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Olympics: Emerging U.S. speedskating talent John-Henry Krueger charting his own path

Short-track skater has trained in South Korea and Netherlands

(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) J.R. Celski (405) and John-Henry Krueger (418) compete in the US Short Track Fall World Cup Qualifier at the Utah Olympic Oval Saturday, August 19, 2017.

Kearns • John-Henry Krueger crossed the finish line victorious, both fists flung into the air, upon winning the sixth — and last — men’s 1,500-meter World Cup qualifying race in six hours. The 22-year-old who grew up outside Pittsburgh, Pa., is considered one of America’s top short-track speedskaters, so winning a 1,500-meter event in a weekend packed with U.S. World Cup team qualifiers isn’t much of a stunner.

What’s fascinating, however, is the path Krueger is on.

It’s ever-winding, still-circling the globe.

The talented skater once called the Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns his home track, and technically, it still is. But Krueger has charted his own course toward perhaps more podiums, more World Cup medals, and perhaps an inaugural Olympic appearance at the upcoming Pyeongchang Games in South Korea in February.

“Moving around is just part of a normal day for me,” he said.

Two years ago, Krueger left training on a full-time basis in the Salt Lake City suburb, home to U.S. Speedskating, to train in Seoul, South Korea. Already on an upward trajectory in the sport, Krueger sought out something different, more unique with the move. He found it, but once again, recently felt the need to seek guidance elsewhere.

Instead of the bustling bright lights and vibrant culture of one of Asia’s largest cities, Krueger is now in what he describes as “cow country” in the Dutch town of Heerenveen, a noted hotbed for long-track speedskating. Less than a year out from what could be his Olympic debut, Krueger took a risk and packed his bags.

It was, he said, “the last thing I wanted to do.” In a conversation with his mom, he told her he’d rather try something new and fail miserably as opposed to staying where he was, and well, ending up at the same result. Leaving Seoul wasn’t easy, Krueger said. But what the young American skater yearned for was more individuality and freedom in training.

With how popular short-track skating is in Korea, there simply wasn’t enough time for needed 1-on-1 time with coaches.

“What tends to happen is they give you a little bit of a cookie-cutter style type of training,” explained the 15-time World Cup medalist, “which isn’t terrible, but when you’re a skater at my level, you need a little bit more individuality.”

So one day earlier this year, Krueger got to talking with Kip Carpenter, now an assistant coach and blade technician with the Dutch short-track team. Carpenter was a one-time U.S. standout in both long- and short-track skating. He won a bronze medal in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. Carpenter spoke to Dutch coach Jeroen Otter about Krueger’s situation.

No matter the national team, Krueger said Otter wants to piece together the best training team possible to help Dutch skaters. So he waved goodbye to Seoul and relocated 80 miles north of Amsterdam. When the U.S. national team hosts events, Krueger’s decision to live and train abroad puts more of a physical burden on him than when he is operating out of the Salt Lake Valley.

“I spend more time on an airplane than I do at home,” he said.

(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) J.R. Celski (405) and John-Henry Krueger (418) before competing in the US Short Track Fall World Cup Qualifier at the Utah Olympic Oval Saturday, August 19, 2017.

With the Olympics less than six months away, Krueger’s absence does make getting reacquainted that much more taxing, especially when it comes to events such as the team relays in short-track skating. Not to mention a lot of faith from his teammates.

“Definitely,” said two-time Olympian J.R. Celski. “It’s just a lot of patience and kind of knowing that he’s putting the work in, or whoever else is putting the work in outside of the program.”

Both Krueger and Celski are the headlining talents on the U.S. men’s side entering this World Cup season. The Olympics will soon be upon them, and both know it. That makes Krueger’s assimilation back into the group the next few months vital.

“He’s a great skater, especially on the World Cup circuit, he’s proven himself quite a bit,” Celski said. “Unfortunately we don’t get a chance to train with him here and he’s a big part of the team.”

Krueger entered the last U.S. Olympic Team Trials ranked Top 10 in the world in the 1,500-meter event at age 18, with the spotlight on him, an odds-on favorite to compete for an Olympic berth. Then the unluckiest of circumstances struck. Krueger fell ill with swine flu and was so weak, he couldn’t race properly, and he might’ve put teammates at risk for contracting the virus.

He bowed out.

Nearly four years later, an Olympic berth seems a near-lock. Krueger might not be alone in Pyeongchang, either. Older brother Cole is racing for Hungary and is based in Budapest. Fatefully, the two bumped into one another at the Amsterdam airport as Cole was on his way to Calgary to train, while John-Henry had returned from a hiking camp off the Mediterranean island of Corsica.

Only time will tell if Krueger’s self-described “toss-up and gamble” pays off the way he envisioned when setting out yet again for something new.