The two-time Olympic champion in the event even went so far as thinking what would happen if he didn't qualify for his fourth games.
At age 35, Davis is surrounded by young, fast competitors. When he made his first Olympic long-track speedskating team in 2006, he never trifled with uncertainty.
"You should never try to think negative, but I want to cover all aspects and I want to be realistic," he said. "I went out there and fought like it was the last race of my career."
Davis finished second behind Joey Mantia and will go for a third career 1,000 gold in South Korea next month.