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Triple, double
By Stephen Speckman
Deseret News staff writer
KEARNS — Call it a triple, double with a world record on top.
The women's 1,500 meters ended Wednesday with Germany's Sabine Voelker grabbing her third long-track speedskating medal and U.S. skater Jennifer Rodriguez landing her second bronze — she was third in the 1,000.
To cap it off, German teammate Anni Friesinger broke her own world record — the sixth world record broken at the Utah Olympic Oval since Feb. 9 — and skated to gold with a time of 1 minute, 54.02 seconds.
Of the first 10 pairs of skaters, American Chris Witty — still tired after winning a gold in the 1,000 — blazed ahead of the pack with a 1:55.71. She was still in the lead with 4 of 20 pairs to go and the three most powerful German skaters in the 1,500 on deck.
Friesinger has been unbeatable in the 1,500 during this World Cup season. She was the favorite, but some wondered if that pressure was too much.
"The pressure was incredible before the race, but the race itself and waiting for my result were the worst things," Friesinger said. Considered by some to be the sport's "sex symbol" — she posed nude in a German magazine — the added focus was thought to weigh heavy.
"Sometimes, I think it's too much," she said of the extra attention.
Friesinger would have to wait for three more pairs to race, including teammates Voelker and Claudia Pechstein.
Pechstein briefly held the third spot until Voelker clocked a silver-medal time. Witty was still in bronze position until the last pair of the day, Canadian Cindy Klassen and Rodriguez, currently ranked two and three in the 1,500 World Cup.
Once again, the U.S. crowd, along with a host of family and friends, may have been the kicker for Rodriguez's 1:55.32 and a bronze — Klassen finished fourth overall ahead of Witty.
Rodriguez called teammate and future husband KC Boutiette her "backbone," the person who sharpens her skates, encourages her on the ice and keeps the media away when she needs to concentrate.
"I don't know that I would be sitting here without him," she said. The two will marry in Rodriguez's hometown of Miami on April 13.
Among other U.S. skaters, Witty finished fifth, Amy Sannes eighth and Becky Sundstrom 13th.
In Germany, the celebrating has already begun, particularly in Inzell, where Friesinger lives and her race was broadcast live. Two of her sponsors agreed to buy the whole town a beer. All total, the German women have skated away with seven medals, one less than the U.S. men's and women's teams.
No Americans are expected to medal in the men's 10,000 or women's 5,000 Friday and Saturday, but the team has already set a new record of eight individual U.S. medals in long-track speedskating, the most since six were won in 1976.
"I didn't think anyone expected us to get as many medals as we have," Rodriguez said. Her hope is that the team's accomplishment will put a spotlight on the sport and help increase its popularity in the U.S.
E-MAIL: sspeckman@desnews.com
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February 21, 2002
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