Hedrick thrives on hoisting pints
Party animal sets world record in 5,000 metres
American known to show up for practice drunk

Quelle: www.thestar.com
Nov. 14, 2005. 01:00 AM
RANDY STARKMAN
SPORTS REPORTER

CALGARY—American speed skater Chad Hedrick has a well-earned reputation as a party animal, having on occasion shown up drunk for practice.

But even when he's reeking of booze, the 28-year-old Texan trains all-out.

"You've got to give him five minutes to find his balance, but then he's okay," said his coach Bart Schouten. "Nah, I'm serious. ... He does come drunk at practice every now and then, but he still does his practice harder than anybody else."

No one's about to doubt that after Hedrick's world record-shattering performance in the 5,000 metres yesterday at the World Cup.

Reigning two-time world champion in the event, Hedrick obliterated the world record, churning around the Olympic Oval ice at an average speed of 30.3 m.p.h. to post a time of 6:09.68 — slicing nearly five seconds off the mark of 6:14.66 set by Dutchman Jochem Uytdehaage at the 2002 Salt Lake Games.

"It's a big step forward towards what I want to do in Torino," said Hedrick, referring to the 2006 Olympics in Italy.

Hedrick is an incredible story, even beyond his remarkable capacity to train when most would be incapacitated.

His family owned a roller rink. He started skating at age 2, going on to win 50-plus world titles while pioneering his own style in in-line skating. He decided to give speed skating a try in December of 2002, made the U.S. national team two months later, and pulled off the stunning feat of winning the world all-around championships in 2004.

A hockey player good enough to make the Texas under-17 selects, Hedrick is a fierce competitor with a relentless desire to improve.

"My world record might not stand if I don't win next week," he said, referring to the World Cup in Salt Lake City. "I have to go out next week and do it again and work hard and prove to everybody that I didn't win the world championships last year by five seconds by accident."

Schouten said there's a simple reason Hedrick has been able to accomplish so much in a short time in his new sport.

"He's one of the toughest people I know," he said. "He never has excuses. He works really, really hard, but he's also very smart on the ice. He also knows when to rest."

And apparently when to party, too. When it comes to his hard-living style off the ice, Hedrick pleads guilty as charged.

"If you don't enjoy what you're doing, if you don't take time to celebrate, then you're not worth anything," he said. "A lot of these people (his competitors) are way too serious sometimes and that works on them in a negative way. That's why I enjoy it. I love the sport. I love competition. That's what I'm here for."

Schouten is in total agreement with that philosophy.

"I think he's a free spirit and as a coach you don't want to take that away," he said. "The dumbest thing I think a coach could do is make him stop all his antics.''

But there are limits even for the easygoing Schouten.

"One time he showed up late this year because he'd been drinking and I told him, `If you go drink, you get here on time.' It never happened again."

Schouten expected Hedrick to celebrate his new record in traditional fashion last night, but isn't concerned. It seems that Hedrick's incredible endurance extends off the ice as well.

"I just know when he set the record in Milwaukee a couple of weeks ago he had at least 10 cans of beer the night before because he was watching the World Series," said Schouten.