KEARNS — Heather Richardson-Bergsma had both the perfect diversion from her 2014 Olympic disappointment and an unusual but effective source of inspiration for the 2018 PyeongChang Games.
In May of 2015, the North Carolina native and owner of three world records married Dutch speed skater Jorrit Bergsma.
“For me, Sochi wasn’t all bad because it was good for Jorrit,” Richardson-Bergsma said as she prepared for this weekend’s U.S. Championships at the Utah Olympic Oval. “It was pretty easy to put it in the past. It motivated me to want to do better.”
Richardson-Bergsma said not much has changed for her in regards to the minutiae of training and competing, but from the outside, it seems like the soft-spoken and affable skater has changed just about everything except the discipline in which she competes.
“We live in the Netherlands now,” said the 27-year-old. “I get to train with my husband all the time, and that’s nice motivation.”
She said she misses training in Salt Lake City with her teammates, and she misses her close-knit family.
“I call my mom every single day, three times a day,” she said, laughing. “Sometimes that’s difficult when you also throw in the time change (six hours).”
Bergsma said training alongside Jorrit — who won the gold medal in the sport’s marathon event, the 10,000 meters, in Russia — has given her more than quality time with her new husband.
“On ice, sometimes we do the same things,” she said. “He’ll do a four-lapper, and because I’m a sprinter, I’ll do two, so I get speed from him and kind of endurance. We ride bikes together too. It’s a change, for sure, and I definitely miss it here in Salt Lake City.” Bergsma is enjoying an incredibly successful season, and while she’d love to add to her U.S. awards and honors, she has bigger goals this winter.
“I am only trying to qualify for World Sprints,” she said. “Everything right now is focused on trying to take care of that. I don’t want to overexert myself with racing an extra 1,500. I have to be careful with that. I want to be strong when it counts in February (for World Championships).”
Bergsma is leading not just the U.S. long track team, but the World Cup standings with six overall medals, five of which are gold, something that surprised her.
“I didn’t expect to be on top in the first two World Cups,” she said. “I just want to continue making steps the rest of the season.”
This weekend’s U.S. championships will feature both long track and short track national races in the same location for the first time in U.S. history.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, long track races will begin at 9 a.m., while short track competitions will begin at 3:40 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 1:40 p.m. on Sunday.
In addition to Bergsma, Joey Mantia (Florida), who’s earned three World Cup podium finishes, including his first career gold, and four-time Olympian and two-time Olympic champion Shani Davis, who has two podium finishes this season, will compete. The Chicago native now leads the all-time rankings in World Cup standings.
In short track, John-Henry Krueger (Pennsylvania) earned a bronze medal this season at the World Cup held in Salt Lake City two months ago.
More than 150 athletes are expected to compete in the three-day competition, including 15 Olympians. All races are free and on Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. there will be several food trucks at the Oval, as well as other vendors and demonstrations for fans. For more information on the event, visit utaholympiclegacy.org.