Susan’s speed skating career boasts many amazing achievements as an athlete. She competed in five Olympic Games, winning two silver medals in the 500m event (1994 and 1998), and a bronze in 1988 in the 3000m short track relay event. In 1995 and 1998, she placed second in the 500m distance at the World Sprint Championships and at the World Cup overall. From 1995 to 1998, Susan consistently finished top three at the World Cup.

Susan left speed skating after the Nagano Olympics but returned after only eighteen months off the ice. “A lot of people speculated I came back to skating because I’d never won a gold medal at the Olympics. I never came back to win an Olympic gold medal. I came back because I missed racing.”

No regrets: Susan Auch announced her retirement fromspeed skating last week.
(CP Photo/Adrian Wyld)

The women were first out of the gate today, and Stacey Cook of the U.S. charged the Olympic Men’s Downhill Course with the overall best time. Eighteen-year-old Sherry Lawrence was close behind for the silver, and American Alison Powers won the bronze medal. Lawrence was second in the Nor Am super-G in Aspen earlier this season and she’s thrilled to add to her medal collection.

“I was really hoping to repeat my performance and not to just hold on to one medal finish this year,” she said after placing 12th the day before. “It solidifies that I can be at the top.”

Hudec has been struggling to regain his confidence after suffering a mild
knee injury before the World Cup in Lake Louise earlier this season. Seeking
to regain his winning form, he was thankful he was able to pull it together
for race day.

The Canadian Rockies are conveniently situated in Hudec’s backyard, and the
aspiring young athlete thrives on racing on home snow, in front of his
supporters. “My mom and Dad came out to watch today, and I think it helped to have some support,” he said. “I always ski better when I’m showing off to somebody.”

Hudec and his family moved to Canada from Czechoslovakia 20 years ago. His
mom, Vladi, recognizes how much their support means to their son. “We try to come out anytime we can, to cheer him on,” she said. “I am excited for him today. I think this result will give him some confidence, and I am very proud of him.” Vladi is Jan’s number-one fan, but she considers herself to be cheerleader for all the local racers that are charging the mountain this weekend at Lake Louise. “Anytime the Bow Valley racers, like Paul Stutz and Cameron Barnes, come down, my heart is pumping for them,” she said.

DID YOU KNOW? The Canadian National disabled swim team set a new record this week by winning an outstanding 49 medals at the swimming World Championships held in Mar Del Plata, Argentina. The 17-member Canadian team ended the meet with a record 28 gold, 14 silver and five bronze. The team includes Calgary based swimmer and 2000 Paralympics gold medallist Andrew Haley.

Wotherspoon earned his fourth consecutive win clocking 35.72 seconds. Fengtong Yu of China was second and Tomonori Kawata of Japan was third.

It was also Wotherspoon’s 40th career World Cup victory for third all-time. Uwe-Jens May of East Germany leads at 48 and American Dan Jansen is second all time at 46 World Cup wins.

James Monson of Winnipeg was 20th in Sunday’s 500, while in the B group race Éric Brisson of Ste-Foy, Que., was eighth, Sterling Sobczak of Winnipeg ninth and Kevin Marshall of Coquitlam, B.C., 12th.

In the men’s 1,000, Jan Bos led the Netherlands to a clean medal sweep.

CANADIAN WATER POLO WOMEN WIN BRONZE AT FINA WORLD CUP

PERTH, AUSTRALIA (CSN) - Canada nearly squandered a big lead but defeated Russia 6-5 Sunday to win a very satisfying bronze medal at the FINA World Cup women’s water polo tournament. Hungary defeated the U.S., 8-7 for the gold medal.

The Canadians dominated the game for three quarters and built a 6-1 advantage. But the Russians, first in their pool in the round robin, scored four unanswered goals in the fourth to make it exciting.

“It was a little too close at the end but it’s great to win (the bronze),” said interim head coach Pat Oaten of Montreal. “Our experienced players showed a lot of leadership. I just put the game plan together and it’s the team in the water that made it happen.”

TRIVIA: Archaeologists found this type of sporting equipment in an Egyptian child's grave dating back to 5200 B.C. Can you name the sport?
BONUS QUESTION: Which country was responsible for introducing the sport to North America? (See below for answers)

SCOTT IN GOOD STANDING AT WORLD CUP SPRINT

CLUSONE, ITALY (CCC Release) - Beckie Scott started her first World Cup sprint race of the season on a high note this morning when she placed 6th overall in the Women’s 1.4 km cross-country skate race held in Clusone, Italy.

Beckie Scott is in good shape to start the season after her phenomenal Olympic performance last year. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque Photo)

Scott, who came fifth in the sprinting event at last winter’s Olympic Games, is pleased with her result. “I felt good in all the rounds,”says Scott. “It was a bit difficult to pass in some places though, because the snow was so sugary and I was getting boxed in.”

In the B-final, Scott came in second to Finnish sprinting specialist Pirjo Manninen from Finland. The A-final was won by Norwegian Marit Bjoergen, followed by Germany’s Claudia Kuenzel.

Other Canadian sprinters include Alberta’s Sara Renner in 25th place, narrowly missing the top-16 qualification cut-off, and Milaine Theriault, from New Brunswick, in 39th position.

The World Cup circuit moves to Cogne, Italy this weekend for the mass start
classical race on Saturday and another sprint event on Sunday.

Congratulations to the Canadian Freestyle Team for placing all moguls competitors in the finals at the World Cup in Italy this weekend. “That’s awesome,” says Canadian moguls coach Bob Aldighieri. “That means every single Canadian has made a final on this stop,” he says of the opening leg to the 2002-2003 season. “That’s really cool,” says team veteran Rochon, 28. “All the young guns coming on the team are making finals. That’s good for our sport in Canada.”

OLYMPIC UPDATE...
B.C. PREMIER AND UTAH GOVERNOR TOUT PAYOFFS
OF HOSTING OLYMPICS

VANCOUVER, B.C. (CP) - Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt says his state would host another Winter Olympics in a heartbeat, however, Vancouver city council voted Tuesday to hold a public vote on the issue in February.

Leavitt appeared at a leadership summit Tuesday as Premier Gordon Campbell continued to promote British Columbia's bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Leavitt said everything improved in Utah leading up to this year's Winter Games in Salt Lake City. He said the Games produced a net surplus of more than $100 million. "Traffic systems got better, our law enforcement learned to work together better, the service in our restaurants got better,'' he said.

" It was not an easy experience. It stretched us but in the final analysis I think Utans would overwhelmingly look for an opportunity to do it again at any point in their lifetime.'' Campbell said the federal government is putting $310 million towards the Games. But that money and a lot more won't be there if British Columbia loses the Winter Olympics, he said.

Meantime, Vancouver city council decided Tuesday that city residents will vote Feb. 22 on whether the city should play host to the 2010 Winter Olympics. Council voted 8-2 to spend $538,000 on a formal vote on the Olympic bid, although the wording of the ballot will not be decided until Thursday. Council also decided to spend an additional $35,000 on a two-page newspaper insert containing a questionnaire for people to mail, fax or e-mail to the city expressing their views.

The decision came after a long, detailed presentation from the 2010 bid corporation about the benefits of the Games, a report from city clerk Syd Baxter on council's options for soliciting public opinion and a lengthy debate on the merits of holding a vote at all. There was also a rehash of arguments raised during the recent civic election, with Mayor Larry Campbell and some councillors saying the vote is taking place because the majority Coalition of Progressive Electors campaigned on a promise to hold one. Baxter said the vote is timed to be completed before the International Olympic Committee visits Vancouver for a technical evaluation between March 2 and 5.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Bowling. Archaeologists have discovered bowling balls, pins and other equipment that was found to be ~7000 years old!
BONUS ANSWER: Bowling was recorded in England as early as the 1100s. In the Netherlands people took up a related game, and it was the Dutch who introduced the sport to America in the 1600s -- it was called Dutch pins.