KC Boutiette American speed skater Date of Birth: 11.04.1970 Country: USA

1. Casey Buterbaugh: Pioneer of Inline Speed Skating to Olympic Ice
2. Inline Speed Skater to Ice Pioneer
3. Olympic Legacy
4. Transition to Coaching
5. 2006 Olympics
6. Marathon Accomplishments

Casey Buterbaugh: Pioneer of Inline Speed Skating to Olympic Ice

Casey Buterbaugh, a prominent American speed skater from Tacoma, Washington, was a four-time Olympian who blazed the trail for a generation of inline speed skaters transitioning to ice to compete at the Olympic level.

Inline Speed Skater to Ice Pioneer

Born on April 11, 1970, Buterbaugh became an iconic figure among American inline speed skaters. In 1993, he sought to improve his technique at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but ended up being recruited to the team that would compete at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. Despite his previous success in inline speed skating, he had no prior experience on ice.

Olympic Legacy

Although Buterbaugh never achieved an Olympic medal, his achievements paved the way for countless inline skaters in the United States to aspire to greatness. His path inspired nine-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist Apolo Anton Ohno, 2002 Olympic champion Derek Parra, world champion Jennifer Rodriguez (Buterbaugh's ex-wife, married from 2002 to 2008), and seven-time 2002 Olympic medalist Joey Cheek.

Transition to Coaching

After 2002, Buterbaugh retired from competitions and transitioned to coaching, notably training Chad Hedrick, another former inline skater who won three medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy after switching to ice in 2003. Today, thanks to Buterbaugh's contributions, nearly half of the United States Olympic team in speed skating consists of former inline skaters.

2006 Olympics

Buterbaugh skated on the team that competed at the 2006 Olympics. In the years leading up to the Games, he gained recognition as the captain of the pursuit team for his tactical and strategic expertise. However, a misunderstanding late in the race left him separated from the rest of the team, resulting in the United States finishing sixth. Buterbaugh expressed regret not for missing out on a medal, but for the team not performing as a unit due to the selfish ambitions of some skaters. He also competed in the 5000-meter event at the 2006 Games, finishing 19th.

Marathon Accomplishments

In addition to his Olympic career, Buterbaugh participated in the Six Days of the Greenery marathon speed skating event in the Netherlands for several years, winning it twice in 2003 and 2004. Throughout his career, he won a total of 23 skating marathons on artificial tracks.