Park City speed skater Casey Dawson is on to the Olympic semi-final

Youth Sports Alliance ambassador Casey Dawson at the Utah Olympic Oval this summer mentoring (L to R) Donovan Toly, Liam Demong, whose father is also an Olympian, and Roscoe Maxwell of the Park City Ski and Snowboard Nordic Club, another Youth Sports Alliance Team. Photo: Youth Sports Alliance

BEIJING — Park City High School graduate Casey Dawson was finally back on his own skate blades today in the 2022 Olympics when he and two of his teammates made it through the quarterfinal round of the Speed Skating Team Pursuit advancing to the semi-final.

They’re bracketed in to take on the Russian Olympic Committee Team in the semis. The other bracket has Norway, who won today, skating against the Netherlands, the favored formidable opponents. Team USA was relieved, after narrowly escaping having to go up against them in the semi-finals.  Speed Skating Team Pursuit is where three teammates who stay within arms-length of each other long-track skate against another country comprised of three counterparts.  

First-time Olympian Dawson had missed his first event at the Games due to positive COVID tests then had to skate on borrowed blades because of missing luggage when he arrived in Beijing.

Growing up in Park City, Dawson skated at the Park City Ice Arena in the Park City Speed Skating Club. His leadership skills made him a natural fit as an ambassador of the Youth Sports Alliance and it was in that role, at the Jan’s Winter Welcome fundraiser gala in October at the Stein Erikson Lodge that he said to TownLift,

“Making the Olympic Team is definitely a goal of mine for this season and the Youth Sports Alliance really helps not only me but so many other local Park City athletes achieve their goals.”

Dawson and Team USA are slated to skate in the Olympic semi-finals on Tuesday.