2010 Black History Month: #28 Black Sports Moment - Shani Davis

By: Luke Florence

2010 Black History Month: #28 Black Sports Moment

Shani Davis in the 2006 Winter Olympic Games

Anyone who follows this blog knows about my love and passion for Cool Runnings. The rumors are true, I can quote any line of that movie verbatim. At one point, John Candy (their coach) is talking about how fast his guys are. A friend then asks Candy, "but can lightning run on ice?"

Shani Davis answers that question with a resounding YES.

FACT: Prior to 2006, no black athlete had won an individual gold medal in the Winter Olympics.

FACT: Shani Davis was the first.

If I had to choose between watching the Winter Olympics or the Summer Olympics, I wouldn't have a tough decision. It would be the Winter Games hands down. One of the reasons I enjoy it over the ones held in Summer is because besides figure skating, I love all of the competitions held on ice - including distance skating.

I'm not going to watch some Kenyan run 400 times around a track, but I will watch the 1500 Meter speed skating. It's just more entertaining.

In 2006, Shani Davis became the first black athlete to win an individual gold medal in the Winter Olympics thanks to the 1000 Meter speed skating event. Add a silver in the 1500 Meter race, and it's safe to say Davis was one of the bigger stories in the 2006 Torino Games.

If you were to look at Davis on the street, you would have no idea he was a speed skater. He's simply too tall. At six foot two, Davis is the tallest American speed skater, but once you learn his back story you begin to notice that ordinary and Davis do not go hand in hand.

At the age of three, Davis continued to get in trouble for roller skating too fast. The Chicago, Illinois native was then enrolled in a school for speed skating where he quickly shined. At the request of his mother, who wanted him to gain more endurance, Davis had to wake up in the morning and run a mile before school.

Add all of that up and you have a long-distance speed skater in the making.

Davis just cracks this list because I do remember watching him four years ago, and I do remember his historic victory. When you are the first to do anything, it usually adds to its' value.

The Vancouver Games are less than a week away, and expect Davis, who currently holds three world records to be in the mix for another gold medal.

Hint for #27: This "intelligent" basketball player was a big reason one of my favorite 40 sports personalities won it all.

Until next time, "read it, roll it, hole it."