Poughkeepsie Athlete Crashes in Olympic Event

Poughkeepsie's own, Clayton DeClemente, had his dreams of gold dashed this weekend after an unfortunate bump from one of his competitors in the Winter Olympics.

Much of the Hudson Valley was glued to the television on Saturday afternoon as DeClemente took to the ice in the men's 1500m. Unfortunately, disaster struck as the Poughkeepsie athlete took one of the final turns of the event.

Hudson Valley Olympian Makes Strong Showing in First Event

On Thursday, Clayton began his hunt for gold by racing in the men’s 1000m heats. He finished second in his heat, with a time fast enough to advance to the quarterfinals. While he had an incredible run, the former Arlington student faced some stiff competition in the next round.  Clayton was eliminated from the semifinals after coming in a close fifth, but was looking forward to competing again in the 1500m event.

Tragedy Strikes During 1500m Event on Saturday

There are no qualifying rounds in the 1500m event, so Clayton jumped right into the medal race, competing in the second heat of Saturday's contest. The skater had an incredible run, taking the lead for much of the race, but as the group tightened, Clayton lost his footing and went flying into the wall on one of the final turns.

According to his mother, Kristen Ravida DeClemente, this fall came from a bump from another racer. The proud parent runs a Facebook fan group for the skater named Clayton Turns Left and posted her thoughts about the unfortunate fall.

That's short track! That is a saying you hear a lot because of the unpredictability of the sport. But, that was not the way Clayton wanted his Olympic experience to end.
He had more in his legs and had a legitimate chance to advance to the semi-final. But, one small bump from another racer and he was out. That is short track.

DeClemente thanked all of the fans for their support of her son and assured them that Clayton's career was far from over. The proud mother announced that the skater will compete in the World Champs next month, and after taking a short break, will get right back to training for the 2030 Winter Olympics.

Hudson Valley Proud

Olympic fans in the Hudson Valley showed their support for DeClemente, offering congratulations for making it to the Winter Games. Just competing with the very best in the world is a huge accomplishment in itself, and something the Poughkeepsie skater should be extremely proud of.