This U.S. speedskating team may be the deepest ever

	Shani Davis just missed in his bid to make the short-track team, but he's still one of the Americans' top long-track medal threats. AP
	MAILBAG Brian Cazeneuve will periodically answer questions from SI.com users in his mailbag. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

It's only fitting that the U.S. Speedskating Championships begin Tuesday on the same ice that hosted the event at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. The U.S. team for the '06 Olympics will be named following the conclusion of the competition, and it should be among the deepest, most experienced squads the United States has ever fielded.

A number of skaters have pre-qualified for the Turin Games based on international performances in World Cups: Joey Cheek and Casey FitzRandolph in the 500 and 1,000 meters; Shani Davis in the 1,000, 1,500 and 5,000; Chad Hedrick in the 1,500 and 5,000; KC Boutiette in the 10,000; Jennifer Rodriguez in the 500 and 1,000; Catherine Raney and Margaret Crowley in the 3,000).

As the Games draw closer, here are some of the names to watch:

SHANI DAVIS

Davis, 23, holds the world record in the 1,000 meters (1 minute, 7.03 seconds) and once held it in the 1,500 (1:43.33). He qualified, but did not compete, for the Olympic short-track team in '02, and until earlier this month, he was bidding to become the first U.S. skater to be a member of both teams at the same Olympics. But he missed the six-man short-track team by one spot at the U.S. Trials and will now stick to one discipline. He won the world all-around title this year, wresting the crown from teammate Hedrick.

Davis' outspoken mother, Cheri, has had a long-running feud with U.S. Speedskating officials over what she perceives as a lack of support, even disdain, for her son over the years. She attributes the lack of support to the fact that Shani is an African-American who grew up on the South side of Chicago.

CHAD HEDRICK

Hedrick, 28, is a rarity on ice, a Texan from the town of Spring, where his father owned a roller rink. After nearly a decade as the world's top inline skater, Hedrick switched to the oval, where he employed an unusual technique called the double push, in which he strides in every stroke, rather that use alternating push-glide strokes that traditional speedskaters employ. Hedrick won the world all-around title in '04 and smashed a world record this fall, with a dizzying 1:42.78 at the 1,500 meters, a distance at which he and Davis should have a great head-to-head matchup.

Hedrick does so many things contrary to form that his teammates have taken to calling him "The Exception." While they cross-train on their bikes during the summer, Hedrick often skates behind them on his old inlines. When others make sure to get extra rest during the training season, Hedrick often blows off steam at late-night parties.