Short-Track Olympian J.R. Celski Is the Flower That Never Bloomed in Sochi
JR Celski has become the Dan Jansen of these Sochi Olympics.
He arrived in Russia riding high, owner of a world record in the 500-meter short-track skating event and with thoughts of medaling in the 1000-meter event too, not to mention the 1500-meter and the team competition.
He was built up by mainstream media to be one of the major American stars of these Olympics and there was no reason to doubt that.
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Instead, Celski goes home with just a silver medal in the team pursuit.
Friday, in his last chance to make a big splash, Celski couldn't even make the A final in the 500, the race where the winners get the medals. Celski didn't make it out of the semifinals and had to skate the B final which, let's be honest, is for the losers.
And he only finished second in that.
The ice hasn't been nice to Celski in Sochi.
Once a feared power in long-track and short-track speedskating, the U.S. will leave Russia with that single silver from the short-track team event.
Celski did muster up a smile when he and his three teammates received flowers in the arena for finishing second to Russia in the team pursuit.
The thoughts of Jansen first came to mind when Celski crashed in the 1000-meter quarterfinals and couldn't even advance to the semifinals. He tripped on a block, a rookie mistake, and Celski is no rookie.
He won two bronze medals in Vancouver and after sweeping the 500, 1,000, and 1,500 at the U.S. trials in Utah just months ago, Celski was hyped to become the next Apolo Anton Ohno for the United States, a dominant figure on the short track.
Since winning those bronzes in 2010, Celski had accomplished as much as any short tracker in the world.
He won gold this season at a World Cup event in Kolomna, Russia in the 1,500-meter race and the relay; he earned another gold in Shanghai in the relay in 2013; and in 2012 at a World Cup race in Calgary he set that 500-meter world record.
But by the time he came out for the 500 Friday, it seemed as if there was a malaise over the U.S. team and Celski skated that way.
When he failed to win a medal in the 1,500, Celski told USA Today's Gary Mihoces, "I came out here and gave it my best and unfortunately came up a little short."
Celski, 23, of Federal Way, Wash., added, "But I have three more events to go out there to compete in. So there may be some medals in the future."
There would only be one medal in the future and he needed his teammates to get it.
While walking through the interview area Friday, Celski was asked if he was disappointed in his Olympics. "No," he said. And he showed off his team pursuit silver.
He was also asked in the interview area if there was a particular reason he did so poorly in his individual events. "It just wasn't my time," Celski said. "It happens. You just can't always be good."
When the Games began, Celski was expected to have a starring role. Instead, it was Korean transfer Victor An, who switched his citizenship to Russia, who left the Games with three gold medals and played the part of hero for the home team. Even his ex-Korean teammates congratulated An after he won the 500 on Friday.
After Vancouver, Celski took a year off from skating while he co-produced a documentary about hip-hop in Seattle. If he plans to skate in the 2016 Olympics, perhaps Celski, if he wants to produce a film, should make it about short track. Following An around might not be a bad idea.
Diane Pucin is the Olympics lead writer for Bleacher Report. She covered eight Games for the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Los Angeles Times. You can follow her on Twitter @mepucin.
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