UPDATE: Hudson Valley Athlete Skates in First Olympic Event

Poughkeepsie native, Clayton DeClemente, made his Olympic debut in Milan yesterday, taking to the Olympic ice in the men’s 1000-meter event.

Family, friends and proud Hudson Valley sport fans were glued to the television yesterday afternoon to cheer on DeClemente as he took to the ice in his first event of the winter games.

Clayton’s story started right here in the Hudson Valley. Roller hockey in Poughkeepsie turned into speed skating when his mom spotted his natural quickness. He stuck with it, graduating from Arlington High School in 2017 before moving west to chase his Olympic dream and eventually earn a spot on Team USA.

Poughkeepsie Athlete Performs in Winter Olympics

Yesterday, Clayton raced in the men’s 1000m heats. He finished second in his heat with a time that was fast enough to move him into the quarterfinal round. That’s a big deal for an athlete in their first Olympic Games.

But in the quarterfinals, he ran into a tougher field. He finished fifth in that race, which kept him out of the semifinals and out of medal contention in the 1000m.

Still, just making it through the first round and into the quarters puts him in the middle of the world’s best, which is an incredible accomplishment on its own. During the finals, it was great to hear the announcers shout out to Clayton and even throw in a Poughkeepsie reference to the millions of people watching around the world.

What’s Next for Poughkeepsie Olympian

Clayton’s Olympic story isn’t finished. He’s still scheduled to skate in the men’s 1500-meter event on Saturday, where endurance and race strategy mix in with the same breakneck speed short track is known for. That’s his next chance to show the world what a Hudson Valley kid can do up close and personal on the Olympic ice.