Gold Medalists: 'Cloud Nine,' Jitters
There were some big disappointments for the United States in the first two days of the 2006 Winter Olympics. Michelle Kwan dropped out, Apolo Ohno wiped out, and skier Bode Miller got off to a shaky start.
But two U.S. athletes became golden boys, and The Early Show national correspondent Tracy Smith caught up with both of them.
The first U.S. gold medal went to inline skater-turned-speedskater Chad Hedrick, in the men/s 5,000 meters, and the second was captured by snowboarder Shaun White in the men's halfpipe. And, to borrow a phrase from White, they're stoked!
Hedrick is hoping his gold is the first of five, which would tie him with compatriot Eric Heiden's feat of five golds at the games.
"I'm feeling great," he told Smith. "This is my first Olympics, and the first event I've ever skated in. I came home with a gold medal, and it was really and emotional day, because I had so many people here from the U.S. and some from Canada, too. So, to have an appearance like that and come out victorious is just a dream come true for me.
"Saturday, when I got out there on the ice, it was a 12-lap race, and actually the first eight laps of the race my legs were numb. I felt like I was skating on cloud nine, and it was just meant to be. I've worked all my life for this, and it finally happened, and I'm so grateful for it."
Hedrick also
And up on the mountain this weekend, White's signature moves were also good enough for gold."I was pretty nervous," he conceded to Tracy Smith, "and I don't get nervous at contests anymore, because I've been competing since I was seven, and I don't know, I just got to the top and this whole Olympic thing got to me all of a sudden, and I fell on my first run, and it just hit me so hard.
"I'm on this winning streak . I haven't lost a contest yet, and I thought, 'How lame would it be to just choke at the Olympics?' And it was in the back of my mind; great thoughts (to have) before I drop in, right? But after that first hit, I rode like I always ride, and that's how I came through it all."
Even before he won an Olympic gold, White was already a legend, his long red hair earning him the nickname, "The Flying Tomato."
He revealed to Smith that he's "not the hugest fan of the tomato nickname, but it's alright. I think it's funny, because they see me and, even if they don't speak English, they're like. 'Tomato! Tomato!' I say, 'Yeah, I'm the tomato.' … But hey. It's good times."
When it comes to celebrating, you'd think the 19-year-old White would have it all over the 28-year-old Hedrick but, says Smith, Hedrick likes to go out. In fact, he's been called "the Paris Hilton of speedskating."