Shani Davis is a two- time Olympic speed skating champion (2006 and 2010). Now he is poised to become the first U.S. Man to win gold in the same three events in three consecutive Olympics. Born and raised in Chicago he started roller skating at the age of two. Davis became bored with roller skating and a coach urged him to try ice skating he loved skating from the first day he put the blades on.
(Photo: Shani Davis trains for 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver-Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images)
Two years after he started speed skating he was winning regional competitions. By the time he was a teenager he was considered one of the world’s top speed skaters.
He became the first Black speed skater to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team in 2002. At the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy he became the first Black athlete to win a gold medal in an individual sport.
We will be cheering for you Shani!
Black History Moment: Keep Your Eye On Olympic Speed Skater Shani Davis was originally published on 955thelou.com
