Another coach leaves troubled U.S. Speedskating

Yet another top official has left U.S. Speedskating in the months following a dramatically poor showing at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Ryan Shimabukuro had been the long-track head coach since 2002.

“While this is one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make, I am proud to have contributed to the organization’s tradition of excellence,” Shimabukuro said in a statement published by the Chicago Tribune. “It’s my sincere hope that one day I will return to this organization, but for now, I’m very excited about what the near future holds for me.”

American long-track speedskaters failed to win any medals in Sochi, the first time they have been shut out since the 1984 Sarajevo Games.

High-performance director Finn Halvorsen and all-around coach Kip Carpenter recently left U.S. Speedskating. Stephen Gough declined to return as the short-track coach.

The organization’s executive director, Ted Morris, said last week that staff changes are not a “cleaning of the house,” but rather typical of post-Olympic moves.