Cooper McLeod: World Record Speed Skater's Journey | INTERVIEW скачать в хорошем качестве

Cooper McLeod: World Record Speed Skater's Journey | INTERVIEW

Seattle-area speed skater Cooper McLeod discusses his journey from having skates on at just 10 months old to becoming a world record holder with Team USA. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest with family friends who owned a skating rink in Burlington, Cooper fell in love with skating before he could barely walk. He started inline skating at 3 years old and was spotted by a coach who convinced his parents to let him compete in the 5-and-under division. The Pacific Northwest has produced an incredible number of elite speed skaters—from Apolo Ohno and JR Celski to Aaron Tran, Casey Dawson, and Corinne Stoddard. Cooper credits the region's strong inline culture and legendary coach Chang-Ho Lee for providing the foundation that so many successful skaters have built upon. Moving to Utah for serious training was essential, as it's where athletes funnel when they want to take the next step, creating a concentrated environment of commitment and dedication. Cooper's journey includes missing the last Olympic team by just hundredths of a second—a moment he describes as crucial for personal growth because "you don't learn anything when you win." That setback fueled his progression through World Cup rankings. He naturally gravitated toward long track over short track, appreciating the individual sport dynamic where success is up to him rather than requiring a whole team to be on the same page. Setting a world record with his training partners—guys he works with every day—was particularly special, proving Team USA can compete with the best in the world. Despite dealing with a broken arm from a bike accident, Cooper has learned that injuries teach resilience and that there are multiple ways to improve even when sidelined. His advice to young athletes: embrace the journey and be willing to listen, because you never know where your best advice will come from. 0:00 - Introduction 0:17 - Pacific Northwest: Beautiful greenery 0:42 - Skates on at 10 months old 1:09 - Starting inline skating at 3 years old 1:49 - Why Pacific Northwest produces so many skaters 2:26 - Importance of Utah training environment 3:11 - Missing last Olympic team by hundredths 3:46 - You don't learn anything when you win 4:13 - Choosing long track over short track 4:43 - What it takes to be good at long track 5:23 - Setting world record with training partners 6:28 - Confidence after world record moment 6:48 - Dealing with injuries and broken arm 7:40 - What making Olympic team would mean 8:12 - Pride of representing the US 8:44 - Technical aspects: Blades are huge 10:04 - Advice: Embrace the journey, be willing to listen