Olympic Updates

(Via The Canadian Press) CALGARY - Depending on the day, the 2010 Winter Olympics seem either far away or coming at the speed of light for Cindy Klassen.

Canada's most decorated Olympian sees the pitfalls of thinking too much about racing for gold in Vancouver and becoming anxious about it, yet acknowledges she can't block it out entirely.

"I'm thinking about how it's going to be a long process to 2010 and not where I've got to be racing so fast right now, because there's a lot of time and I'm really just trying to figure out, not just the physical part, but also the mental part," Klassen said Saturday at the Olympic Oval.

"I know come the year 2010, there's going to be a lot of pressure, a lot of hype and stuff like that. I'm just trying to prepare for that and get ready now, so when it hits us then, I'll feel ready and comfortable."

The 28-year-old from Winnipeg, winner of six Olympic medals in speed skating and five of them at the last Olympics in Turin, Italy, was getting her racing legs on at the Olympic Oval Invitational by winning the 3,000 metres Saturday.

Arne Dankers of Calgary won the men's 5,000 in the competition, which qualifies speed skaters for the World Cup team if they haven't already been named to the team.

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