Katherine Reutter Diary #4

Say hello to Katherine Reutter, a short-track speedskater with gold-medal potential. The Champaign native has been kind enough to give us an inside look at her quest for Olympic glory by writing a monthly diary for The News-Gazette. Her fourth entry:

Part 1 of my journey is over ... I am an Olympian!

Olympic trials were a huge success. I won the overall title and qualified to race in every distance.

It was a long week consisting of a nine-lap time trial, a four-lap time trial, and the racing of each distance twice. I had one fall in the 500 meters and a second place in the 1,000 when a teammate barely got me at the finish line, but I was amazed at how good I felt and how well the summer training paid off.

Less than 24 hours after trials ended we left for Beijing to compete in the first ISU World Cup, where I won my first gold. Going into the Games, no skater wants to show all their cards, but for me, I also didn't want to go into the Games with no individual gold under my belt. The way the 1,000 ended up for me was perfect. I had a teammate, Jessica Smith, in the race along with a new Korean competitor, Eun-Byul Lee, and the 1,000 world champion, Meng Wang.

What I love most about World Cups is that so much of the nerves go away. As the competition starts out it's stressful and you hope that you're good enough to meet your goals, but as the rounds progress and the competitors get closer and closer in ability, it turns into just giving it your all-out best. Once you get to the final, every skater is strong. Any skater can win. So going into the final in Beijing I was able to focus my nerves entirely on what I had to do and focused solely on having the best race I could.

Meng Wang took the lead from the start. I was content to let her lead, but our coach gave my teammate, Jessica, the sign to move up. Once she took the lead I realized that our best chance of winning more medals for Team USA was for me to move to the front and lead with her.

China and Korea also realized this and tried to keep us apart. I moved up on the outside just before Eun-Byul passed Jess on the inside. I was in the lead with five laps to go – way too early to be skating hard from the front. I started to slow the pace, hoping for someone else to pass and lead. My wish was granted. Eun-Byul passed me up almost immediately. Second is the best place to be in the middle of any race. You don't spend any extra energy on leading, but you can also set up a pass to first at any time.

In second position I listened to what was going on behind me. I heard a skater accelerate and felt her moving up on my outside. To defend, I exited the corner wide and did an acceleration of my own. This quick burst of speed was enough to put me back into first, and with two laps to go that was exactly where I wanted to be.

Eun-Byul was now in second, and she has one of the best tight tracks in the world. While skating tight isn't the most efficient for top speed, it is the best track to skate when trying to keep your position. So I guarded the inside lane with all that I had and held off her first inside move, but Meng Wang was still in third and I needed to go faster to ensure that she couldn't pass. I took a deep breath and braced myself to go even faster. With one lap to go she still hadn't moved up and then I heard a crash. With no time to think about who it had been, I protected tight again, keeping Eun-Byul in second. I came around the last corner and skated all the way through the line, and only then did I realize that I was in first.

The feeling was monumental. After having so many second places in my career I knew that the biggest mistake you can make is assume with one lap to go that you've won the race. I've lost more races in the last lap than I care to recall, but this time my focus stayed completely on what to do and when, rather than on the chance of winning my first gold.

It isn't obvious to spectators of any sport how mentally demanding competition and training can be. It's the No. 1 thing that holds anyone back. My coach often tells me that my biggest strength is also my biggest weakness. My focus and drive are the things that push my body to the top, but they're also the things that mentally tear me down. The fear of failure, expectation to win, and exhaustion that such determination can bring is enough to push anyone over the edge. That's why it's so hard to stay on top. My focus constantly wavers to what others are doing and whether my best is good enough to win again.

The accomplishment I am most proud over this past month is the fact that I haven't put myself up on a pedestal to win again. I know that if I keep doing what I'm doing then another day on top of the podium will come. But worrying and letting others' expectations hang over my head will only pull me down. I've changed the word expectation to belief. It is myself and others' belief in me to win that pushes me to perform my best.

And just like the flowers given on the podium, your glory only lasts for one day. I carried my flowers with me until they wilted and then I was just like any other skater again – putting forth my best for the one moment of glory on top of the podium.

Diary No. 1 - link

Diary No. 2 - link

Diary No. 3 - link

 

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