MEDAL PICKS BY ANITA VERSCHOTH
Speed Skating

Those noises coming from the M-Wave arena will be clapskates clapping and records breaking. Since the U.S. is without retirees Bonnie Blair and Dan Jansen, Dutch men and German women will be the ones making the racket. In short track, Korea will cause most of the commotion.

• Hiroyasu Shimizu, Japan
• Jeremy Wotherspoon, Canada
• Manabu Horii, Japan

U.S. Casey FitzRandolph, winner of five '97 races, could crack the top six.

1,000 METERS
February 15

• Manabu Horii, Japan
• Jan Bos, The Netherlands
• Lee Kyu Hyuk, Korea

U.S. If he adjusts to his clapskates, former small-college placekicker FitzRandolph could score a medal.

1,500 METERS
February 12

• Rintje Ritsma, The Netherlands
• Ids Postma, The Netherlands
• Kevin Overland, Canada

U.S. A bronze is possible for former in-line skater KC Boutiette, world-record holder for a day in '97.

5,000 METERS
February 8

• Gianni Romme, The Netherlands
• Keiji Shirahata, Japan
• Frank Dittrich, Germany

U.S. Boutiette and nine-year veteran David Tamburrino should both glide into the top 12.

Speed Skating

10,000 METERS
February 17

• Bob de Jong, The Netherlands
• Gianni Romme, The Netherlands
• Kjell Storelid, Norway

U.S. Tamburrino, who thrives in long races, should make the top 10.

500 METERS
February 13 and 14

• Catriona LeMay Doan, Canada
• Sabine Völker, Germany
• Franziska Schenk, Germany

U.S. The 1,000 may be her best event, but Chris Witty is also one of the world's top five at half that distance.

1,000 METERS
February 19

• Chris Witty, U.S. [spotlight]
• Franziska Schenk, Germany
• Catriona LeMay Doan, Canada

U.S. The world-record holder, Witty will cruise. Marquette student Becky Sundstrom could also push into the top five.

1,500 METERS
February 16

• Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann, Germany
• Emese Hunyady, Austria
• Tonny de Jong, The Netherlands

U.S. The distance figures to tire Witty and Sundstrom: top six for the former, top 10 for the latter.

3,000 METERS
February 11

• Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann, Germany
• Claudia Pechstein, Germany
• Svetlana Bazhanova, Russia

U.S. The pupil (and daughter) of two-time Olympic medalist Diane Holum, 17-year-old Kirstin Holum seems destined for the top 10.

5,000 METERS
February 20

• Claudia Pechstein, Germany
• Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann, Germany
• Tonny de Jong, The Netherlands

U.S. Holum and former in-line skater Jennifer Rodriguez from Miami would both do well to finish in the top 20.

• Satoru Terao, Japan
• Marc Gagnon, Canada
• Lee Jun Hwan, Korea

U.S. Last shot for 33-year-old Andy Gabel; first shot for 18-year-old Rusty Smith.

1,000 METERS
February 17

• Lee Jun Hwan, Korea
• Kim Dong Sung, Korea
• Fabio Carta, Italy

U.S. Gabel and Smith (who's named after Rusty Staub) could both make the top 10.

5,000-METER RELAY
February 21

• Korea
• Canada
• Japan

U.S. One of the world's best five teams isn't yet one of the best three.

500 METERS
February 19

• Chun Lee Kyung, Korea
• Yang Yang, China
• Wang Chunlu, China

U.S. Three-time Olympic medalist Amy Peterson and 19-year-old Erin Porter look good for the top eight.

1,000 METERS
February 21

• Chun Lee Kyung, Korea
• Isabelle Charest, Canada
• Kim Yoon Mi, Korea

U.S. Peterson, Porter and Erin Gleason—the American-record holder at 1,500—are top 10 material.

3,000-METER RELAY
February 17

• Korea
• China
• Canada

U.S. The team includes two-time Olympic champ Cathy Turner, but at 35 her medal days are over.

Michelle Kwan | Swedish Hockey | Luge Duo | Hockey Photo Act

Issue date: February 9, 1998