KEARNS — Months of training. Hours of painful work on the ice. Countless drops of sweat and aching muscles.

And now, finally, a chance to see how all that effort translates into performance as the U.S. speed skating team hosts the first major international competition of the season.

"There's definitely a different vibe when you walk in," Travis Jayner, a member of the U.S. Speedskating team, said Monday at the Utah Olympic Oval.

That vibe comes from the presence of dozens of international athletes as they have arrived in Utah and are training and practicing for the Samsung World Cup meet this weekend.

And yes, Apolo Anton Ohno will be there. And he has every intention of standing on the winners' podium at the end of the competition.

"I don't think motivation is ever a factor," Ohno said. "Once you get out there, you just want to win."

The event will show how far the U.S. teams have come in recent months. Ohno has always been near the top of the world rankings. But with the team relocating and consolidating its operations to Utah in the past 18 months, the training has become more focused and the depth of the squad is evident.

Ohno is joined by Jeff Simon, J.R. Celski, Ryan Leveille and Jaynor as experienced athletes. The women are led by Alison Baver, Kimberly Derrick and Katherine Reutter.

"It's really good to see so much depth on the girls' side," Baver, the most experienced member of the team, said.

Challenging the top teams, such as Korea and Canada, is something the squad thinks is well within reach.

"We are so much closer," said Reutter, who enjoyed a breakout season last year to become the top contender on the team. "We have such a strong women's team. It made (the recently completed national team) trials much more competitive."

The depth will come in handy this weekend. Korea, Canada and China will send their best athletes to the meet as the focus shifts to the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, in just 16 months.

"For us, this is a really important year," Baver said. "Everything we do is building for the Olympics. So we're going to be trying to peak at the right time."

The meet begins Friday night with qualifying rounds. Saturday will be semifinals and finals in the 1,000 and 1,500 meter races with Sunday holding finals for the 500 and a second set of 1,500 finals in addition to the entertaining, but dangerous, team relays.

At Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns

Friday — 10 a.m., qualifying rounds

Saturday — 6 p.m., semifinals, finals

Sunday — 3 p.m., semifinals, finals

Tickets: smithstix.com

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E-mail: jeborn@desnews.com