Havard Bokko has endured many second-place finishes during his career, but the Norwegian is ready to prove that he can be an Olympic gold medalist. "I'm the perpetual number two," he said during a recent World Cup stop in his home country. Bokko has historically found himself second-best to Sven Kramer and Shani Davis. Can he reverse his result?
HAMAR, Norway -- Havard Bokko is tired of winning silver. "I'm the perpetual number two," he said, laughing.
A review of the results from championship events in 2009 reveals the many silver medals that Havard is talking about. They include the 5000m and 10,000m at the Allround World Championships, the World Single Distance Championships and the European Championships.
Since his success at the 2006 Junior World Speed Skating Championships when he won the 1500m, 3000m and 5000m, Bokko has been relegated to silver status on the global stage, mostly behind two golden skaters: the American Shani Davis and the Dutchman Sven Kramer.
"Shani skates very good corners, and he has a very high top speed," Bokko said during an interview at a recent World Cup stop in Hamar, Norway. "He's almost alone at that top speed. I consider myself a fast skater, but I haven't yet gotten to that level. And Sven has developed so dominantly now that he's difficult to overcome in all regards. I have my work ahead of me."
That work continues this weekend with a World Cup competition in Calgary, Canada.
At the 2009 World Cup opener in Berlin in early November, Bokko found himself in familiar silver territory. He finished second to both Kramer in the 5000m and Davis in the 1500m.
Bokko is quick to laugh it off. "I'm bored of hearing those anthems on the podium," he said. "I need to hear the Norwegian anthem up there more."
Norway boasts a proud speed skating history. Speed skating is second only to the cross-country skiing in the country's Olympic medal wins, with 79 to 87 for skiing.
Bokko is well aware of the regal status placed on star speed skaters in Norway, and he knows that many of his fellow Norwegians would like to see him push beyond being the "perpetual number two."
Still, he considers the upside of the situation. "Always getting silver actually helps keep me focused," he said. "It motivates me. I know what the next step up is that I have to take. I know where the barriers are that I need to break. I'm only 22. I think I have another 15 good years skating ahead of me. I'm only beginning."
Bokko started competing in speed skating in 1994 at age seven during an illustrious year for the sport in Norway. Fellow Norwegian Johann Olav Koss broke three world records as he won three gold medals at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. Bokko chose to focus on skating instead of skiing in part because of his memories of watching Koss during those Olympics.
Koss began coaching Bokko and the Norwegian team last week along with head coach Jarle Pedersen after former head coach Peter Mueller was fired following remarks he made to a female Norwegian skater that Norway's skating federation considered to be inappropriate. Bokko would not comment on the matter.
Bokko grew up in rural Hol, Norway, "the type of town where we would skate after school on Mondays and Thursdays, and ski on Wednesdays and Fridays," he says.
He still has his first pair of skates and plans to keep them. They remind him of his first successes in skating, when he was best in his age class from seven to twelve years of age.
"I could see that other guys in my class were stronger in different ways, and training for speed skating was my way of challenging myself to catch up with them," he recalled.
Bokko needed to play catch up a bit earlier this season. Before the second World Cup weekend of this season in Hamar in late November, Bokko missed a week of training after he fell ill with the H1N1 virus. He earned only one podium finish in Hamar, a third place in the 1500m.
Bokko shrugged off the disappointment in Hamar and now looks forward to the next World Cup competitions in Calgary (Dec. 4-6) and Salt Lake City (Dec. 11-13) as stepping stones to the Vancouver Games.
"The World Cup is great, but this season is a different season," he said calmly. "My focus now isn't on the World Cup. My focus is on the Olympics in Vancouver. Calgary and Salt Lake will be events along the way for me, but I am preparing myself mentally and physically now for the Olympics."
Bokko's sense of calm evokes praise from some of his competitors, which include Enrico Fabris, who won gold in the 1500m and team pursuit at the 2006 Torino Olympics.
"Physically, he's good in all distances," Fabris said. "But what I really admire about him is how calm and rested he appears. I think his 'no pressure' approach will take him further."
Bokko's senior career is not without triumph. He did win the 1500m at the 2009 World Allround Championships and he won a World Cup 10,000m race in December 2007.
Source: universalsports.com/
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Norway's Bokko ready for breakout win
Havard Bokko has endured many second-place finishes during his career, but the Norwegian is ready to prove that he can be an Olympic gold medalist. "I'm the perpetual number two," he said during a recent World Cup stop in his home country. Bokko has historically found himself second-best to Sven Kramer and Shani Davis. Can he reverse his result?
HAMAR, Norway -- Havard Bokko is tired of winning silver. "I'm the perpetual number two," he said, laughing.
A review of the results from championship events in 2009 reveals the many silver medals that Havard is talking about. They include the 5000m and 10,000m at the Allround World Championships, the World Single Distance Championships and the European Championships.
Since his success at the 2006 Junior World Speed Skating Championships when he won the 1500m, 3000m and 5000m, Bokko has been relegated to silver status on the global stage, mostly behind two golden skaters: the American Shani Davis and the Dutchman Sven Kramer.
"Shani skates very good corners, and he has a very high top speed," Bokko said during an interview at a recent World Cup stop in Hamar, Norway. "He's almost alone at that top speed. I consider myself a fast skater, but I haven't yet gotten to that level. And Sven has developed so dominantly now that he's difficult to overcome in all regards. I have my work ahead of me."
That work continues this weekend with a World Cup competition in Calgary, Canada.
At the 2009 World Cup opener in Berlin in early November, Bokko found himself in familiar silver territory. He finished second to both Kramer in the 5000m and Davis in the 1500m.
Bokko is quick to laugh it off. "I'm bored of hearing those anthems on the podium," he said. "I need to hear the Norwegian anthem up there more."
Norway boasts a proud speed skating history. Speed skating is second only to the cross-country skiing in the country's Olympic medal wins, with 79 to 87 for skiing.
Bokko is well aware of the regal status placed on star speed skaters in Norway, and he knows that many of his fellow Norwegians would like to see him push beyond being the "perpetual number two."
Still, he considers the upside of the situation. "Always getting silver actually helps keep me focused," he said. "It motivates me. I know what the next step up is that I have to take. I know where the barriers are that I need to break. I'm only 22. I think I have another 15 good years skating ahead of me. I'm only beginning."
Bokko started competing in speed skating in 1994 at age seven during an illustrious year for the sport in Norway. Fellow Norwegian Johann Olav Koss broke three world records as he won three gold medals at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. Bokko chose to focus on skating instead of skiing in part because of his memories of watching Koss during those Olympics.
Koss began coaching Bokko and the Norwegian team last week along with head coach Jarle Pedersen after former head coach Peter Mueller was fired following remarks he made to a female Norwegian skater that Norway's skating federation considered to be inappropriate. Bokko would not comment on the matter.
Bokko grew up in rural Hol, Norway, "the type of town where we would skate after school on Mondays and Thursdays, and ski on Wednesdays and Fridays," he says.
He still has his first pair of skates and plans to keep them. They remind him of his first successes in skating, when he was best in his age class from seven to twelve years of age.
"I could see that other guys in my class were stronger in different ways, and training for speed skating was my way of challenging myself to catch up with them," he recalled.
Bokko needed to play catch up a bit earlier this season. Before the second World Cup weekend of this season in Hamar in late November, Bokko missed a week of training after he fell ill with the H1N1 virus. He earned only one podium finish in Hamar, a third place in the 1500m.
Bokko shrugged off the disappointment in Hamar and now looks forward to the next World Cup competitions in Calgary (Dec. 4-6) and Salt Lake City (Dec. 11-13) as stepping stones to the Vancouver Games.
"The World Cup is great, but this season is a different season," he said calmly. "My focus now isn't on the World Cup. My focus is on the Olympics in Vancouver. Calgary and Salt Lake will be events along the way for me, but I am preparing myself mentally and physically now for the Olympics."
Bokko's sense of calm evokes praise from some of his competitors, which include Enrico Fabris, who won gold in the 1500m and team pursuit at the 2006 Torino Olympics.
"Physically, he's good in all distances," Fabris said. "But what I really admire about him is how calm and rested he appears. I think his 'no pressure' approach will take him further."
Bokko's senior career is not without triumph. He did win the 1500m at the 2009 World Allround Championships and he won a World Cup 10,000m race in December 2007.
Source: universalsports.com/
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