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The Colombians typically clobber the Americans in the annual World Speed Skating Championships. But it doesn't look like that's going to happen in this week's Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro. During the first day of competition, the U.S. team won five of six races while Colombia won only one. The U.S. effort was led by former Team Florida teammates Joey Mantia and Brittany Bowe. Each won both of their races today: the men's and women's 300-meter time trial and the 1000 meters. Mantia's performance was pretty much expected. Last year, at age 20, he won the overall track and road competitions at the World Championships before winning the marathon; and this summer, aside from dominating Outdoor and Indoor Nationals, he won both of the World Inline Cup races he entered. Brittany Bowe's performance, on the other hand, marks her first big success as an adult in international competition. After a brilliant career in the junior division, she struggled last year at the World Championships. But since returning to skating after a winter of college basketball, the 19-year-old from Ocala, FL, has seemed transformed. She began her 2007 season by winning the Seoul World Inline Cup in April and followed up on that success with record-setting performances at both Outdoor and Indoor Nationals. Her performance today seemed particularly impressive. She won the 300 meters with a time that was 1.2 seconds faster than the second-place woman, Carolina Santibanez of Chile. Such a large margin in a short sprint is unusual. Bowe's time of 28.720 was off world record pace (26.986). But all the times were slow today on the flat bare wood track in Rio. Mantia's time of 27.198 in the 300 meters was about three seconds off world record pace. Bowe's performance today suggests that she — and the U.S. team — will be a force to reckon with next month at the World Speed Skating Championships in Cali, Colombia. As for Colombia, its skaters collected one win and three second-place finishes today. Its win came in the 20,000-meter elimination, which 19-year-old Jorge Cifuentes won after Chile's Jose Guzman fell and was taken out of contention in the race. Finishing second, four-tenths of a second behind Cifuentes, was Ecuador's Jorge Bolanas. USA's Jonathan Garcia, 20, of Houston, TX, finished two-tenths of a second back to take third.
Speed skating concludes tomorrow with the 500 meter sprint and two distance races: the 10,000 meters and the 15,000 meters. Gold medals are only being handed out in two categories: sprints and distance, meaning that only four gold medals will be awarded in total. (Two for the men, two for the women.) So far, Mantia and Bowe both have 24 points to lead their respective sprint categories. But neither have a firm lock on the gold. The points system awards 12 points for first, 11 for second, 10 for third, and so on. Right behind Bowe in the point tally is Chile's Carolina Santibanas and Argentina's Melissa Bonnet, both with 20 points. A fall or mishap for Bowe could easily leave her without a medal of any kind. Same goes for Mantia. Just behind him are Venezuela's Juan Jardines and Chile's Ricardo Verdugo, both with 19 points. The situation is even more up in the air in the distance category, which still has two events to go. Twelve countries are entered in the speed skating competition at the Pan Am Games. Each is allowed only one skater per event. ... Point totals: Sprint Men:
Women:
Distance Men:
Women
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Copyright © 2007 by Robert Burnson | ||||||||||||||
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