Shani's secret weapon for Olympics? Hi-Chew

By Philip Hersh

RICHMOND, British Columbia -- Shani Davis gave a Japanese TV crew more than it could have asked for Saturday morning.

And then, with a big grin, the Olympic champion speedskater asked for something in return.

After finishing his first practice at the Richmond Olympic Oval, where he will be favored to add at least one more gold medal to his resume, Davis greeted the crew from TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System) by pulling out a Japanese good luck charm his girlfriend had given him.

"It's a winning charm," Davis said. "My girlfriend wants me to win. Pretty cool, huh."

Read more about Davis' Olympic quest in the Globetrotting blog.