NEW YORK - Shani Davis made peace with Stephen Colbert after calling him a "jerk," then edged the faux pundit by a mere 13 minutes for the final spot on the U.S. Olympic speedskating team.
In a taped segment for Wednesday night's "Colbert Report," the two faced off in a 500-metre race at the Olympic oval in Salt Lake City. Colbert called Davis "to apologize for whatever I said that upset you," then shouted "go" while the gold medallist was still driving to the rink.
With Colbert stumbling all over the ice, Davis leisurely parked his car, signed autographs, sipped from a water fountain and put on his uniform. Then he sped around the oval in a time of 35.24 seconds. Colbert's time - 13 minutes 43.89 seconds.
As a consolation prize, Colbert was named assistant sports psychologist for the team that his show stepped in to sponsor after the main supporter went bankrupt. His fans, the "Colbert Nation," have donated some US$300,000 to the team.
Davis called Colbert a "jerk" during a World Cup meet in Calgary last month, apparently miffed at the TV personality's mock feud with Canada, the Olympic host nation. The reclusive star hasn't elaborated since then.
Apparently, all is forgiven. In the buildup to the race dubbed "Fire On Ice" ("but not actual fire," Colbert pointed out), the host voiced over a report showing the eerie parallels in their lives.
For instance, Davis "showed the makings of a champion even as a young boy," while Colbert was "also once a young boy." In 2006, Davis became the first black athlete to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics, while Colbert watched "those very same games" on television with chicken parmesan balanced on his belly.
"They were destined to meet," Colbert said dramatically. "Destiny comes today on a frozen oval in Utah."
In a later interview with NBC sports chief Dick Ebersol, whose network will televise the Winter Games, Colbert marvelled that racing Davis was "like watching a cheetah on skates."
Photo finish: Davis edges Colbert by a mere 13 minutes
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Published on
January 21, 2010
- Published on February 25, 2010
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The Associated Press ~ staff The News
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