American · Verona, Wisconsin, USA · Born 21 January 1975American speed skater who won the 2002 Olympic 500m title, becoming the first American to win the event since fellow Wisconsin native Eric Heiden in 1980.
Born on 21 January 1975 in Verona, Wisconsin, Casey FitzRandolph took up speed skating as a child after trying other ice sports, inspired in part by fellow Wisconsinite Eric Heiden's Olympic success. In 1997, he broke Dan Jansen's American records in both the 500m and 1,000m, and went on to win a bronze medal at that year's World Sprint Championships. FitzRandolph made his Olympic debut at the 1998 Nagano Games, becoming the first skater in history to complete the 500m in under 36 seconds at an Olympics. He continued to develop over the following years, winning silver at the 2002 World Sprint Championships in Hamar, Norway, shortly before the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. At the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, FitzRandolph achieved his childhood dream, winning Olympic gold in the 500m with a new Olympic record of 34.42 seconds — a mark that stood until 2018. His victory made him the first American to win the Olympic 500m title since Eric Heiden's sweep of all five events in 1980, with Heiden himself, serving as the team's orthopedist, personally informing FitzRandolph of his win. FitzRandolph competed at a fourth Olympics in Turin in 2006, finishing 12th in the 500m and 9th in the 1,000m, before retiring from competition. A six-time U.S. National Sprint Champion, he remains one of Wisconsin's most celebrated Olympic speed skaters.
Becoming the first American to win Olympic 500m gold since Eric Heiden in 1980
How They Played
Explosive sprint specialist with a powerful start
Lasting Impact
One of the most successful American sprint speed skaters of the post-Heiden era
American Athletes