Corinne Stoddard has punched her ticket to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Stoddard, 20, is a native of Tacoma, Wash., and granddaughter of longtime Ellijay residents Don and Linda VanLandingham. She will compete as a member of the USA’s short-track speedskating team.
“It means the world to me (to qualify for the Olympics),” Stoddard told Katie Grunik of TeamUsa.org. “It’s been my goal for a very long time to represent Team USA at the Olympics, and it’s finally come true.”
Stoddard solidified her spot on Team USA at the U.S. Olympic Trials Dec. 19 in Salt Lake City, Utah, competing in the 500 meters.
“I’ve never even met an Olympian before, and now we’ve got one in the family,” Don said during an interview Monday.
Prior to her success on the ice, Stoddard was an accomplished in-line skater. She began competing at age 7, and by age 12, she swapped her wheels for blades.
“In-line is not an Olympic event, and she decided she wanted to be on the Olympic team,” VanLandingham explained. “The only way to do that was on ice.”
Stoddard racked up seven national championships on the long and short track from 2013 to 2016. She was named Long Track Female Junior Development Skater of the Year in ’15-’16. Stoddard earned spots on the Short Track World Team in 2018, 2019 and 2021.
At the 2021 World Championships, Stoddard was a member of the 3,000-meter relay team that secured a bronze medal.
“We have five grandchildren and she is our youngest one. We’re proud of all of them and the accomplishments they’ve made,” VanLandingham said, before adding with a chuckle, “You really hate to favor one more than the others, but we only have one Olympian in the family and that’s special.”
Olympic speedskating will get underway Feb. 5. The women’s 500-meter race is scheduled for Sunday Feb. 13.