US Olympic Speedskating Coach Back On Ice After Heart Attack
Feb 16, 2022, 9:48 AM
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
BEIJING (AP) — Ryan Shimabukuro still has that deep passion for speedskating.
In a way, he remains the starry-eyed kid who watched Eric Heiden beat the world in a glorious golden suit.
Congrats 🎉 To Ryan Shimabukuro as well‼️ https://t.co/1ngBqGUEgS
— 平井美樹 (@InterpreterIam) February 13, 2022
That’s what set Shimabukuro on an improbable path as a teenager to leave the warmth and security of his native Hawaii to pursue the craziest of winter dreams.
But things have definitely changed for the coach of the U.S. speedskating team since he felt a piercing, terrifying pain in his chest a couple of summers ago. Having a heart attack while still in your 40s will do that.
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics
Just a year after Japan’s summer Olympics, the Games are back for a winter show in Beijing, China. The unusually short gap between Games is due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Strict precautions and enforced virus prevention protocol are in place to help keep athletes, coaches and personnel safe.
Beijing is the capital of China, with a population of more than 20 million people and the first city to host both a Summer and Winter Olympic games. It is one of the largest cities in the world and 15 hours ahead of Mountain Time. There are 13 different venues in and around Beijing that will be used for the Winter Olympics. A total of 109 events will be held in 15 different sports, and there will be a lot of Utah locals competing for medals. Keep up to date with them at our Olympic headquarters.
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