Glen Ellyn speed skater Ethan Cepuran living his dream at the Winter Olympics

BEIJING, China — Since his days cutting his teeth at the Glen Ellyn Speedskating Club, Ethan Cepuran has dreamt of being an Olympian. Now, at just 21 years old, he’s not only a proud member of the U.S. team, but a valuable piece of a long track speedskating unit that has a legitimate chance to medal in China.

“Just trying to smile and enjoy it,” Cepuran said after his first Olympic race, a 17th place finish in the men’s 5000 meter individual event on Feb. 6. “I’m just happy to be here and happy for the opportunity.”

The Glen Ellyn native arrived on the scene by the tip of his blade, literally. He touched out training partner Casey Dawson at the U.S. Olympic Speed Skating trials last month, getting his left leg across the finish line of the 5000 meter race just an inch ahead of Dawson’s right leg. The photo finish in the 12.5 lap race resulted in Cepuran clocking a 6-minute, 16.54-second finish and Dawson crossing at 6:16.58.

It’s been a different ballgame in Beijing so far, though. Cepuran is facing not only his American teammates, but a stacked international field that includes the holders of both world and Olympic records in just about every event.

Wearing a navy Under Armour suit with white sleeves and white pant legs for his debut Olympic skate earlier this week, Cepuran also donned glasses with blue-tinted reflecting lenses. U.S. flag-themed gloves with red- and white-striped palms and stars on a blue background adorned his fingers.

His razor-sharp skates made soft clinking sounds as they tapped the ice at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval. Cepuran’s right arm swung back and forth in the same fluid motion he moved around the bends, while his left arm stayed tucked behind his back. At his fastest point during the race, the Glen Ellyn native reached cruising speeds up to 35 mph. But the lactic acid soon kicked in, and he felt his calves and hamstrings tighten up in the final laps.

“I was really looking for a motor in the back half of the race and I think I was kind of finding that,” he said. “The more you embrace the pain, the faster you go, and the more you can just keep going.”

The 20-man field for the 5000 meter skate featured world-record holder Nils van der Poel of Sweden and Olympic record holder Ted-Jan Bloemen of Canada. Van der Poel blew away the field with a new Olympic record time of 6:08.84, and Cepuran finished near the bottom, more than 17 seconds behind.

“I’ve just got to keep learning how to skate here, building confidence in my own skating and finding my own position,” Cepuran said.

Cepuran’s best chance to medal is still ahead. The U.S. men will compete in the team pursuit event, starting with the quarterfinals on Sunday, and the medal rounds on Feb. 15. Cepuran was an alternate for the U.S. men’s pursuit team that set a world record time by nearly three seconds during a World Cup event back in December.

A U.S. skating spokesman said Cepuran will be part of a rotating six-man group that will alternate during the quarterfinal, semifinal and final events, a strategy the U.S. team uses to keep skaters fresh.

Within a few days, Glen Ellyn’s own could be bringing home an Olympic medal. He smiles at the thought of it, but knows nothing is promised.

“It’d mean everything to me,” Cepuran said of the chance to stand on the podium. “I’m going to contribute in any way I’m asked to. But we know we need to bring our best because nothing’s going to be given to us.”