COVER STORY
Do they give each other advice? “When Alex was new to the sport I gave
him as much advice as I could, whether he liked it or not. As he gained experience it was easier for me to back off a bit…he is definitely more seasoned now and has no problem throwing his big sister some tips.” Elli said. Alex, who will be making his World Cup
debut this season sees it a bit differently, “I will always welcome pointers from Elli, but I am very hesitant to give her any… she has been speedskating longer than me. She has the seniority.” Two siblings who do compete against
one another are Cole and John-Henry Kreuger. The brothers have been skat- ing since the ages of 7 and 5 respectfully. Cole tried the sport first and seeing how much fun his brother was having, John-
Henry was soon to follow. They have not looked back. Having skated together for so long,
both agree that they treat each other the same while racing. “I can’t remember not skating with him. It can make practice and races a little more competitive but other than that, he’s just another skater on the ice,” said Cole. John-Henry agreed, “The goal of every
race is still the same. So it doesn’t really matter if I’m racing my brother or some- one else.” One common answer amongst all the
siblings was they appreciated having someone to talk to, who really understands this level of sport and they can trust. Morgan Izykowski shared “it’s comfort-
ing to know that if I’m ever having a hard time, that I can always go to my big brother
for advice. He knows exactly what it’s like, he has been there before.” For these sib- lings it is an advantage that helps. “You can relate to one another on a
higher level and have a better under- standing of the kind of support that is needed” Elli Ochowicz said. Cole and John-Henry also share the
same outlook. Cole finds “I like that I have someone to train with that I know 100%” and John-Henry shared “I like that I have someone who I can talk to about skating and I can always trust.” It seems that rivalry has not found its
way to speedskating siblings, at least with these elite athletes. It comes as no surprise that skating siblings not only pursue their individual goals, but also look to each other for guidance, support and trust on the ice. n
Alex Ochowicz
Elli Ochowicz
Beth and Eric Heiden
Nancy and Jeffrey Swider-Peltz Jr.
ALL IN THE FAMILY Speedskating, for many, is a family affair. The roster of siblings and generations of families of skaters is a long one. Below, meet a few more
skating siblings….
ERIC & BETH HEIDEN Eric: Earned gold in World Cup Events 1977, 78, 79, 80; Five gold medals in Lake Placid 1980 Olympic Winter Games. Beth: Earned silver in World Cup Events 1976,77,78,79,80 Bronze medalist in Lake Placid 1980 Olympic Winter Games
TONY, JULIE & CAITLIN GOSKOWICZ All three, National Champions Tony: 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games, 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games
8 RACING BLADE Winter 2012
www.usspeedskating.org
Julie: 1998 Nagano Olympic Winter Games, 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games Tony & Julie teamed up at the 1994 US Olympic Festival to earn 8 medals, the most ever by siblings. Caitlin: National Champion
NANCY SWIDERPELZ JR, & JEFFREY SWIDERPELTZ Nancy: 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games Jeffrey: AmCup1 : 2nd in 1500meter, 1st 5000meter
Their mom, Nancy Sr,, is a 3X long track Olympian (’76, ’84, ’88)
MATT & MIKE KOOREMAN Mike: Successful skating career in Short Track and AmCup circuits. Matt: Successful skater on LT National Team. Both brothers now even more successful as coaches: Mike: Coach, German National Short Track Team Matt: Utah Olympic Oval National Training Center Coach
PHOTO COURTESY OF BELLA FACCIE SPORTS MEDIA, THOMAS DI NARDO © 2012
PHOTO COURTESY OF BELLA FACCIE SPORTS MEDIA, THOMAS DI NARDO © 2012
PHOTO BY HILARY BARRETO
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