U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL LOS ANGELES 1991 : NOTEBOOK

The United States has made great strides in closing the gap with the world’s speedskating powers based on the performances of the young skaters at this year’s Festival.

At 19, Amy Peterson of Maplewood, Minn., was the oldest competitor, but skaters such as 15-year old Nikki Ziegelmeyer of Imperial, Miss., who finished second in the 1,000 meters and third in the 500 and 3,000, give reason for hope.

“A lot of people have not heard of short-track speedskating because it does not get a lot of attention,” said Peterson, who first competed in the Festival when she was 13. “But, they have heard of long-track. In Calgary, the Americans did not do well, so there was not much coverage but it was a really big experience.”