Shani Davis might not be feeling the love, but other members of the US Speedskating team appreciate having Stephen Colbert come to the team’s aid. From THE USA Today (internal links omitted):

Colbert fans put up $250,000 for US Speedskating
Posted 1h 45m ago
By Vicki Michaelis, USA TODAY

Comedian Stephen Colbert might be raising some hackles with his tongue-in-cheek take on the USA’s looming battle with Canada for 2010 Winter Olympic medals, but he also is raising a significant amount of money for cash-strapped US Speedskating.

Some 8,500 people have donated approximately $250,000 to the organization that trains U.S. Olympic speedskaters since The Colbert Report took on the cause in early November, US Speedskating executive director Bob Crowley said Monday.

. . .

“I think he’s funny,” five-time Olympic medalist Apolo Ohno said of Colbert. “This is a time when our country is kind of in need of some humor. It’s all for a good cause. I’m so surprised that so many people have offered to help out. I think it’s great exposure for the sport.”

Said Katherine Reutter, the top U.S. women’s short-track speedskater: “I think he’s a very generous guy for coming in and helping us out.”

. . .

Full text of article available here

Way to go, short track speedskaters! Here’s the AP’s story on the issue, which contains a few more quotes from Ohno and Reutter.

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