Planet News Archive Week of August 28, 2005 Sunday
(Aug. 28, 2005)
USA Wins Four Gold Medals on Third Day of World Championships - The young  U.S. team won seven medals today, including four golds, at the World Speed Skating Championships in Suzhou, China. Heather Richardson collected her second gold while Brittany Bowe and Joey Mantia both won their first. ... After an off day Saturday, the U.S. junior women returned to form and dominated the track. So far, they have won all the junior women's gold medals, except one. (Here's the Planet story!) (Aug. 28, 2005) Monday
(Aug. 29, 2005)
More Photos of the St. Paul Inline Marathon - Bont's Glenn Koshi had the best  seat in the house at last week's St. Paul Inline Marathon: a spot in the official media car that followed the skaters around the racecourse. From this vantage point, Koshi took hundreds of photos, several of which he shared with the Planet. Among the photos are shots of the two unsuccessful breakaways, the women's hard-driving lead pack and the triumphant master men's finish. (Here's they are ... and thanks, Glenn!) (Aug. 29, 2005) Tuesday
(Aug. 30, 2005)
200 Meter Records Fall at World Championships - Despite the  proliferation of 100-mm wheels, no records for speed were set last week on the flat, sticky track in Suzhou, China. But today, as the World Speed Skating Championships moved to the road, world records were set in the men's and women's 200-meter time trials, in both cases by Italian sprinters. ... The time posted by U.S. junior woman Brittany Bowe was off the world-record pace but fast enough to earn her second individual gold medal. She has now won five medals at the championships. (Here's the Planet's Day Four Coverage of the World Championships!) (Aug. 30, 2005) Italy and Colombia Vie for Lead in Suzhou - Italy remains in the lead overall at the 2005 World Speed Skating Championships. Its athletes have collected 24 medals so far. But Colombia is just behind it with 22, including the largest haul of golds: 10. (Here's the medal tally after four days of racing.) (Aug. 30, 2005) Shaun Thompson Loses Battle With Cancer - Former junior world champion  Shaun Thompson died today after a two year battle with cancer. The young Australian was the top junior men's skater at the 2002 World Speed Skating Championships. He was also a member of Bont's international racing team. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2003 when doctors found a malignant cyst in his lungs. (Here's Bont's announcement.) (Aug. 30, 2005) On the Forum:
• Rough and Tumble! - Rink Rat cleans his protective gear in the washer and drier. It's not recommended. But he says it works. (Here's his advice.) • First Time on Skates - "The only thing I remember clearly is failing to lean forward enough and falling right on my butt!" ... Oops! (Here's schizi's post.) Wednesday
(Aug. 31, 2005)
Colombia Takes the Lead; USA Collects 3 More Golds - Colombia took  over the lead at the 2005 World Speed Skating Championships today by outscoring Italy eight medals to four. The United States also had a good day. Junior women Heather Richardson and Brittany Bowe both won their third individual gold medals; and senior man Joey Mantia won his second while almost losing it. (Here's the Planet's Day Five Coverage of the World Champsionships. (Here's the medal tally so far.) (Aug. 31, 2005) Joe's Trek Passes the World Record for Longest Skate - With swollen  feet and a sunburned smile, Joe Rehana rolled past the old world record for the longest inline skate on Monday and pushed on in pursuit of the 3000-mile mark. So far, the 35-year-old Illinois resident has skated 2730 miles. The Guinness Book of World Records lists 2595 miles as the length of the longest inline skate. ... Rehana started his unassisted trek on May 31st in Sydney, Australia. He had planned to roll the entire circumference of Australia (about 10,000 miles). But with his feet swelling with edema, he decided to cut short his trip. "I'm thinking, throw the skates into the sea and never look back," he says in his web log. (Here it is.) (Aug. 31, 2005) One Days To Go Before Final Drawing! - The final drawing in the Planet's Summer Sweepstakes is  Thursday morning. Enter for your chance to win a pair of Rollerblade Aero or Lightning skates. All you have to do is fill out the registration form and post a note on the Planet Forum about your first time on skates. (Register here!) Elsewhere on the Web ... Bont's Glenn Koshi has posted a huge set of photos of the St. Paul Inline Marathon. (The Bont web site) Thursday
(Sept. 1, 2005)
U.S. Junior Women Keep Winning; Argentine Women Send Rival to Hospital - The U.S. girls and Colombian women continued their domination of the 2005 World Speed Skating Championships today in Suzhou, China. ... Meanwhile, the U.S. men win a bronze, and the Argentine women get a little agitato and come out swinging. (Here's the Planet's Day Six Coverage of the World Speed Skating Championships!) (Sept. 1, 2005) We Have a Winner! - Mark Melenchuk of Thunder Bay, Ontario, is the winner of the Planet's August Sweepstakes. Mark wins a pair of Rollerblade Lightning or Aero skates. ... Sadly, with August behind us, the Summer Sweepstakes rolls to a stop. Thanks to everyone who played ... especially those who submitted notes about their favorite places to skate, their favorite skates of all time and their first time rolling. (You'll find all their posts on the Planet Forum!) (Sept. 1, 2005) Friday
(Sept. 2, 2005)
Brittany Bowe, Joey Mantia Win on Final Day of Worlds - USA's Brittany  Bowe and Joey Mantia won the marathon on the final day of the 2005 World Speed Skating Championships in Suzhou, China. Their golds pushed the United States into third place. But the day belonged to Colombia, which won seven medals and the right to call itself the top inline speed skating country in the world. (Here's the Planet's Final Day Coverage of the 2005 World Championships!) (Here's the final medal count.) (Sept. 2, 2005) Saturday
(Sept. 3, 2005)
Rhode Island Health Expo to Include Skating Demo - Among the exhibits at next week's HealthFit Expo (Sept. 10-11) in Providence, R.I., will be one extolling the health benefits of inline skating. There will also be inline demonstrations and classes. The organizer, NBC 10, is looking for volunteers to help guide visitors and supervise exhibits. (Here's where you will find more information.) (Sept. 3, 2005) On the Forum:
• Hurrah! ... A Whole New Family of Skaters! - First he bought skates for the kids. Then he bought skates for himself. "Lots of fun," says toomanybikes. "It's another thing I can do with my kidlets and keep them active!" (Read his post.) | 
