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Ex-speedskater is voice of short-track
By Maria Titze
Deseret News Olympic specialist
For the 16,000 people who fill the Delta Center (Salt Lake Ice Center), many to see short-track speedskating live for the first time, he is the voice of the sport.
Don Pavlacic doesn't just announce the skaters at the starting line and call the race. He welcomes the audience to the world's "fastest human-powered sport," offers factoids on ice depth and temperature and urges spectators to pick their favorite skater, country — even uniform color — and make some noise.
"When I ask how many people are here for the first time, the whole crowd erupts, like Apolo Ohno is out there or something," Pavlacic said. "I think I can safely assume that 90 percent of the audience doesn't know much about the sport. So I just start with the basics."
Compared to the austere announcing during figure skating events, which are also held at the ice center, Pavlacic's style during short track is almost rowdy.
So, Pavlacic says, are Salt Lake City spectators.
"It's by far the loudest, most enthusiastic crowds we've ever had for speedskating," he said. "I was talking to the sound guy, and he estimated we were at 105 decibels the first night."
Pavlacic has been calling short-track races for more than 20 years, but the Olympics is the first paid gig the St. Louis native, who works as a systems designer for Southwestern Bell, has ever had. He's an employee of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee during the Games.
The oldest of five children, Pavlacic comes from a speedskating family. His brother Dave was a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic team when short-track speedskating was just a demonstration sport. Two of Pavlacic's sisters were national champions.
Although he started skating when he was 3, "I was average at best at the sport," Pavlacic admits. And when he was asked to be a volunteer announcer at a small St. Louis competition in the early 1980s, he saw it as an opportunity to return to the sport he loved.
"There's something about the announcing part of it that just appealed to me," he said. "I thought there was something I could contribute."
Pavlacic can rattle off career highlights, team histories, even geographical trivia at a moment's notice — a result of careful pre-race preparation.
"I've spent hours on the Internet, requesting information from some of the different (skating) organizations," he said. "I went so far as to e-mail individual skaters and asked them to send me information."
Pavlacic keeps an index card on every skater competing at these Games. He also keeps cards on short-track rules, information about the track and the history of the sport. "When I see an appropriate spot to cover one of those items, the information is right there," he said.
As much as Pavlacic tries to develop a rapport with the crowd, he's cautious about being the center of attention during a competition.
"It's always got to be about the skaters," he said, whom he hopes will also benefit by the presence of well-educated fans.
E-MAIL: mtitze@desnews.com
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February 23, 2002
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