Texan Hedrick captures gold in 5000m contest

He controlled his emotions to capture his first of five races.
TURIN, Italy (AP) -- Chad Hedrick backed up one prediction and offered another.
"I didn't come here to win one gold medal," the speedskater from Texas said after winning the 5,000 meters Saturday. "You're going to see my face a lot more."
Hedrick is off to a smashing start in his bid to equal Eric Heiden's record five gold medals at a Winter Olympics. He covered the grueling 121/2 laps in 6 minutes, 14.68 seconds, about 17 hours after marching in the opening ceremony.
Three days ago, Hedrick had said, "I don't expect to walk away with anything less than a gold medal." His confidence was justified, having won world championships in the 5,000 the last two years.
So eager was Hedrick to take the medals podium that he stepped onto the top spot even before the announcer could get out his name.
Podium celebration
Breaking into a wide, toothy smile, he shook hands with silver medalist Sven Kramer of the Netherlands and Italian bronze medalist Enrico Fabris -- who won the host country's first medal -- then thrust his bouquet into the air.
Hedrick will have to be more patient about wearing his gold: The medals will be presented today at a ceremony in downtown Turin, where he expects to be a frequent visitor.
But before he skated in his Olympic debut, Hedrick had to gain control of his own emotions, seeking refuge in hugs from his coach and family members in the stands.
"I sort of felt like a sissy," he said.
"All the thoughts you go through before the race are much harder than during the race," he added.
Hedrick has some time before he has to do it again in the 1,000 next Saturday. He'll also be part of the new team pursuit, with preliminaries starting Wednesday.
"This is going to give me confidence to do the next race," he said. "The more fun I have, the better I perform. I'm ready to go."
Race recap
Hedrick took a few gulps of air at the starting line, and after a puff of smoke rose from the starting gun, he clattered into the first turn from the outside lane.
With his mouth hanging wide open, Hedrick glided into first place after 31/2 laps. He soon opened up a huge gap between himself and Bob de Jong of the Netherlands. At one point, Hedrick was nearly at the opposite end of the straightaway from De Jong.
Although other skaters complained about the slow conditions, Hedrick embraced the soft ice. He fully knew what to expect after competing in a World Cup meet here in December.
"It really works in my advantage when I have ice this slow," he said.
As first lady Laura Bush and daughter Barbara cheered him, Hedrick crossed the finish line. He pumped his right fist and yelled "Whoo!" on his cool-down lap. The predominantly orange-clad Dutch crowd applauded him and tossed Hedrick an orange cap.
Kramer finished second in 6:16.40.
"I was running on empty," he said.
Americans Shani Davis and KC Boutiette finished seventh and 19th, respectively.
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