VANCOUVER VOICE: Latvia's Silovs earning his corn in Vancouver

SPARE a thought for Haralds Silovs in Vancouver - the Latvian speed skater is certainly earning his corn at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

DOUBLE TIME: Lativa's Haralds Silovs can barely catch his breath as he darts across Vancouver to compete in two different sports (Getty Images)

Silovs barely had time to slip out of his all-in-one suit, having competed in today's 5000m speed skating competition at the Richmond Olympic Oval before dashing across Vancouver for the 1500m short track events.

The 23-year-old is about to become the first speed skater to compete in long and short track at the Olympics, having made the 12-mile trip to the Pacific Coliseum.

Silovs had to make do with 20th place in the 5000m as the Netherlands' Sven Kramer romped to gold, but he had little time to dwell on his disappointment.

As a former European short-track champion, Silovs' best chance of an Olympic medal in Vancouver lies in the short track, but the Latvian had no regrets about how he chose to finalise his preparations.

"For me, switching is not the hardest part. It's just the physical and mental preparation that's important," he said.

"I'm glad I did it. I would love to have stayed a little bit longer [at the Richmond Olympic Oval], but unfortunately, I have to go and prepare for short track."