American speed skater Shani Davis, the first black to win an individual gold medal at a Olympic Winter Games, seemed a sure win in this year's 1,000-meter race, to be held Wednesday.

But with a slow start in Vancouver, Davis needs to refocus his efforts for the remaining competition, or he could miss out on another Olympic gold.

A little-known South Korean skater, Mo Tae-bum, won the 500-meter competition last week, but it was Davis' flame-out that captured the attention of the speed-skating world. Davis finished 12th and left the competition in 18th place after the first two heats of the event.

The 500-meter race isn't Davis' specialty. The Chicago native, who lives in Milwaukee, is better at longer distances and is the defending Olympic gold medalist in the 1,000-meter event and the silver medal holder in 1,500-meter race.

Davis has stirred controversy in the past with teammates, who accused him of putting his personal goals above the team. The coach of the U.S. long-track competition, however, has defended Davis, saying teammates criticize him unfairly.

Davis has also had a running feud with comedian Stephen Colbert, calling him a "jerk" after Colbert made light of the criticism Davis' teammates heaped on him.

Either way, it's time for Davis to put these minor distractions behind him and get to the business of being the world's fastest skater.