Cambria County's Dan Barefoot finishes 20th in men's skeleton at Winter Olympics
Geistown native Dan Barefoot, making his Olympic debut, completed the men's skeleton competition and placed 20th overall. The first-time Olympian posted four runs over two days of competition, drawing enthusiastic support from his hometown and classmates back in Cambria County.
Runs, times and final placing
Barefoot opened his Olympic campaign with two runs on Thursday, clocking 57. 47 seconds in the first run and 57. 22 seconds in the second. Those marks left him 19th overall heading into the final day of racing.
On Friday he took part in heats three and four. After heat three he remained 19th out of 24 competitors with a cumulative time listed as 2: 52. 44. Following his final run, his total time was recorded as 3: 49. 86, placing him 20th overall among the 24 men who completed the event.
The final two runs were scheduled for Friday afternoon at 1: 30 PM ET and 3: 30 PM ET. Barefoot entered the event representing his country as a debutant on the Olympic stage; while a podium finish proved out of reach this time, completing all four runs at the Games is a milestone many athletes never achieve.
Hometown reaction and school spirit
Back home, students and staff at Richland High School rallied behind their alumnus. The school organized a USA Spirit Day; students and faculty wore red, white and blue and followed the competition closely. The surge in local interest extended to classroom lessons and informal discussions about the sport and the Olympics.
Richland’s principal, Tim Regan, described the atmosphere: "It's just something that they're talking about all the time and they're educating themselves, and teachers have done some information or some lessons in classrooms just on the Olympics itself. So, it's just a pretty cool time. " The hometown buzz illustrated how a single athlete’s appearance on the world stage can spark community pride and curiosity about a lesser-known winter sport.
What the result means
For a first-time Olympian, finishing all four runs and gaining experience against the world’s best remains a foundation to build on. The final ranking—20th of 24—places Barefoot among a select group of athletes who reached the Olympic start gate and completed the event under the pressure of the Games.
Local supporters and teammates will likely view this outing as the beginning of a longer international career rather than its culmination. In Geistown and across Cambria County, fans will remember the pride of watching one of their own slide down the track on the sport’s biggest stage, and many will be following dan barefoot's next steps in the seasons to come.
