older than you | Love others | Give | Contemplate and focus on what truly matters in your life | Live for Christ | 1 Corinthians 9:25 |

Yesterday, Brian Hansen set a track record and won the 1500 meter Inzell World Cup race by .7 seconds...wait wut, 7 tenths of a second!?!!

Hey guys! Nancy Jr's been holding down the fort here, posting all of the awesome updates and videos from Sochi that Nancy Sr. sent her during the Olympics. Definately took them both a lot of time to do! Meanwhile I've been super busy as a full-time student at Wheaton College, trying to knock out some class credits before I jump back into skating (hopefully) next season. But here's a little update on Brian racing in the second to last World Cup competition of the season March 7-9.

In short, Brian won gold in the 1500 meters, bronze in the 1000 meters and got 6th place in the non-Olympic mass start race. Impressive. But what's crazy is that Brian won the 1500 meters by a whopping .7 seconds over the other skaters including Zbigniew Brodka, Koen Werweij, and Denny Morrison who won gold, silver and bronze respectively at the Olympics in Sochi...ONLY ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO. You hardly even see a gap like that unless it's Shani Davis out front (Davis finished 4th in the 1500 meters but won the 1000 meters on March 7).

Which brings one to question whether the US speedskating team has recovered from the colossal mess at the Olympics (a mess not because of the skaters themselves–because they skated their hearts out–but as a result of our speedskating organization's mistakes in the weeks leading up to the Olympics that affected the skaters' performances). And keep in mind that Inzell, Germany, is only slightly in altitude.

Here are the impressive results from Inzell. Heather Richardsen won both 500 meter races and the 1000 meters. Brittany Bowe got second in the 1000 meters and third in the 1500 meters. Shani won the men's 1000 meters and got 4th in the 1500 meters. Brian finished third in the 1000 meters and won the 1500 meters. In addition, five US male skaters finished top 17 in the 1000 meters (A group).

Weird right? If our US speedskaters performed this well before and after the Olympics–which they did, then what happened at the Olympics? If you read Nancy Sr.'s recent posts during the Olympics, then you have an idea of what she saw happen to the US speedskaters leading up to the Olympic Games. But right now I'll leave that to you to decide what or who is to blame.

Anyways, It's good to be back! And there might be some exciting things happening with our team in the not-too-distant future, but we're hashing those ideas out at the moment so stay tuned!

Here's a Chicago Trib article on Brian's win, below.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-03-09/sports/chi-brian-hansen-wins-world-cup-race-20140309_1_sochi-olga-fatkulina-nancy-swider-peltz

Also,

Below: Brians 1500 meter win from Sunday in Inzell, Germany. (Keep in mind that Havard Bokko, Brian's pair, beat him in the Olympics by a .11 seconds),





Below: And a look into how Brian's unique, race prep rituals in his hotel room might help him skate so darn fast (from October),

One last Blog Post from Nancy Sr. -its a wrap of Sochi2014

24 Feb 2014 -Nancy Sr.

After the Team Pursuit Saturday, I went by USA house to say
a few goodbyes. On the way out, the short track 5k relay guys
SILVER medalists (Creveling, Alvarez, Celski, & Malone)
were in their way in...

The closing ceremonies just ended less than 24 hours ago ago.
As you know if you've followed this, this isn't how I had expected this blog run to end :( I hadn't expected it to become an indictment of the organization, but I have no regrets for reporting as I called it. Change does not happen unless there is reason to change and the results here call for "no stone to be unturned" as the USOC's CEO Blackmun said.

This is when you accept a "spade is a spade", accept failure and turn it into success. 

But in the aftermath of this storm there seems to be an attempt by the USOC to say (http://m.nydailynews.com/1.1690122#bmb=1) it was "not a step back at all...The medals were more spread out this year, which is good for the Olympics". WHAT IS THAT TO MEAN...REALLY? If that statement couldn't have been made beforehand, which everyone knows would never have been an acceptable statement then, then why is it ok now?

He continued to say, "we weren't the only nation that got smoked by the Netherlands". Since when is it ok just because you're with the majority? Is that a fighting attitude? Is that how to view results that should not have happened?

It is a way to spin the facts and divert responsibility. A way to walk away and eliminate bad press. A great political move. But as you know I've been saying, just tell the truth, take responsibility, tell the athletes that it is the USOC and USS s job to lead effectively. And if the long track skaters performed so well in the fall it means they are capable again. And if they didn't, then the "just gettin smoked" is as much an organizational blunder as it could be the athletes'.
If the USOC is lending credit to the "smokin" abilities of the Dutch, they should also lend them credibility when the Dutch claim 2 reasons themselves for the US's failures:

1. that Collabo was a contributing factor. And you know USS tried to quickly eliminate that claim when they falsely claimed the 2006 team had also done Collalbo and that justifies it (from a high per base?). As has already now been revealed, Chad Hedrick chose not to go there in 2006 and the girls team completely failed at the 2006 games again after having had great success in the fall.
2. the Mach 39 suit characteristics had been tried already by the Dutch in 2006 and had failed. Where was our high performance team in investigating that one? 

And again, with such a sweeping general analysis of the USA team, you know it's not accurate and it is misleading. If you're going to create this team from a science perspective as is claimed, then pick it apart using scientific methods. And if that takes time, then don't throw misleading comments out to be devoured by the press/public. BUT that was the goal, to deflect the real issues.

So we'll wait and see if justice to the skaters will prevail.

Sorry, my last post was a bit confusing. I had wanted to get it all down before the games were over because the further away from immediacy, the less interesting. 

I came to these games with Brian to get the job done, and less than such a goal is not a satisfaction to me. Yet as I had discussed in an earlier post, after the 1000m, Brian had talked about the principle of the journey and the goal. He philosophized a lot that day and concluded that the journey needs to take a life of its own cause if it does end up as this has, then there needs to be some take away. And for us, that is the fun of the team and the life lessons I've tried so hard to instill (which I learned that from my father). 

We think we could have done a better job at both and should we all do this again, we have learned a few more lessons....(at a high cost)....We just know we did the best we could this year within the limitations given to us.

Hope this Olympic blog showed the desire to push the envelope on the need to just be honest so that you never have to fear the truth...

Thank you all again so much for your comments and encouragement over these last weeks... :)

God bless,

Nancy Sr.

Videos: 

I said I few goodbyes at the USA house, but honestly I couldn't really stay/enjoy socializing. Simply speaking, in sport as it is also true in life, the harder you work or the more you sacrifice, the harder it is to accept anything less than the win/success. I could stay and talk, but it was loud and you can't carry on a conversation of depth which is all I would want to do, so I just kind a slipped out panned the scene so you could get a feel for the last night at the Olympics...

The USA Men's Team Pursuit on the ice together before they raced. Sochi Olympics, Russia. A little more glimpse of the behind the scenes of the Team Pursuit speedskating race-day. But this is not the actual race...practice beforehand.

The USA Men's Team Pursuit on the ice together warming-up before they raced. Sochi Olympics, Russia.



More of the USA Men's Team Pursuit on the ice together before they raced. Sochi Olympics, Russia.



Brian chillin before the Team Pursuit race with Jonathan Kuck and Shani Davis on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014. Sochi Olympics, Russia.



This was Saturday morning, the day before closing ceremonies. I just wanted to give you one last look at the Black Sea from my room. The Russians faithfully kept watch over the sea front, especially every day right in front of our hotel. These mounted police this morning were stationed there for about 4 straight hours. I went from promising I would never walk outside the protected area, to walking home the last 4 nights by myself. The Russians succeeded in creating an entirely new city of venues to keeping the entire place secure from opening to closing. A job well done. Thank you Russia!

"What I felt went wrong with US Speedskating" -Nancy Sr.

What I feel went wrong with US Speedskating.........by Nancy Sr.

Last week I did 3 posts considered controversial, especially because I had signed a contract to only say things of a positive nature about USS and the USOC. I understand the importance of such if it can directly affect the athletes performance. I am inserting here the contract I had to sign and my response to it in a desperate attempt to not sign ⬇️

Coach's Agreement Contract...click on to read

My Response to the Agreement...click on to read

Those posts were after the first races that were almost a shocking revelation that something wasn't right and I feel as far as the athletes are concerned, hush hush can be even worse if they feel it's on their shoulders (and it very well could not be) and I felt it wasn't. As for the contract, I had determined it was null and void in my mind. Several points had been broken by USS and the USOC (if they were to hold to the same or simply have created the contract telling the truth). I had had enough and it was time to start fessing up and become an organization that it's athletes and membership can trust. If such is the case, I KNOW, just that alone probably would have solved problems years ago which would have prevented the systemic problems plaguing the organization now.
The points I felt broken:

1. I was sat down in December with 6 USOC and USS leadership and told that if I were to receive an accreditation, that I couldn't coach someone from another country (referring to the German skater who had been a part of our training group). That it was a USOC policy and the USOC was behind that. (I now know that was personal to me and NOT A USOC policy). The second day at the Olympics I saw a US coach from one of the sled sports, coaching a Canadian Olympian. I asked him about it and he said the USOC had not liked it but they were allowing him to do so. WOW, SITUATIONAL ETHICS ON THE PART OF USS and USOC. And you want US athletes to be good representatives....if they outright lie to me to get what (Finn Halvorsen wanted - that was his gig), how much deeper it runs. 
2. The contract also stated that we needed to" support the US team by maintaining a positive attitude and creating a positive environment at all times"....But how and why are we expected to do such if the reverse treatment isn't there. Once we got to Sochi, the other private coach and I were included in 2 meetings of many. We rarely felt to be a part, except for situations that directly affected our athlete, or with text messages and emails. (One US coach does not fit into this description and we're both thankful for his presence). Without getting into details, I was told by one of the coaches I could come along to a press conference (they knew I needed a pass and I didn't have one) and when we got to the entrance, I was stopped and everyone looked, turned and kept going and the USS "sports advisor" turned away to avoid me. I confronted him with an email and no response. Without seeming petty with other examples, the point here is if you want to create a team mentality, inclusion is a key maneuver and even though it was done in situations that directly affected the athlete, it wasn't done for us simply as people.

Such is a USS problem. Most people do feel there are a lot of good and competent USS people. And if the motive for wanting to be a part of USS is truly for leaving your job better than when you came and working for the athlete, then only good can happen. But when you seek power and control, and try to exclude or be elitist (even in trying to keep teams small and not giving a bone to some of the athletes struggling to make it to the top) it creates dissension and often hopelessness consequently disenfranchising so many athletes (who then quit), and membership and alumni who just believe it's not worth the fight.

Why do so many good x skaters take their talents elsewhere? That's where some energy should be put to stop disenfranchising this group. We have almost no pool of coaches, and membership and athletes is always at a new low.

So this past spring the USOC and USS reorganizes and fires some people and report that they re now on the right track. With the new leadership on board, a "boatload of money becomes available" and it's thought that this will assure us the medals.

Haven't we learned that systemic problems don't get solved with money and simply new people? Whether you like it or not, it gets solved with right motives and people who have a heart and truly care for the individual. This organization could exist on less money if the people involved were trustworthy, and truth and justice reign. People will work for and athletes will die for employers or coaches who have developed a relationship and prove their motives are as selfless as possible.

And so where did USS go wrong here? USS has been turning over every 4 years. The wheel keeps gettin reinvented and advice from alumni and membership is ignored. When the new ED came in 3 years ago, and he hired Finn and others, I didn't agree. He was hired based on his 2002 SLC Olympic success that was not a model upon which to determine the next 4 years. I preached that much of the 2002 success was home field advantage and if you try to recreate a situation that does not include home field advantage, your premise will fail.

AND FAIL IT DID.

And when one try's to lead by power and control you will surely fail. If you are truly a great organization, people will come. They will want to be a part. And then it's always good to have other contributing entities because not everyone fits the same mold. Speedskating's success has come from a lot of rogue individuals and the "fighting" mentality. To bring it under a type of socialist mentality where everyone does the same thing, you lose greatness. AND where you give freedom you get commitment or at least harmony. And when you are "forced" to comply, it's a red flag something is wrong cause if it's good, you ll want it.

As I said in earlier posts, I believe for us (teamswiderpeltz and Hansen :), that this year was going close to perfect. We achieved the success we needed in the fall, although we had to do a lot of travel and change of my Olympic year plan to accommodate both trials being in SLC.

By the way, I fought the SLC decision for so long and was told to just deal with it cause it was the right thing to do. I said no money from NBC or the coverage to USS was worth what's fair and just to the athletes. YOU WILL SOON FIND IN THE ANALYSIS OF THE DEMISE OF THE TEAM THAT THIS WILL BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. But no, why would I know such....(the people who,were the deciding voters had no education to decide such but that was the decision the other coaches wanted so it flew).

I knew I needed to get a couple steps ahead, so we didn't go to the fall world cups AND Brian chose not to do the sprint world championships right before the Olympics so we could fit in 2 extra training blocks. I know what we needed and we sacrificed for that. Dan Jansen and others criticized that move, but I know it was right (and confirmed by many of the Dutch that it was s good move). I needed to keep my plan going, but then Finn and the rest of the high performance team determines what's best for me because they are steeped in science and that I have "cheated" Brian by not allowing a more "science educated" person coach him. This being told me by a team doctor just weeks before the Olympics! Why do we so protect the psyche of the athlete but don't worry about tearing down the coach. And the same was told to me by Finn when he first came in, because he wanted to get everyone to SLC and recreate 2002. (I'm still baffled how the High Performance Team couldn't figure out that that was again what I call shoddy science).

USS tells me Brian is raw talent and what I do doesn't matter. Well, likewise SLC 2002 success was raw talent then also, so don't take the credit then, Finn. Or don't base 2014 on 2002 because it's totally irrelevant.

So, for Brian we sacrifice the world sprints for a training block and then we are forced to go, to Collalbo, Italy. Where all it does is expend unnecessary energy,adjustments, and frustration. I know I've said this, but I will repeat:

1. for lowland training athletes, altitude at that time was no,good. The benefit would be gone sooner than the SLC athletes. But we were told by the high per team from the USOC too, that it would benefit.
2. the cold, wind, outdoor ice were factors that required an adjustment not necessary before the Olympics 
3. these factors in addition to experiments including the skin suits, and 2 other "secrets" were a kitchen sink of distractions that I contend contributed to everyone's demise. Shoddy science. As I've said, it's science 101 that you must isolate factors to find the contributing one....Come on USS and USOC....who's thinking here. Someone should have been fired on the spot.
4. time change was also an adjustment. The more of those the more energy expended.

YES BEFORE AN OLYMPICS, THE GOAL SHOULD BE AS FEW DISRUPTIONS AS POSSIBLE. WHY DIDNT THE USOC PROTECT US FROM THAT?

And I sent a letter to the USOC executive and asked for intervention and he said he wouldn't. That I should deal with USS myself.

I was asked why I didn't speak up in Collalbo at the debrief, and I said I was on a gag order that I could only BE POSITIVE.

So upon taking the many small hits in Collalbo, it continued with getting up at 5am to travel, then being up all day running around doing Olympic processing in Munich, then staying up til 11pm for the BMW dinner, then up at 4am to travel to Sochi. Then for 1 week the athletes had to do an excessive amount of walking trying to figure out a routine. A USS team had gone a year and then a few months in advance. That was their job to figure logistics. The Dutch figured it out and had 2 bikes for all their athletes so they would not be walking much. USS had none except for shared USOC bikes.

It is completely IRRESPONSIBLE for USS and the USOC high performance team to deny that the above disruptions in Collalbo and the following schedule and added disruptions couldn't have all contributed to the demise of the team. I will agree with the analysis of the US coaches so far that they take responsibility with their training programs, but these other factors play a role.

Back to Brian. I knew we were losing some feel and energy, not a lot, but I was hoping that Brian's incredible competitive nature and ability to throw it into 5th gear could prevail. He was close and close enough for anyone to say it was not our base training program. He was only 0.3 off a medal in the 1500m and 0.5 off the Gold and that's not a flawed program. 

Speedskating is a highly sensitive and technical sport. Every little nuance will contribute to a "negative affect". So why risk it. At this point, you DONT TAKE RISKS UNLESS YOU'RE DESPERATE. 

Finn and and those who brought him in and those who supported him should seriously consider the route those decisions mandated and they should feel responsible for the course of events here. If there were flaws in the science in Collalbo, there were flaws happening from his beginning as well as people know the preferential treatment afforded others by him and that is unconscionable for the leaders at hand to have allowed such. The latter should have been a red flag that motives were personal and a personal agenda of preferential treatment is inherent in dishonesty. And it causes dissension in the team as well as all those around. This was brought to USS and the USOC's attention, and nothing was changed.

Bottom line for me personally aside from the pervasive damage allowed by leadership (remember I do say there are a lot of good people in the sport, but the leaders have allowed personal agendas, power, control and money to dictate too much), I feel I was stripped of what I do best (coach from experience and intuition) by Finn, those who hired him, and high performance team and the leadership. 
And that same mentality probably had a lot to do with the demise of the entire team.......

Nancy Sr.