In short-track speedskating, Shani Davis was not dominant. In traditional long-track racing, he is the 1,000-meter world record holder. (Getty Images)
Today should bring Shani Davis a medal -- he's a favorite for the gold -- and some measure of vindication. Davis left the 2002 Games early and angry after not skating in any individual events in short-track speedskating. Davis considered that a major snub that exacerbated a prior humiliation: Just before the Games, one skater accused two others of cheating to ensure Davis won a place on the team (an arbitrator ruled that the charges were not substantiated).
Davis and his mother, Cherie Davis, have since charged that the sport's governing body, U.S. Speedskating, tried to stymie his talents and hold back his progress, charges organization officials have vehemently denied. At one point last year, after severing ties with U.S. Speedskating over a sponsorship dispute, he declared the organization "the enemy."
But unlike short-track skating, a sport in which he wasn't considered top-rung, Davis dominates on the long-track oval, and the only matter in dispute is how many medals Davis will win. Davis, who narrowly failed to make the short-track team, prefers the thrill of that sport but loves the speed of this event. In November, he set the world record in the 1,000 meters with a time of 1 minute 7.03 seconds, knocking .15 of a second off the previous record set during the 2002 Olympics by the Netherlands' Gerard van Velde. A lanky skater, Davis still manages to pull out strong sprints to the finish.
Davis's stiffest competition could come from U.S. teammate Chad Hedrick, a former inline skating star. But Hedrick, the world record holder in the 1,500 meters, tends to be stronger in distance events.
OLD HAND
Daron RahlvesUnited States
Alpine skiing
Men's Super-G
Rahlves, 32, has spent his entire career all but hidden by the enormous shadow cast by Bode Miller. Yet Rahlves, whose engaging and laid-back personality contrasts with that of the grumbling, anti-establishment Miller, outperformed Miller during the World Cup season and could outdo him during these Games. Though he won three downhill races early this season to move to third in the World Cup overall standings -- a career best -- his only world championship came in 2001 in the Super-G. Rahlves was second in the World Cup standings in the event in 2004 and third last year.
2002 FLASHBACK
Short trackMen's 1,000
It's now known as "a Bradbury" -- when everyone else in the short-track speedskating field crashes and you coast from last place to first. Australian Steven Bradbury, pictured, won his nation's first Winter Olympic gold medal simply by being the last man standing in the men's 1,000. Bradbury was 12 yards back, far enough behind the leaders that he managed to avoid the wild collision that knocked out the top four skaters on the last turn. As they slid over the ice and bounced off the wall, Bradbury skated easily over the finish line ahead of Apolo Anton Ohno, who was awarded the silver.