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

short track speed skater Short-track speed skating is a form of competitive ice skating, 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 s ...

. 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 The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Calgary 1988 were a multi-sport event held from February 13 to 28, 1988, with Calgary, Calgary, Alberta as the main host city. This marks the m ...

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, Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 42,088 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Maplewood is ten minutes' drive from downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota, Saint Paul. ...

. 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 Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disabling Chronic condition, chronic illness. People with ME/CFS experience profound fatigue that does not go away with rest, as well as sleep issues and problems with memory ...

. 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 ...

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 (; Gosiute dialect, Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; ; Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), were an international wi ...

. 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 competed in speed skating at the

1956 Winter Olympics The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 ( or ), were a multi-sport event held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from 26 January to 5 February 1956. Cortina, which ...

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

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