Winnipeg speedster Mike Ireland is another in a long list of potential Olympic medal contenders in long track speed skating. But he suffers from the same predicament as many of his teammates. Inconsistency. He placed in the top-eight six times in 12 World Cup 500 metre races and did not reach the podium once. He ended the season with a strong fifth in the 500 at the season-ending world championships.
  Ireland, 24, burst on the international stage in 1994 when he surprised many of his teammates to qualify for the Olympic Games in the 500. The following season he enjoyed a sensational rookie campaign on the World Cup with seven top-10 finishes including a bronze medal at a stop in Japan. Ireland's brother Sean was one of Canada's top sprinters for several years and competed at two Olympic Games.