海角大神

Shani Davis came a long way from 鈥淢ount Trashmore鈥� in Evanston, Ill., to win tonight鈥檚 1000m Olympic speedskating race.

A former dump in the Chicago suburb, the hill served as a training ground 鈥� for sprints, for Davis鈥檚 character, and for the success that would come.

鈥淣o matter what I laid out for him 鈥� he always exceeded that by three, four, five hills,鈥� says his first coach, Sanders Hicks. 鈥淭hat was exceptional to me because I鈥檓 used to skaters complaining.鈥�

Davis鈥檚 outstanding career 鈥� only Eric Heiden has also won both overall and sprint world titles, says Hicks 鈥� has taken him to more than a dozen countries, from Hungary to Japan. It鈥檚 also taken him into a few holes with the media 鈥� most infamously, Stephen Colbert, who then staged a mock race-off with him at the Robert Crown Community Center rink where Davis grew up skating.

But folks at the rink say he鈥檚 still the kid 鈥� albeit a bit bigger now 鈥� who first showed up as a rambunctious 6-year-old, chasing all the kids around the track.

鈥淪hani, to me, has remained the same type of person,鈥� says rink manager Robert Lloyd, who says Davis comes back to train with the Evanston Speed Skating club anytime he鈥檚 in the country. 鈥淚鈥檝e seen him grow into manhood, but he鈥檚 still the same.鈥�

But when Davis comes back, there鈥檚 no fanfare 鈥� except maybe an excited shout from the first person to spot him after he tries to sneak in. Then the kids come running out of the hallways to jump on him, goof around, or get serious technique help on the ice.

鈥淗e鈥檚 like a pied piper, all the kids are hanging on him,鈥� says Hicks, a local icon who was the community鈥檚 first black firefighter, then the first black fire department chief 鈥� then the coach of the first African-American to win an individual gold in the winter Olympics.

Celebrating at home

For journalist Bob Seidenberg of the local Pioneer Press, who has covered the community since the late 1980s, Davis is a rare elite athlete whose biggest delight is not winning medals but coming back home to celebrate them.

After the 2006 Games, where he won gold and silver, Davis returned for a little ceremony at the Evanston rink with the mayor and city council. Then he stayed late into the night to talk with every single one of 150 or 200 people 鈥� many of them kids 鈥� lined up to get his autograph, a photo, and that boyish smile he likes to flash when the media aren't watching.

鈥淚t was like this was the biggest moment for him,鈥� says Seidenberg, who said there was no trace of an attitude that asks, 'Did my agent really agree to this?' 鈥�

鈥淵ou just saw how excited he was around kids. He鈥檚 like a kid himself 鈥� he has that pure exuberance that he must have had as a youngster,鈥� says Seidenberg. 鈥淗ow many athletes at the top still have that?鈥�

Flawless form

It鈥檚 not Davis鈥檚 hulking legs or physical technique, says long-time friend George Babicz, that set him apart 鈥� although even the finicky Dutch have praised his form as flawless.

It鈥檚 his mind that makes him unique, says Babicz, who now provides support for Team Davis.

鈥淗e wakes up every day thinking about how to improve himself, how to improve his skating,鈥� says his friend. 鈥淗e鈥檚 very self-critical, reviews his performance every time.鈥�
While some have described the publicly aloof Davis as an island unto himself, with no formal coach, Babicz says he鈥檚 very good at assimilating the expertise of a wide range of people.

鈥淪hani is very open to a lot of different sources to measure his skating with,鈥� says Babicz. 鈥淗e is kind of like the Jeddai 鈥� he thinks in a much more encompassing manner.鈥�

But on weekends, he can think in a much more narrow way 鈥� playing video games with his friend. 鈥淰ideo games and Japanese candy 鈥� those are his two main off-ice hobbies,鈥� laughs Babicz.

This weekend, though, Davis will be all business 鈥� competing against American rival and today鈥檚 bronze medalist Chad Hedrick in the 1,500m on Saturday.

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