Witty has yet to reach peak form. Her combined time in a pair of 500s — 1 minute, 18.52 seconds — was 1.23 seconds behind winner Elli Ochowicz. Amy Sannes finished second, followed by Jennifer Rodriguez, who already had prequalified for a spot on her third Olympic team.

On the men’s side, 2002 gold medalist Casey FitzRandolph won the 500 title, with Tucker Fredricks and Kip Carpenter also likely to get spots on the team by finishing second and third. Joey Cheek fell in his first race — sliding across the line on his back — but he already had qualified for the team.

Witty has a knack of being at her best when it counts most. She came down with mononucleosis before the last Olympics, but somehow found the strength to set a world record in the 1,000.

“She’s laid back, but we all know she can step up when she wants to,” said Bart Schouten, Witty’s coach. “In the big competitions, she always skates well. She WILL skate well at these Olympics.”

Not that he’s taking anything for granted. Schouten keeps stressing to Witty that her story of abuse can be told to an even larger audience with an Olympic medal around her neck. He hopes that provides the inspiration she will need to get back to the podium.

“If she wins a medal at the Olympics, she can create a big podium to talk about her abuse, how to prevent it from happening to other people,” Schouten said. “That’s what I’m trying to tap into. I want her to use that as motivation.”

Witty already has heard from countless people — those who admire her courage for speaking out, those who’ve been inspired to confront and deal with their own stories of abuse. While satisfied to make such a positive impact, she also knows that part of the healing process is learning to put the past aside.

“I’m glad that people can open up and tell me their darkest secrets,” she said. “I try to listen, I try to understand. At the same time, I have to let it go.”

No matter what happens in Turin, Witty seems to be doing just fine. Other skaters have noticed a change in her demeanor since she let her secret out.

Witty was always friendly but a bit reserved, as if she was afraid to let anyone get too close. These days, she’s much more approachable, mingling and smiling with the ease of someone who has learned to trust.

“It took a load off her shoulders,” said Derek Parra, another gold medalist in 2002. “I can’t even imagine what it was like to carry around something like that all those years. Accomplishing what she did was pretty miraculous.”

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