Amy Peterson

{{short description|American short track speed skater}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Amy Peterson

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|November 29, 1971}}

| birth_place = Maplewood, Minnesota, U.S.

| height = 5 ft 4 in

| headercolor = lightsteelblue

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport | Women's short track speed skating }}

{{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }}

{{MedalOlympics}}

{{MedalSilver | 1992 Albertville | 3000 metre relay }}

{{MedalBronze | 1994 Lillehammer | 500 metres }}

{{MedalBronze | 1994 Lillehammer | 3000 metre relay }}

}}

Amy Peterson (born November 29, 1971){{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pe/amy-peterson-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417161627/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pe/amy-peterson-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 17, 2020 |title=Amy Peterson}} is an American short track speed skater. Peterson competed in five consecutive Olympic games from when short track speed skating was exhibition sport in 1988 to 2002.{{cite news |last=Shefchik |first=Rick |date=March 31, 2006 |title=WORLD SHORT TRACK SPEEDSKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS – PETERSON COMES HOME TO FINISH SKATING CAREER |newspaper=Saint Paul Pioneer Press}}

Peterson qualified for her first Olympic Games in 1988 for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary at age 16.{{cite news |last=Weiner |first=Jay |date=February 2, 1988 |title=No medals, but these sports have own gold – Short-track speedskating must overcome image problem |newspaper=Star Tribune}} In 1988 short track speed skating was just a demonstration sport and no medals were awarded. Peterson won the 1,000 meters, and 1,500 meters US speed skating titles at the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1989. She also placed third in the 500 meters.{{cite news |last=Weiner |first=Jay |date=July 25, 1989 |title=St. Paul girl skates to 1,000 win |newspaper=Star Tribune}}

Peterson was born in Maplewood, Minnesota. She attended Johnson Senior High School in Saint Paul, Minnesota and graduated in 1990.{{Cite news |author=Staff |title=Johnson High Hall Of Fame Adds Peterson. |publisher=Saint Paul Pioneer Press |date=February 22, 1992 |page=C7}} Her uncle, Gene Sandvig, competed in speed skating in the 1952 and 1956 Olympic Games.

Peterson returned to qualify for the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan after overcoming chronic fatigue syndrome.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/12/sports/plus-olympic-trials-short-track-skating-peterson-wins-all-four-of-her-races.html?scp=5&sq=%22Amy%20Peterson%22%20short%20track%20speed%20skating&st=cse&pagewanted=print |title=PLUS: OLYMPIC TRIALS -- SHORT TRACK SKATING; Peterson Wins All Four of Her Races |date=January 12, 1998 |newspaper=The New York Times}}{{cite news |last=Longman |first=Jere |date=February 1, 1998 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/01/sports/nagano-98-speed-skating.html?pagewanted=print |title=NAGANO '98; SPEED SKATING |newspaper=The New York Times}} Peterson's performance suffered during the time with her dropping from the number one U.S. woman to eighth.{{cite news |last=Murphy |first=Brian |date=December 14, 2001 |title=On Track // Amy Peterson Has Something To Prove As She Bids For Her Fifth Olympic Games Berth |newspaper=Saint Paul Pioneer Press}}

In 2000, Peterson won all four distances at U.S. short track speed skating championships. Peterson qualified for the 2000 Winter Goodwill Games while winning the 500, 1,000, 1,500 and 3,000 meter races.{{cite news |title=Peterson, Goskowicz Are 1-2 |date=February 14, 2000 |newspaper=Saint Paul Pioneer Press}} She held the American record in 1,000, 1,500 and 3,000 meters races in June 2000.{{cite news |last=Jensen |first=Tom |date=June 14, 2000 |title=Skating legend to visit St. Cloud |newspaper=St. Cloud Times}} In 2001, she won her eighth U.S. women's championship.{{cite news |last=Weiner |first=Jay |date=March 5, 2001 |title=SPEEDSKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS – Ohno is speedskater for the 21st Century // Young U.S. star draws comparisons to Heiden |newspaper=Star Tribune}}

By the end of the 2000–2001 season Peterson was ranked ninth in the world and ranked in the top ten for each distance.

In the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, Peterson was elected to carry the US flag at the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics.{{cite news |last=Zernike |first=Kate |date=February 8, 2002 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/08/sports/olympics-notebook-peterson-not-street-will-carry-the-flag.html?scp=18&sq=%22Amy%20Peterson%22%20short%20track%20speed%20skating&st=cse&pagewanted=print |title=OLYMPICS: NOTEBOOK; Peterson, Not Street, Will Carry The Flag |newspaper=The New York Times}} She planned for the Olympics to be her last one.{{cite news |last=Sansevere |first=Bob |date=February 8, 2002 |title=Peterson Savoring Her Last Olympics |newspaper=Saint Paul Pioneer Press}} Peterson failed to win a medal in any of her individual events or in the relay.{{cite news |last=Sansevere |first=Bob |date=February 17, 2002 |title=Early Bump Knocks Out Peterson |newspaper=Saint Paul Pioneer Press}}

Peterson failed to qualify for her sixth Olympic games in 2005.{{cite news |title=Peterson Fails In Bid To Make Sixth Olympics |date=December 17, 2005 |newspaper=Saint Paul Pioneer Press}}{{cite news |last=Zinser |first=Lynn |date=December 17, 2005 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/17/sports/othersports/17skate.html?pagewanted=print |title=Davis Falls Short in Push for the Short-Track Team |newspaper=The New York Times}}