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Shelley Osterloh ReportingTeam USA will try to get back to its winning ways with several key events today. The 500 meter speedskating showdown will determine the fastest man on ice. Amercan Casey FitzRandolph won gold in Salt Lake and is hoping for a second in Torino.
This is Casey FitzRandolph's third Olympics. The 31-year old speedskater says the Olympic dream is something he caught at an early age. Casey FitzRandolph winning gold in the 500 meter race is one of the memorable images of 2002. The handsome skater, the American flag, the jubilation.
Casey FitzRandolph, US Speedskater: "I guess it sinks in that you are a gold medallist, but it never sinks in that you are worthy of the gold medal. Especially when you put that gold medal on the pedestal like I have since I was four or five years old."
That's right, FitzRandolph started ice skating in 1980 when he was just five.
Casey FitzRandolph, US Speedskater: "And Eric Heiden, from Madison, won his five golds that year in Lake Placid, and I said I want to do what he did. I want to win golds in the Olympic games. So for that to come full circle, at the time it was 22-years later, the feeling that I had winning that gold medal is something that I'll probably never be able to duplicate."
But he has decided to try. Now in his third Olympics, Casey FitzRandolph will defend his Olympic gold medal in the 500 meter race. And it's not just the Olympic race; he cherishes every step along the way.
Casey FitzRandolph, US Speedskater: "I've chosen to savor every memory from this season because it probably will be my last. Not just the racing memories, but even the day to day training."
FitzRandolph says he is optimistic about his chances for another gold medal, but knows the odds are against him.
Casey FitzRandolph, US Speedskater: "There are not a lot of people that win a gold medal, but in relation to the number of people who two, there are a lot. So if I could win another in 2006 in Torino, I think I could retire a happy man."
