TRENDING FIGURE SKATING | ALPINE SKIING | SIMONE BILES
Meryl Davis, Charlie White

Meryl Davis, Charlie White won’t compete next season

By Nick ZaccardiMar 28, 2015, 8:42 PM EDT
1 Comment

U.S. Olympic ice dance champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White will not compete in the 2015-16 season, White said.

“Not next year, for sure, but moving forward, into the [Pyeongchang 2018] Olympics, we haven’t decided yet,” White told NBC’s Tracy Wilson. “Keeping our options open.”

Davis and White, who haven’t competed since becoming the first U.S. Olympic ice dance gold medalists in Sochi, performed in the World Championships Opening Ceremony in Shanghai this past week.

The ice dance competition followed, with France’s Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron becoming the youngest World champions in the event in 40 years. Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who succeeded Davis and White as U.S. champions, took silver at Worlds.

Davis and White’s longtime Canadian rivals, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, also have not competed since Sochi. They have not said if or when they will return.

Javier Fernandez stuns Yuzuru Hanyu to win World title

World short-track speedskating championships will be moved, postponed or canceled

Getty Images
By Beau DureFeb 26, 2020, 7:54 AM EST
Leave a comment

Olympics

Daniel Romanchuk’s ascent to marathon stardom accelerated at University of Illinois Chloé Dygert wanted to be Steve Prefontaine. Then Larry Bird. Now, her coach. U.S. women’s hockey roster named for world championship

The International Skating Union announced Tuesday that the world short-track speedskating championships will not proceed as scheduled because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Seoul’s Mokdong Ice Rink, where the competition was set to be held March 13-15, held the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships earlier this month but closed on Monday.

The ISU left open the possibility that the championships will be postponed or relocated, but the window to do so may close rapidly.

“Taking into account the uncertain world-wide development of the coronavirus, the limited and uncertain available time slots during the coming weeks and the logistical challenges of potential organizers and participating teams, a postponement and/or relocation of the Championships would be difficult to achieve,” the ISU said. “Nevertheless, a postponement and/or relocation of this Championships might be considered if the circumstances would allow so in due time.”

South Korea is one of short-track speedskating’s traditional powers. Last year, the country dominated the world championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, winning both relays and taking gold in all of the men’s individual races. South Korea also led the medal count on home ice in the 2018 Olympics.

The coronavirus outbreak has forced the cancellation of many events in China, where the illness was first found. The world indoor track and field championships were pushed back a whole year.

With the virus spreading to other regions, other countries’ sports schedules are being affected. Several soccer games are proceeding in empty stadiums in Italy and Iran.

OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!

Daniel Romanchuk’s ascent to marathon stardom accelerated at University of Illinois

By OlympicTalkFeb 25, 2020, 3:13 PM EST
Leave a comment

More: Olympics

World short-track speedskating championships will be moved, postponed or canceled Chloé Dygert wanted to be Steve Prefontaine. Then Larry Bird. Now, her coach. U.S. women’s hockey roster named for world championship

The rise of Daniel Romanchuk has been one of the major stories of this Paralympic cycle. The wheelchair racer was eliminated in the first round of all five of his races in Rio.

But now, he’s the world’s best marathoner with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, a world-record holder on the track and already qualified for the Tokyo Games.

Romanchuk, born with spina bifida, was profiled by NBC Sports Chicago as part of a series of NBC Sports Regional Networks pieces published this week — marking 150 days until the Tokyo Olympics and six months until the Tokyo Paralympics.

NBC RSN Olympic and Paralympic Profiles
NBC Sports Bay Area
Abbey Weitzeil (Swimming) — LINK

NBC Sports Boston
Margaret Bertasi (Rowing) — LINK
Abbey D’Agostino Cooper (Track and Field) — LINK

NBC Sports Chicago
Ryan Murphy (Swimming) — LINK

NBC Sports Northwest
Galen Rupp (Marathon) — LINK
Mariel Zagunis (Fencing) — LINK

NBC Sports Philadelphia
Vashti Cunningham (Track and Field) — LINK
Julie Ertz (Soccer) — LINK

NBC Sports Washington
Katie Ledecky (Swimming) — LINK
Kyle Snyder (Wrestling) — LINK

Romanchuk, 21, swept the Boston, London, Chicago and New York City Marathon titles in 2019. He attributes that success to his native Baltimore and his training residence of the University of Illinois.

At age 2, he was enrolled in Baltimore’s Bennett Blazers, an adaptive sports program for children with physical disabilities. Tatyana McFadden, a 17-time Paralympic medalist who dominated women’s wheelchair marathons, planted her athletic roots there.

“Their motto is to teach kids they can before they’re told they can’t,” Romanchuk said.

Things really blossomed for Romanchuk after he moved from Baltimore to the University of Illinois. Illinois was designated a U.S. Paralympic training site in 2014 and has produced McFadden, Jean Driscoll and other U.S. Paralympic stars.

“Without this program, I certainly would not be where I am,” Romanchuk said. “It’s a very unique combination of coaching and teammates.”

OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!

MORE: Ten Paralympic hopefuls to watch for 2020 Tokyo Games