Sports

Loudoun Girl Wins Bronze at U.S. Speed Skating Championships

Faith Lai, 9, who skates at many area ice rinks, including the Ashburn Ice House, raced in her first national speed skating competition.

Faith Lai, 9, has won a bronze medal during her first national speed skating competition. The 2012 U.S. Short Track Age Group National & American Cup Final Championships were held March 16 to 18 in Green Bay, WI.  

Faith advanced to the finals in the 222-meter, 333-meter, 500-meter, and 777-meter races. She scored overall points for third place in the "Pony Ladies" division (10 years and under) from among 14 speed skaters from all across the United States. 

Faith's mother said Faith has high hopes for her future as an Olympic prospect. She aspires to be an Olympic speed skater like Katherine Reutter and Apolo Anton Ohno, whom she had the opportunity to meet face-to-face briefly in Ohio last year.

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Faith lives in Potomac Falls. She goes to the Potowmack Elementary School and is in the gifted and talented program at Algonkian Elementary School.

She skates with Dominion Speedskating club at various ice rinks in Virginia, including and at Reston. The club is coached by Jimmy Jang, former U.S. Olympic development coach of the year, and by Kwang-Bok Choi, former Korean National and Olympic team coach in the past three Olympic games.

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