Relay Events Help Dreams Come true

The United States captured the Senior 10K Road Relay titles in both the Men's and Ladies Division for the first time ever in the road relay portion of the World Championships for Inline Speed Skating.

The Dream Team

Two of the members of the United States Sr. Ladies Road Relay "Dream Team." Julie Glass and Jessica Smith. Not Pictured is Theresa Cliff who was the third member. Photo: Deborah Alpers

Of these Championships Jessica Smith, Theresa Cliff and Julie Glass had come together again a second time for a relay event. It is very ironic that in years past, these three athletes have trained and raced against each other, and have been National Champions together as a relay team several times at events in the United States. The fact that they are at a World Championship, doing it again, is just too weird to fathom.

"They are the Dream Team of these Championships," said proud coach, Joe Cotter, speaking of the success of these ladies winning yet another relay event at the championships. The first win was a few days earlier, on the track portion of the competition. Track and Road skating are two very separate events that not everyone can do, but these ladies have proven that they can do it all, and did it all in great style here in Venezuela.

With just three laps to go, Smith came out on Glass making a perfect relay pulling on the pack of the four behind her. Entering the first turn, Smith put it all into over drive for the next 300 plus meters to tag Cliff. Cliff too made a great relay showing everyone watching in the crowd why these American females win events, and why she is now a sprinter too. On the last and final tag, Glass did what her two partners had done and made a text book relay. One would expect that she would just go for it, but it is much easier to catch than to pull especially when you are anchor at this level against the best. She kept her speed just at Warp 8, playing a cat a mouse game with Colombian Brigyte Mendez who not only has speed but endurance. It was a perfect ploy, for when the Colombian just about gained on her, she took it to warp 10 plus. She left Mendez in her dust, helping bring home this trio's second Gold relay medal of these Championships

Jordan Malone and Josh Wood, two of the members of the Sr. World Class Men's USA Road Relay Team. Not pictured is Steven Krawalski who was the third member. Photo: Deborah Alpers

Wood makes a slick move to help secure his first medal ever at his first World Championships, and that medal would be a Gold. Josh Wood would come out on the relay to be tagged by Steven Krawalski who was holding his own in third place with just three laps to go in this event.  On the tag, Josh managed to stay in third through all the mess that again happened here on the road as it did on the track through the relay exchange area. Into the first turn and down the short straight, Wood seemed to be a bit timid and was being passed - now in fourth. Into the turn that would bring the pack of five fast men onto the back stretch, he would be passed again, and was now in last place skating against the world's best. What would he do? Well...he did what any American athlete would do from our sport with indoor cornering skills. He used the last turn to his advantage, along with some sort of "FORCE" of his own. Wood skillfully and gracefully moved not only past fourth and third place, but up into second place.  When he tagged Jordan Malone, it was a heart pounding moment, which has been happening to all of us watching since day one. Malone, who looked faster than the men he was skating against, chose not to lead any of them out and settled to stay in second.  However, Malone was passed and was now in third. But no worries...you could tell by his strokes and form he was not even close to going full speed. The corner that Josh pulled his moves on was the corner that Malone decided to do the same, bringing it through onto the last straight, flying past his competition with unbelievable speed for the win.

There was a bad fall in the second pack of skaters behind the leaders, and at last word Kalon Dobbin was pretty hurt. We wish him the best and will let you know of his injuries when we get more word.

The Junior Ladies and Men's Relays were just as exciting as their Senior counterparts, bringing about the beginning of the end to these 2003 Road Championships. The United State Ladies team was skated by Sara Sayasane, Mallary Pracal and Brittany Bowe. Sayasane, Pracal and Bowe skated an awesome race and were in contention for a medal.  However, time would be the dictator of this race. Bowe, who was going for the win at the end, made a move that could have gone either way and the way it went was to give this American team fourth. In the last turn, she gambled and took the outside line, bringing her onto the straight close to the railing that had either proven to be a winner for a few or a stride stopper for a few more. I.E. Steven Carter in his 200 meter timed event. Bowe ended up getting boxed in and could not generate any speed to skate hard to the finish.

The United States Junior Men could not pull off a repeat as all would think for the competition was just as hungry as them. Chris Creveling, Johnathan (Jono) Gorman and Joey Mantia may have become the Junior Male version of the "Relay Dream Team" if things would have work out better for them. Each boy skated to their best ability, but tonight was not going to be the winning night for this trio. They captured second, behind China Tapai with Colombia following a bit behind in third. They were nipped for the win by the Tapai team by less than a bit of a wheel when the photo finish was all said and done.

Tomorrow events are the Marathon. Last year, the United States brought home the Gold in the Senior Women's and the Junior Men's event. Will Theresa Cliff and Joey Mantia, the winners of those events in 2002 do the same in 2003? Time tells all, so check back here to see what happened.