Katherine Reutter

In just over a month, Colbert Nation has raised more than $250,000 for US Speedskating. Shani Davis last week called Stephen Colbert “a jerk,” while other U.S. skaters — including Apolo Ohno — said Monday that they are thrilled to have the comedian on board. Also read about short track’s long break and more on Katherine Reutter’s big season.
US Speedskating has plenty to be thankful for this holiday season. With Olympic medal hopefuls Shani Davis and Chad Hedrick leading the long track team, and Apolo Ohno and Katherine Reutter spearheading the short track squad, the U.S. will surely be a serious contender in Vancouver.

After a wipeout World Cup weekend north of the border at Lake Louise (marked by TJ Lanning’s season-ending fractured vertebrae and knee dislocation in the downhill), the US men’s Alpine ski team is banking this week on Beaver Creek’s familiar slopes, most notably the Birds of Prey course where Americans have won five races since 2003. Most in need of redemption is Bode Miller, who was 29th (downhill) and 39th (Super G) in Canada, each time more than two seconds behind the winner. The American women, who will be speed-racing in Lake Louise, are coming off a forgettable outing at Aspen, where defending Cup titlist Lindsay Vonn didn’t qualify for the second run of the giant slalom and skied off the course in the slalom, in which none of her teammates even made it to the second run. “This is an embarrassing day for us,’’ acknowledged head coach Jim Tracy . . . Heading into this week’s third World Cup luge event on home ice in Altenberg, the German women have run their winning streak on the circuit to 92 straight after sweeping the first two races, and the men’s doubles twice have gone 1-2. No podiums yet for the Yanks, who are trying for a top-five placement that would put them on the Olympic team. Already out of contention after team raceoffs are two-time Games participant Courtney Zablocki and Salt Lake veteran Ashley Walden of Westborough, who was hoping to join husband (and new citizen) Bengt on the squad.