Click here for Diagram of the Road Coarse

Okay, we are back... and the Senior Ladies would have it that Julie Glass and Jessica Smith would skate together from the United States team. Julie was the work horse, with Jessica in tow every bit of the way. Unlike many athletes that like to skate this event, Julie never once got caught in the back, which for the coaching staff and supporters was a calming thing during this race even though one’s heart rate and blood pressure often gets high. Where ever Julie went Jessica went, they were like poetry in motion, followed all the time by the Colombians. Again, it looked like there were more than two United States skaters out there skating, but this time it looked like there were four due to the fact that the Colombian ladies did not challenge or hinder anything that the American ladies did. That was until the last 175 meters, where after Julie initiated the sprint, she had moved over slightly for Jessica to skate by. It looked as if it would be Team USA one and two but Brigyte Mendez, who happens to be smaller than Jessica Smith, snuck right in behind Jessica, causing Julie to go a little wide bringing the other Colombian skater up right next to her. Now we had two battles, one for first and second and one for third and forth. Jessica was surely more powerful and had a better sprint than Brigyte, and ended up winning the event with a hawk to just make sure, while Julie managed to get back in front of the other Colombian for a clear and clean third placement. Click here for ladies results.

The Senior Men's 20K Elimination Race was a grueling one, Jordan Malone and Josh Wood skated for the United States. This race was much faster than what we had seen in this type of race today and many great men were taken out from the start . Italy had a different ploy up their sleeve in this race when it came down to the end. They led many laps dictating what would happen as far as speed was concerned. Both of these men basically made sure they were safe for the final sprint, which they had when it came time for it. Jordan had lost Josh earlier on and had to fend for himself against other teams which seemed to tire him. He was in fourth coming out of the last turn behind and the Italians that went at about 300 Meters to go were gone. Jordan paced himself to make sure he had enough speed at least to bring home the bronze from this event and snuck by Shane Dobbin, of New Zealand, the last couple feet before the line. Not to bad for a man who had skated 500 meter heats, quarter finals, semi finals and still had to race a 500 Meter final tonight in about 20 min.

Click here for ladies results.

The 500 Meter finals are a story to tell for those of you out there who love to sprint and as I write this they are giving the awards for the above races, right now the American National anthem is play for Jessica Smiths win. That will not be the last time they play it for events won by Americans tonight.

For the 500 Meter final you have only four athletes going for the top three spots. Many of you may think it is easy with just four skaters, but many countries specialize in just these events just as they do the timed events. Look at what Jordan Malone had to put himself through, and believe it or not he again stepped into the shoe’s of many great men who have won this event from our great country before him.

Jordan was not the favorite, as was his team mate Steven Carter, who had a tangle up with Italian Luca Saggiorato out of the turn into the back stretch, that tangle up slowed all his speed. When that had happened Jordan and the Colombian Juan Tobon, who were behind them had no problem getting by Steve who was trying to regain his speed. Jordan was now in basically in a straight line, which went across the track, he was on the inside of the track next to the Colombian in the middle who was next to the Italian on the outside of this narrow road track. Saggiorate, from Italy, was slightly ahead and Jordan Managed to get back to the outside to take the turn behind him followed by the Colombian and Steve. When these men came out of the last turn Jordan showed he had what it took to be a sprinter and flew by the Italian (42.17) with a time of 42.07 who was followed by the Colombian (42.38) in third with Steven Carter (43.09) in Forth.

Click here for ladies results.

Jessica Smith and Theresa Cliff were the Ladies sprinting tonight for the United States and it was Theresa race to win. Now Jessica Smith had gone through the same thing that Jordan Malone did in skating the 500 meter heats, quarter-finals, semi-finals and the 20K Elimination race, which she had won. Smith and Cliff have raced and trained together for years as she did with Glass a few years before.

The start was won by Jessica, who was followed by the Italian Queen of sprinting Valentina Belloni, Theresa in third and in fourth Jeniffer Caicedo from Colombia. This race did not start off slow by any means and Theresa managed to get in front of Valentina and Jessica out of the turn onto the back stretch but, Jeniffer managed to get in front of Theresa. Jessica was in third so “T” was safe from behind, she would have to see what she had to get this pure sprinter.

Jennifer who had been beaten by Valentina, who was now in fourth place by .003 thousandths of a second in the 200 meter timed event, was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth by letting anyone beat her in this race today. She brought it home to the finish in first with Theresa Cliff in second, Jessica Smith in third followed by Belloni from Italy in fourth.

Click here for ladies results.

Joey Mantia and William Bowen were the young men who skating this race tonight for the United States Junior Men's Team. They had to go up against Colombia and Italy, where as usual, both these skaters were specialist in this event. But both these Americans have proven on the track, they can sprint too and both had done the same here on the road with a first place and a ninth place in the 200 meter time.

On the start it was Colombia, Italy, and USA going into the first turn. Through that turn and down the short straight Joey, who was in third, moved to second behind Colombia with Italy behind and Bowen in fourth. They entered the turn and came out onto the back stretch three abreast with Bowen in fourth right behind them. Entering the last turn, everyone was still bunched  together and out of that turn onto the final straight was Mantia, Camilo Orozco from Colombia, Saro Gulisano from Italy and Bowen. At the line, the finish ended with Mantia with a slight lead over Colombian Orozco, with William Bowen in third out hawking the Italian for his first medal at his first World Championship. The United States Junior World Men Captured both the Gold and Bronze in this event, and by looking at Williams face - that medal would not be any different to him than a Gold.  Final times were: Joey Mantia (42.65) for the gold, Orozco with the silver (42.80), and William Bowen with the bronze (42.95).  

Brittany Bowe would not have the same great fortunes as many of her American teammates whose stories I have listed above. Bowe, like her fellow skaters, skated to the best of her ability - doing the best she could do, but fate would have it that she would not be bringing home a medal tonight. She had skated against two Colombians and an Italian all racing to the line together with the two Colombians in first and second Italy in third and Bowe in fourth.

Many athletes with whom I have become friends with over the last decade at this level from all over the world, have won several medals, and many have not won a single won. I remember a time when I was just a kid reading when the United States team would be lucky to get a placement in the top ten let alone first through fourth placement. We have come a long way since those times as a sport, and as a country within the sport. However...in either time frame, it took and takes much dedication, knowledge, training and a will to do nothing but your best to just make it to a final at a World Championship. All of you out there should be proud of each and ever athlete from our country at these Championships and those that follow - no matter if they come home with a placement in hand or if they just managed to make it only to a semi-final. This is our Olympics for now, and trust me when I say every country her has trained and is competing like it as such. So when this is all over and you see anyone of these athletes around or at meets or here on line - let them know that you appreciate how they came here making all of us in the United States look good through our great sport of Inline Speed Skating.

Look for tomorrow’s event storie’s here, same URL, same web site hopefully there will not be any controversy. It is 10:30 p.m. here, Good Night.

Click here for ladies results.