Mar 07

US Speedskating Hall of Fame Inductees Announced

US Speedskating Hall of Fame Inductees Announced March 7, 2008-Salt Lake City, UT. The National Speed Skating Museum and Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the 2008 Hall of Fame inductees. Winning in the Skater Category is Floyd Bedbury and David Cruikshank. Jack Mortell and Fred Benjamin will each be inducted into the Hall of Fame in the Contributor Category. Bedbury was the first American to skate the indoor mile in less than three minutes. He also set national long track speedskating records during 1963 in the 1500m, 5000m and the 10,000m during the Olympic trials. Bedbury was a member of the 1964 Olympic team and the National Senior Men's Champion in 1962. Cruikshank spent 16 years competing in international long track events. He was a member of the 1988, 1992, 1994 and 1998 Olympic teams and competed as a U.S. World Sprint Team Member multiple times. In 1997, Cruikshank was the Junior World 500m Champion and he currently coaches aspiring speedskaters. Benjamin has helped build speedskating programs, clubs and associations for more than two decades. He has served in numerous leadership positions including as president of the Amateur Skating Association of Illinois from 1987-1989 and as President of US Speedskating from 2002-2004. Benjamin also serves as an ISU-level official and is a course instructor for officials. Mortell has been coaching speedskaters for more than 25 years. He attended many world events and was asked to coach the U.S. National Short Track team in 1989. He served as an Olympic Short Track team leader in 1994 and 2002, and at a variety of other international events. Mortell is an ISU Competitor's Steward and has served as technical representative for numerous U.S. Championships and American Cups. These inductees will be honored on Saturday, April 19 in Bethlehem, PA, during the Hall of Fame Banquet at the 2008 USS Board of Directors Meeting. For additional information please contact Kori Novak, Director, PR , Media at 801-417-5360 or media@usspeedskating.org About US Speedskating: US Speedskating is a nonprofit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the national governing body for the sport of Speedskating in the United States. To date, US Speedskating has won a total of 75 Olympic medals, making it the most successful winter sport in the USA. ####