HE DIDN'T make the semis, but short- track speed skater Blake Skjellerup is thrilled to have his first Winter Olympic competition under his belt.
Sleek in his skin-tight black suit, Skjellerup was fifth in the first heat of the men's 1500m at Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum yesterday, finishing in 2.14.73 in a blistering race that set a new Olympic record.
Canada's Jean Olivier won Skjellerup's heat in 2.14.279. Less than half a second separated the winners as the pack crossed the line in a tight bunch. The top three skaters in each heat progress through to the semifinals.
paper bag printing South Korea's Lee Jung-Su broke Olivier's record a short time later, and then again in the semifinals. Later in the night he beat American Apolo Anton Ohno to the gold in a heart- stopping final in which his two Korean team-mates were hurled into the side mats on the final lap, sending a Reuters photographer flying.
The broken records had shown how fast the Vancouver track was, Skjellerup said.
The 24-year-old Christchurch native couldn't keep the grin off his face after his race.
"I feel good, really good," he said.
"I felt a lot better than I thought I would have. Doing the 1500m, not my strongest but the ice quality increased tenfold from the last few days [training].
"It's really good, really fast, a lot of pressure and that's what I like."
replica balenciaga handbags Although he admitted to a few nerves at the start, the butterflies didn't last long.
"As I was putting my skates on I was like 'it's no different to any other day, it's the Olympics, it's a huge event but I'll just do what I've got to do'."
And what does it feel like to finally be an Olympian?
"It feels really good. After eight years of all that dreaming and training it all comes true in a minute."
postcard printing Short track, often called "rodeo on ice", is an Olympic crowd favourite, with plenty of spills as athletes jostle on the 111m, ice- hockey-sized rink, reaching speeds of up to 50kmh.
It's as much about strategy and tactics as speed, and races are often decided because the leaders crash in risky last-ditch efforts for position.
Unlike the more sedate long track, in which Kiwi Shane Dobbin was 17th yesterday, the short track athletes must wear helmets and skin- tight Kevlar-lined suits for protection from the slashing blades.
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