Maame Biney, 17-year-old native of Ghana cruised to victory in the first 500 final at the short track trials on Saturday, beating Olympians Lana Gehring, Jessica Kooreman and Katherine Reutter-Adamek.
“I can’t believe it, aww geez,” she said after squealing with joy. “It’s a really good feeling, but it has to set in first because it takes me a while. I’m like, ‘Holy cow.’”
Before the second final, her father sitting in the stands held up a sign reading: “Kick some hiney Biney.”
Biney qualified for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 in the 500-meter, becoming the first black women’s speedskater on a U.S. Olympic Team.
And the giggly high schooler couldn’t hold back her emotions.
After falling multiple times in Friday night’s 1,500-meter races, including in the first final, where she was penalized for taking out Katherine Reutter-Adamek, Biney was hoping her falls were behind her and that Saturday would be her time to shine. Plus, she knew the 500 was her best distance.
Biney took full advantage of her strength in the 500, cruising through wins in her first quarterfinal, semifinal and final – beating Olympians Lana Gehring, Jessica Kooreman and Reutter-Adamek in that final.
“I was thinking I had to beat Jess at the start because she has such a good start and I did, so I made it!” Biney said of her strategy for the second final.
Biney’s celebration after that race was priceless. She fell to the ice, first sitting on her butt and giggling, then turned onto her knees with gratitude.
“When I crossed the finish line, I don’t know what I was thinking – I was just like, ‘I got first, that’s so cool.’ And when I realized I made the Olympic team I started cheering like crazy,” she said. “And then I made my epic fall, so, yeah, you’re welcome.”
Biney was a strong favorite to make the three-woman U.S. Olympic Short Track Speedskating Team heading into the trials. She first made a name for herself in the sport last season when she won bronze in the 500-meter at the world junior championships, becoming just the second U.S. woman since 1996 to medal at junior worlds. Biney easily made her first senior-level world cup team a few months later, when she was the overall women’s winner at the world cup qualifier, beating out several Olympians for that title.
Biney was born in Ghana and moved to the U.S. at 5 years old to visit her father. But as the story goes, Biney visited a mall and quickly fell in love with life in the States, so she stayed. Her father enrolled her in figure skating lessons the next year after noticing a sign advertising the sport.
She quickly switched to speedskating at the suggestion of a coach, and hasn’t looked back.
Biney was quick to thank her father after qualifing for the Games, attributing much of her success and perseverance to him.
“He’s been through everything and I’m amazed by him. I just want to thank him a lot for everything,” Biney said of her father, Kweku.
“I haven’t been home since October, and that’s the longest I’ve ever not been home. It’s been really hard on him and on me because he helps with my mindset. Before that, he’s been through all the practices with me and watches me every day and gives me tips, and I love him for that.”
