New Zealand Skater Steals Show at the 2005 World Games

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New Zealand Speed Skater Steals the Show at 2005 World Games

Kalon Dobbin Wins Two Golds, One Silver in First Three Events

By Robert "Just the Factoids" Burnson

After skating in the shadow of his younger brother Shane for much of the season, Kalon Dobbin is finding his place in the sun at the rainy World Games in Duisberg, Germany.

So far, the elder Dobbin (28 years old) has medaled in every event, earning two gold and one silver medal.

No other skater has earned more than one medal after three events. (And the closest brother Shane has come to a medal was in the 300-meter time trial, in which he finished fifth.)

Kalon Dobbin won his second gold medal today. It came in the finals of the 500 meters, which the New Zealander easily won with a time of 44.89 seconds.

Colombia's Anderson Ariza Rincon finished nearly half a second behind him (45.37). Countryman Camilo Orozco Fuentes finished four hundredths of a second later to take the bronze.

Yesterday, the first day of inline speed skating at the World Games, Dobbin won the 1000 meters and finished second (two hundredths of a second back) in the 300-meter time trial.

Dobbin is currently ranked 15th in the World Inline Cup and skates for the second-tier Athleticum Rollerblade team.

His brother Shane is ranked fifth in the World Cup and skates for Rollerblade's top team: Rollerblade World, which currently sits in first place in the standings.

Shane is expected to have a good chance for a medal tomorrow, when the skaters take on the longer distances.

The first of those races -- the 5000-meter elimination -- was to have been tonight. But rain fell on the 200-meter oval where all the races are being held, and race officials postponed the event until noon tomorrow.

Rain also fell on the track on the first day of racing, but no events were canceled.

Tomorrow will be a tough day for the racers. Because of the rain they will be skating three, rather than two, distance events, elimination races at 3000, 5000 and 10,000 meters.

With half of the six events decided, Colombia has won six medals, twice as many as any other country. (Here's the World Game medal tally so far.)

The U.S. team has yet to win a medal, although its skaters stand a better chance in the longer distances.

Many of the country's top skaters passed on the World Games so they could compete in the U.S. Indoor National Speed Skating Championships this week in Pensacola, Fla.

(Posted on July 20, 2005)