Amy Peterson (born November 29, 1971) is an American

short track speed skater Short-track speed skating is a form of competitive ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters (typically between four and six) skate on an oval ice track with a length of . The rink itself is long by wide, which is the same size as ...

. Peterson competed in five consecutive Olympic games from when short track speed skating was exhibition sport in 1988 to 2002. Peterson qualified for her first Olympic Games in 1988 for the

1988 Winter Olympics ) , nations = 57 , athletes = 1,423 (1,122 men, 301 women) , events = 46 in 6 sports (10 disciplines) , opening = February 13, 1988 , closing = February 28, 1988 , opened_by = Governor General Jeanne Sauvé , cauldron ...

in Calgary at age 16. In 1988 short track speed skating was just a demonstration sport and no medals were awarded. Peterson won the 1,000 meters, and 1,500 meters US speed skating titles at the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1989. She also placed third in the 500 meters. Peterson was born in

Maplewood, Minnesota Maplewood is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 42,088 at the 2020 census. Maplewood is ten minutes' drive from downtown Saint Paul. It stretches along the northern and eastern borders of Saint Paul. Maplewo ...

. She attended Johnson Senior High School in Saint Paul, Minnesota and graduated in 1990. Her uncle, Gene Sandvig, competed in speed skating in the 1952 and 1956 Olympic Games. Peterson returned to qualify for the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan after overcoming

chronic fatigue syndrome Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or ME/CFS, is a complex, debilitating, long-term medical condition. The Pathophysiology, causes and mechanisms of the disease are not fully understood. Distinguishing c ...

. Peterson's performance suffered during the time with her dropping from the number one U.S. woman to eighth. In 2000, Peterson won all four distances at U.S. short track speed skating championships. Peterson qualified for the 2000 Winter

Goodwill Games The Goodwill Games were an international sports competition created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s. In 1979, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan caused the United States and other W ...

while winning the 500, 1,000, 1,500 and 3,000 meter races. She held the American record in 1,000, 1,500 and 3,000 meters races in June 2000. In 2001, she won her eighth U.S. women's championship. By the end of the 2000–2001 season Peterson was ranked ninth in the world and ranked in the top ten for each distance. In the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, Peterson was elected to carry the US flag at the opening ceremony of the

2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute dialect, Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: ''Soó ...

. She planned for the Olympics to be her last one. Peterson failed to win a medal in any of her individual events or in the relay. Peterson failed to qualify for her sixth Olympic games in 2005.

Family

Her mother, Joan Sandvig, was a speed skater competing at national level. Her uncle

Gene Sandvig Gene Sandvig (born February 8, 1931) is an American speed skater. He competed in two events at the 1956 Winter Olympics The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games ( it, VII Giochi Olimpici invernali) and com ...

competed in speed skating at the

1956 Winter Olympics The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games ( it, VII Giochi Olimpici invernali) and commonly known as Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 ( lld, Anpezo 1956 or ), was a multi-sport event held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from ...

. The daughter of Gene,

Susan Sandvig Susan is a feminine given name, from Persian "Susan" (lily flower), from Egyptian '' sšn'' and Coptic ''shoshen'' meaning "lotus flower", from Hebrew ''Shoshana'' meaning "lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means "rose" and a flower in general), ...

was also a speed skater who competed at international level.Gene Sandvig
National Speedskating Museum and Hall of Fame, March 31, 2015

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peterson, Amy 1971 births Living people American female short track speed skaters Olympic silver medalists for the United States in short track speed skating Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in short track speed skating Short track speed skaters at the 1988 Winter Olympics Short track speed skaters at the 1992 Winter Olympics Short track speed skaters at the 1994 Winter Olympics Short track speed skaters at the 1998 Winter Olympics Short track speed skaters at the 2002 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 1992 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 1994 Winter Olympics Universiade medalists in short track speed skating People with chronic fatigue syndrome Universiade silver medalists for the United States Competitors at the 1991 Winter Universiade Competitors at the 1993 Winter Universiade 21st-century American women