2010 Winter Olympics: Speedskaters return to Utah to cheers

SALT LAKE — After an exhilarating 16 days that covered medals won and medals lost, the U.S. Olympic speedskating team was welcomed back to Utah on Monday night by a crowd of friends and family.

The hometown fan base cheered as the athletes made their way through the Salt Lake International Airport wearing red, white and blue Team USA gear.

Of the 29-member team — 17 long-track skaters and 11 short-track athletes — 23 now call Utah home, either permanently or for their training seasons.

Headquarters for the U.S. speedskating team is in Kearns at the Utah Olympic Oval. They made headlines in 2009 after their sponsor, a Dutch bank, went bankrupt and talk show personality Stephen Colbert became the U.S. speedskating team's sponsor. The team's in the spotlight again after winning 10 medals from Vancouver.

For some, like 32-year-old long-track skater Chad Hedrick, it was a bittersweet homecoming. The three-time world champion won two additional medals in Vancouver but is retiring from the sport and moving back to his home state of Texas with wife Lynsey and daughter Hadley.

After calling Utah home for seven years, he took his time at the airport Monday saying goodbye to his teammates.

"Utah's been a great place for me to pursue my Olympic dreams," Hedrick said. "I've been very proud to be a part of Team USA. It's made me a better person."

Coach Derek Parra was still beaming over the athletes' accomplishments. Speedskaters helped the U.S. team set a Winter Olympic record with 37 medals in Vancouver.

Parra, known for winning gold and silver in speedskating during the 2002 Winter Olympics, wore a new hat during this year's Winter Games as the U.S. speedskating team's all-around coach.

"The hard thing about it is, when they go to the line, you feel like a parent sending your children off to college. You hope you gave them the right tools," he said.

There's little rest for the team. They now start training for two major competitions — the World Cup finals, followed by the World Championships.

The flight also included Jeret "Speedy" Peterson, the Park City aerial ski jumper who walked off the plane wearing his silver medal.

"This feels awesome," Peterson said, hugging friends who carried a sign bearing his childhood nickname. "I'm so stoked that my friends are here — it makes the experience that much cooler."