Story posted Monday, March 1, 2010
Winning Silver A 'Dream Come True'
By TOM ROBB Journal & Topics Reporter
Hansen attends the Opening Ceremonies in Vancouver.
Brian Hansen, a 2009 Glenbrook South High School graduate, now ranks among speed skating's most elite.
Hansen brought a silver medal home to Glenview this week, having won in the speed skating long track team pursuit event at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
"It's a totally unexpected dream come true," Hansen told the Journal.
Hansen, 20-year-old first time Olympian, Jonathan Kuck and veteran speed skating medalist Chad Hedrick first faced and defeated the top ranked Dutch team called "the Monster," led by veteran gold and bronze medal skater Sven Kramer, in the semifinal race that secured them at least a silver medal.
"Crossing the finish line I though ‘Oh my God, we beat the Dutch,' then I thought, ‘Oh my God we got a medal," said Hansen. They went on to face the Canadians for the gold and lost by a fraction of a second.
In a television interview after their semifinal race Hedrick heaped praise on his young American teammates.
"These guys right here, Jonathan Cook and Brian Hansen, man they came through, and we had to defeat the Monster with Sven Kramer today. We did it and we're just ecstatic," said Hedrick.
"They're the best team in the world," Hansen told the Journal from Vancouver as he awaited his flight home. "I didn't expect to beat them but I knew we had the potential…I was totally ecstatic when we crossed the line."
During the race, Hansen said he did not really know where the other team was but simply skated with everything he had.
"Chad knew (where the Dutch team was), I had no idea," said Hansen. "I was in the zone, putting my head down and giving it all I got."
Hansen said the reality of winning an Olympic medal did not really hit him until he was standing with his teammates on the podium to receive the silver.
After defeating the "Monster" Dutch team, the Americans needed to relax and rest up for a final heat the following day against team Canada that would earn them gold if they won and silver if they lost.
"Going into the race with Canada, I knew they knew how to skate together but they weren't as strong as the Dutch," said Hansen.
The Canadian team stayed tight and in close to lock step throughout the race, changing leaders once every two laps as opposed to the U.S. team that changed every lap and a half.
As the two teams crossed the finish line, team Canada held the lead by two tenths of a second.
Hansen said preparing for his races with a veteran like Hedrick was a great help.
"Working with Chad, it's a great experience," said Hansen. "It's my first Olympics and his last. He knows, his experience put us in the right mindset."
Village President Kerry Cummings and GBS Principal Brian Wegley both expressed pride in both Hansen and fellow 2009 GBS graduate Lana Gehring who medaled with the women's short track speed skating relay team just days before Hansen stepped onto the podium himself.
Village and school officials are working to coordinate some kind of recognition event for Hansen and Gehring once they return to Glenview.
The victory lap for Hansen and Gehring will have to wait until at least April, however. Hansen comes home for just a few days this week, during which time he will commute up to his Wisconsin training facility before heading to Moscow, Russia Mar. 13-15 to compete in the Junior World Championships.
After Russia, Hansen travels directly to Calgary, Alberta, Canada where he will try to break the junior world record he set in Poland last year.
Gehring travels to Bulgaria this month to compete in a world championship meet.
Speak Out!
Comments are edited first by Journal staff before running in print and appearing online.