Davis set a world record at 1,000 meters and owned the 1,500 mark until Hedrick took it away in November. He lost a pair of 1,000 races at the recent world sprint championships, and stayed in Europe to train up to the Olympics.

“I really don’t consider this a defeat because I am skating better and better every race,” Davis said.

The long track skaters will compete at Oval Lingotto, where the suspended roof allows for an unobstructed view of the ice and seats 8,500 spectators. Many of the American skaters who have competed in test events on the Olympic ice say it is considerably slower than in Salt Lake City four years ago.

“The ice is a lot softer and it’s a little slower,” Hedrick said. “I feel like it’s a big advantage for me because I’m one of the strongest guys out there. The turns you really, really have to put a lot of pressure on the ice.”

Along with the Americans, some familiar faces return in long track.

On the women’s side, Rodriguez and Witty are veterans who already have won Olympic medals. Each qualified in three events — 500, 1,000 and 1,500.

SHANI DAVIS (SPEEDSKATING) Getty Images Country: United States Hometown: Evanston, Ill. Age: 23 Best Olympic finish: N/A MORE ON SHANI DAVIS

“Both of us are going to have good shots in a couple races,” Witty said.

Canada’s Cindy Klassen will be favored for gold at 1,500 and 3,000 meters after setting world records at both distances in November. Germany’s Anni Friesinger will be a strong medal contender.

Among the men, Canadian Jeremy Wotherspoon has returned to top form after falling in the 500 at Salt Lake City. He will be a favorite at the shortest distance and in the 1,000.

Parra will try to defend his gold in the 1,500. He had a mediocre World Cup season as the result of the emotional fallout from his crumbling marriage.

Slide show   The Week in Sports Pictures A kayaker flips out, a racehorse eyes the Triple Crown and more. more photos

The Netherlands, where skating is a national passion, won’t have two of its defending Olympic champions in Turin — Jochem Uytdehaage and Gerard van Velde failed to qualify for the Dutch team.

Over at the newly built Palavela, the South Koreans and Chinese figure to be the strongest short track teams.

Jin Sun-yu and Ahn Hyun-soo, both South Koreans, were the overall World Cup champions. The Chinese will have Meng Wang, Yang Yang (A) and JiaJun Li.

Except for Ohno, skaters from North America and Europe have struggled to keep up with the powerful Asian nations.

Ohno will try to spin his high-speed magic under the Palavela’s sail-shaped roof, set on three arches and a hexagonal base. With seating for just 6,600 spectators, it’s sure to be one of the hottest tickets in Turin.

“Oh, I can’t wait,” Ohno said. “It’s so beautiful, the people, the culture, and we all love the food. It’s going to be spectacular.”