Emery Lehman admitted his first speed skating event at his second Olympics could have gone better.
Lehman, an Oak Park-River Forest graduate, placed 21st in the 5,000 meters by finishing in 6 minutes, 31.16 seconds on Sunday in South Korea. Lehman’s personal best in the event is about 13 seconds faster, and he finished 16th in the 5,000 meters at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.
Sven Kramer of the Netherlands won his third consecutive gold medal in the event by finishing in 6:09.76.
Lehman, 21, once again is the youngest member of the U.S. speed skating team. Last time, he was an OPRF student making his Olympic debut. Now, he’s a Marquette student aiming to use his Olympic experience to his advantage on the ice.
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He’ll have a chance to contend for a medal on Feb. 18, when he participates in the men’s team pursuit.
But after Sunday’s race, he was a bit disappointed.
“Going into the race, the ice was good and the preparation was good,” Lehman said, according to a US Speedskating press release. “It’s on me to perform well and skate a little better than I skated.”
Lehman’s best lap was his first, when he completed the 400-meter circuit in 30.19 seconds. In the second half of the race, his best time was 30.88.
“(The 5,000 meters) definitely has a special place in my heart just because it’s my individual race and it was definitely a goal,” Lehman said. “But now looking forward, the team pursuit in the bigger picture is more important.”
— Pioneer Press staff report