The shortest event in Olympic short track speed skating is the 500m. That means racers need to get out in front early and hold off their opponents. Eighteen-year-old American Maame Biney did a masterful job of that to advance to the quarterfinals of the women’s 500m, which will take place starting at 5 a.m. ET Tuesday.
Maame Biney is MOVING ON! She advances in the women's 500m! #WinterOlympics #BestOfUS https://t.co/cE0mBk4n6R pic.twitter.com/SE2qD4z3Ft
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 11, 2018
The first African American female to qualify for the U.S. Olympic speed skating team, Biney is quickly becoming a fan favorite, partly because of her animated father.
Congrats to @BineyMaame on advancing in Women’s 500M! @SecondLady & I are rooting for you! Let’s go #TeamUSA #pyeongchang2018 ??
— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) February 10, 2018
Maame Biney's father's excitement makes me so happy ?
— Hannah Schlake (@Schlakalake) February 11, 2018
Maame Biney and her father are going to be my heartfelt Olympics story this year. So beautiful. #PyongChang2018
— Savannah Ridout (@SavannahRidout) February 11, 2018
I think Maame Biney is my favorite person in the Olympics. She and her father are so excited and I love them both so much. #olympics
— Megs (@MeganCheese) February 11, 2018
Here’s her father, Kweku:
No one could be more proud of Maame Biney than her father, check out his reaction to her advancing to the quarterfinals of the women's 500m. https://t.co/4lHWtHuQtS pic.twitter.com/x7sabinsYh
— NBC DFW (@NBCDFW) February 11, 2018
Biney is the lone American left in the women’s 500m, yet not expected to wind up in the final. She’s ranked No. 10 in the world and really only came onto the world stage with a bronze at the 2017 World Junior Championships. She earned her spot on the top American team in August at the U.S. Short Track World Cup Qualifiers, where she won the 500m and finished top three in the 1000m and 1500m, earning the top overall ranking.
She then made her World Cup circuit debut in the fall, with her top individual result being fifth in the 500m in Shanghai.
Biney later made the U.S. Olympic team upon sweeping the 500m races at the Olympic Trials in December. Overjoyed with qualifying for the Olympics, she thanked her Heavenly Father and earthly father:
You can watch Biney compete in the Olympic 500m quarterfinals (and semis and finals if she advances) here.
Later this weekend, she’ll also compete in the women’s 1500m, which you can watch here.
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