Speedskating---Davis-Hedrick feud

Buzz Mills

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Davis-Hedrick feud, Parra's pain adds to 1,500m speedskate drama

TURIN, Italy (AFP) - A tense rivalry between US speedskaters Shani Davis and Chad Hedrick is set to flare again in the 1,500m final while another American, 2002 champion Derek Parra, makes an emotional title defence. Davis won 1,000m gold Saturday, a week after Hedrick took 5,000m gold. Hedrick set the world record of 1:42.78 in November, breaking Davis' mark, and owns the world record at 10,000m, Friday's concluding event.

"The good thing is I hold the world record in the last two races. All the pressure is on me," Hedrick said. "I'll be the favorite. I like that."

Davis opted out of the team pursuit event to prepare for the 1,000 and Hedrick's bid for a record-tying five golds ended in a team quarter-final loss, one that had Hedrick, 28, implying Davis, 23, was selfish and unpatriotic. "I thought it was important to race for my country," Hedrick said.

Davis fired back after becoming the first black athlete to win an individual Winter Olympic gold medal. "If the shoe was on the other foot, would Chad have skated team pursuit if it were before the 5,000? We'll never know," Davis said.

http://tinyurl.com/qeaxe
 
Both of the two athletes have done and said selfish thiings. But of course they are getting on the black one the most.

Then when he won the gold medal and he was interviewed, they said he didn't act happy enough. Black men can't win. If he would have been more animated they would have said he celebrated too much.

I'll probably get bashed for saying this but it's true.
 
montana_16 said:
Both of the two athletes have done and said selfish thiings. But of course they are getting on the black one the most.

Then when he won the gold medal and he was interviewed, they said he didn't act happy enough. Black men can't win. If he would have been more animated they would have said he celebrated too much.

I'll probably get bashed for saying this but it's true.

No bashing from this corner. I totally agree with you.
 
To me, Chad Hedrick is saying the most trash. The reason he is unhappy, is that Davis eliminated his chance at another gold medal. He's being a very selfish individual. Davis has to do what is right for him. I'm hoping he wins the 1500.

Davis was angry/remote during his first interview, but he's come back around.

Chad won't let it go though.
 
Buzzm1 said:
To me, Chad Hedrick is saying the most trash. The reason he is unhappy, is that Davis eliminated his chance at another gold medal. He's being a very selfish individual. Davis has to do what is right for him. I'm hoping he wins the 1500.

Davis was angry/remote during his first interview, but he's come back around.

Chad won't let it go though.
:clap:

Well said Buzz! That's what I was trying to find the words to say but couldn't do it as well as you. I agree 110%.
 
Thanks cinsbythesea and Buzzm1 for understanding what I was saying . I just wish ALL these guys would realize how fortunate they are to be there and be alive and healthy and put these things aside and be happy!
 
cinsbythesea said:
:clap:

Well said Buzz! That's what I was trying to find the words to say but couldn't do it as well as you. I agree 110%.
Thanks cinsbythesea and montan 16, I don't think Chad Hedrick has even the foggiest idea how much he has destroyed his own image in the eyes of millions of Americans. He acts as if he is right, but there is no being right on this stage. He's acting like a real azzhole, towards Shani Davis, and he's making himself into a real azzhole in our eyes. More power to Shani Davis; he's come a lot longer way than Chad Hedrick.
 
Did you guys watch the interview with Shani? I did... I watched the race and the interview. I was floored. He seemed like one ticked individual and he was totally annoyed for having been interviewed. I don't care if you are black, red, green, white or yellow I thought his interview totally sucked. And I for one was THRILLED for him! I was so let down. By the way... I don't care one bit about the rivalry... I am just commenting on the interview.
 
Anngelique said:
Did you guys watch the interview with Shani? I did... I watched the race and the interview. I was floored. He seemed like one ticked individual and he was totally annoyed for having been interviewed.
SNIP
.
I agree Anngelique; I think all of the grief Chad Hedrick, and others had been laying on him, spilled over during that interview, but later I saw him and he was very happy and thankful for being able to even compete in the Olympics. I've seen 3-4 different interviews with Hedrick after Davis's win, and he is spewing only vile venom at Davis; he's talking that he'll show Davis who is the best, because he holds the world record in the 1500M. He is one ugly American athlete. So if they race against each other in the 1500. watch out, it could possibly get uglier.
 
montana_16 said:
Both of the two athletes have done and said selfish thiings. But of course they are getting on the black one the most.

Then when he won the gold medal and he was interviewed, they said he didn't act happy enough. Black men can't win. If he would have been more animated they would have said he celebrated too much.

I'll probably get bashed for saying this but it's true.
No, I saw Davis's interview immediately after he won, and he looked pisssssssed!!!
Also, I think he was selfish not to skate the team event, why couldn't he have done both? Being black has nothing to do with it. I think Hedrick would have skated both.
 
Anngelique said:
Did you guys watch the interview with Shani? I did... I watched the race and the interview. I was floored. He seemed like one ticked individual and he was totally annoyed for having been interviewed. I don't care if you are black, red, green, white or yellow I thought his interview totally sucked. And I for one was THRILLED for him! I was so let down. By the way... I don't care one bit about the rivalry... I am just commenting on the interview.

I agree. I was floored by that interview. Even the lady interviewing him was at a loss for words as well as Bob Costa. She even asked him, "Shani, are you mad?" He said no he was just at a loss for words. He wouldn't even look at the woman.
 
I read an article on Shani in Time and it does seem like he has a chip on his shoulder...BUT...he has had to have an attitude to get where he is today. His mom though seems to buy right into that attitude and encourages it.
The greatness is being able to watch the incredible skating or any athlete performing well...the tragedy is that they are people and some just aren't the kind of people we want as friends :slap:

lynie
 
Whaddya know, I linked! Not sure how, though..... :doh:
 
LinasK said:
No, I saw Davis's interview immediately after he won, and he looked pisssssssed!!!
Also, I think he was selfish not to skate the team event, why couldn't he have done both? Being black has nothing to do with it. I think Hedrick would have skated both.
Davis's prime event--the 5000 meter, was in a close timeframe as the Team Pursuit, and Davis felt that participating in the Team Pursuit, would effect his performance in the 5000 meter, so he made the decision based on that. I can't fault him for that decision.

Results
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
4:00 PM Mens 1500m
Athlete/Team Rank# Result Medal
Enrico Fabris 1 1:45.97
Shani Davis 2 1:46.13
Chad Hedrick 3 1:46.22
 
Buzzm1 said:
Davis's prime event--the 5000 meter, was in a close timeframe as the Team Pursuit, and Davis felt that participating in the Team Pursuit, would effect his performance in the 5000 meter, so he made the decision based on that. I can't fault him for that decision.

Results
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
4:00 PM Mens 1500m
Athlete/Team Rank# Result Medal
Enrico Fabris 1 1:45.97
Shani Davis 2 1:46.13
Chad Hedrick 3 1:46.22
I agree Buzz. Chad had the chance to possibly win 5 gold medals. Shani had the chance to break color barriers and make Olympic history. And Chad is the one calling Shani selfish?????? Pot, meet kettle.
 
Italian Upstages the Shani & Chad Show

TURIN, Italy - Something happened on the way to the showdown between Americans Shani Davis and Chad Hedrick. Italian Enrico Fabris doused the smoldering U.S. rivalry by winning Olympic gold in men's 1,500-meter speedskating Tuesday. Davis earned silver and Hedrick settled for bronze. "Shani and I both wanted to win the race," Hedrick said. "We both wanted to prove who was the best, but someone else slipped in there and got it."

Fabris posted a time of 1 minute, 45.97 seconds, then waited anxiously to see if any of the remaining four pairs could better him on the slow ice.

"It was difficult to believe it would hold," said Fabris, who works as a policeman between training. "I started quite slow and the other skaters after me started very fast. You have to keep some strength for the final lap. So I did it." Davis, the former world record holder, went in the final pair, knowing the time he had to beat. After being charged with a false start, he finished in 1:46.13.

http://tinyurl.com/z9omn
 
Speedskating smackdownBy Bernie Wilson, Yahoo! Sports | February 21, 2006


TURIN, Italy – The smackdown between Shani Davis and Chad Hedrick didn't occur on the ice like everyone hoped it would. But it did happen. And the world missed quite a show. The real face-off between the two American speedskating stars took place about two hours after they were upstaged by Italy's Enrico Fabris in the Olympic 1,500 meters Tuesday at raucous Oval Lingotto, leaving Davis with the silver and Hedrick the bronze.

If the feud between the gold medalists had merely been festering, it splattered all over the cramped news conference room. These guys really don't like each other.

First, a quick recap: Hedrick, a cocky Texan, came into these games with the chance to match Eric Heiden's record of five Winter Olympic gold medals. He got off to a great start when he won the opening race, the 5,000 meters. Another of his five events was team pursuit – a new Olympic event. Much to Hedrick's annoyance, Davis skipped the team pursuit in order to focus on his individual events. The U.S. team, led by Hedrick, was upset in the quarterfinals by Fabris and the Italians, who went on to win the gold.

Three days later, Hedrick didn't bother to congratulate Davis, a quiet Chicago native, after he won the 1,000 meters to become the first black athlete to claim an individual gold medal at the Winter Olympics. Hedrick, who was sixth in the 1,000 meters, even spouted: "Once Shani beat me, I didn't care if I got a bronze. I'm here to win. It's all or nothing."

After the 1,500 meters, Davis tried to blame most of the fuss on the media (In that case, there's a lot of suspects, since there's an estimated 10,000 of us lurking in and around Turin). So, it was suggested, if there's a perception that media stoked this, why couldn't the two kiss and make up?

After some rambling give-and-take between the two, Davis finally let Hedrick have it. "It would have been nice if after the 1,000 meters, he could have been a good teammate and shook my hand, just like I shook his hand – or hugged him – after he won the 5,000 meters." Davis stood up and walked out of the room.

Hedrick looked stunned, took a drink of water and gave his rebuttal.

http://tinyurl.com/em4ea
 

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