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In a move that both recalls the golden era of US speed skating and shakes up the old order, Peter Mueller was named this week to coach the American team in the next Olympics.
Mueller, 36, of Mequon, takes over direction of the squad just 10 months before the Games in Albertville, France. His responsibilities will be primarily with the sprint skaters, including double Olympic medalist Bonnie Blair and former world champion Dan Jansen.
Stanislaw Klotkowski, the former national coach of Poland, joins Mueller in heading up the coaching staff. He will work with the distance skaters.
Jansen was instrumental in getting Mueller, the 1976 Olympic champion at 1,000 meters, back to the US. He had served as national coach in Germany for the past three years and had two years plus an option remaining on his contract there.
"He was my first coach," said Jansen. "Nick (Thometz) and I were coached by him in '82 and '83, and we got along well, worked great together. He's such a good motivator. He just...