February 18, 1994: Dan Jansen,
the American speed skater who fell in 2 different races in the 1988 Winter
Olympics in Calgary, and staying on his feet but winning no medal in 1992 in
Albertville, France, writes a happy ending, winning the Gold Medal in the 1,000
meters in Lillehammer, Norway.
He was inspired to try speed skating by his sister, Jane. In 1984, in the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now in Bosnia), he finished 4th in the 500 meters. He won a Gold Medal at the World Sprint Championships in 1988, leading up to the Olympics in Calgary. He looked ready.
But Jane had leukemia. On the morning of February 14, 1988, the day of the 500 meters, he was told she was dying. He spoke to her over the phone for the last time. She died a few hours later, and he found out shortly before the race. He fell in the first turn. Four days later, in the 1,000-meter race, he began with record-breaking speed, but fell again, just past the 800-meter mark. He left the 1988 Olympics with no medals but became the recipient of the U.S. Olympic Spirit Award for his valiant efforts.
In 1992, he tried again. He stayed on his feet, but could do no better than 4th, in the 500 meters. IN 1993, at the World Championships, he won the 500 meters in world record time. In 1994, he won his second World Sprint Championship title. He arrived in Lillehammer looking like a medal challenger.
In the 500-meter event, he finished 8th. He had 1 last chance, in the 1,000 meters, not his best event. But he defied expectations and finished 1st, setting a new world record. He not only got his one and only Olympic Medal, it was Gold. He was chosen by his fellow Olympians to bear the U.S. flag at the Closing Ceremony. At the end of the year, he was given the James E. Sullivan Award, as the year's outstanding U.S. amateur athlete.
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February 18, 1994 was a Friday. Baseball and football were out of season. There were 9 games played in the NBA:
* The New Jersey Nets beat the Washington Bullets, 113-110 at the USA Arena (formerly the Capital Centre) in the Washington suburb of Landover, Maryland. Kenny Anderson scored 42 points for the Nets.
* The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Charlotte Hornets, 106-99 at the Charlotte Coliseum.
* The Orlando Magic beat the Seattle SuperSonics, 124-93 at the Orlando Arena. Shaquille O'Neal scored 38 points and grabbed 20 rebounds.
* The Denver Nuggets beat the Chicago Bulls, 109-84 at the Chicago Stadium.
* The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 85-78 at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
* The Phoenix Suns beat the Los Angeles Lakers, 113-96 at the America West Arena (now the Mortgage Matchup Center) in Phoenix.
* The Atlanta Hawks beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 97-91 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.
* The Sacramento Kings beat the Utah Jazz, 90-81 at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento.
* And the Portland Trail Blazers, 109-93 at the Portland Memorial Coliseum.
There were 9 games played in the NHL:
* The New York Rangers beat the Ottawa Senators, 3-0 at Madison Square Garden
* The New York Islanders lost to the Washington Capitals, 3-1 at the USAir Arena (formerly the Capital Centre) in the Washington suburb of Landover, Maryland.
* The Buffalo Sabres beat the Florida Panthers, 4-1 at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium.
* The Detroit Red Wings beat the Edmonton Oilers, 5-1 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
* The St. Louis Blues beat the Boston Bruins, 3-1 at the St. Louis Arena.
* The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Winnipeg Jets, 7-2 at the Winnipeg Arena.
* The Dallas Stars beat the Calgary Flames, 4-2 at the Reunion Arena in Dallas.
* The Quebec Nordiques beat the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, 1-0 at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim (now the Honda Center).
* And the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Los Angeles Kings, 4-3 at The Forum outside Los Angeles in Inglewood, California.
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