SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (August 12, 2003) – Team USA’s Julie Glass (Olympia, Wash.) and Joey Mantia (Ocala, Fla.) will both be bringing home the gold from the 2003 Inline Speed Skating Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.  Mantia, the only junior skater on the track, garnered the gold in both the Men’s Combined Short Distance races and the Men’s Combined Long Distance races.  Glass took the gold in the Women’s Combined Long Distance and the bronze in the Women’s Combined Short Distance. 

The Women’s Short Distance race was a combination of the 200m time trials and the 500m sprint race.  Glass received one point in the 200m time trials and the two points in the 500m sprint race, giving her three points overall.  Glass was third in the lineup against Argentina’s Andrea Gonzalez, who captured 5 points total and Chile’s Pamela Verdugo with a total of four points.   

“Considering that we skated on a track and we had to skate road to qualify for this, I think I did fairly well,” said Glass.  “Skating on the road would have benefited both the United States and Colombia.  This is just different conditions.”

In the Women’s Long Distance race, Julie dominated in both the 5,000m point’s race and the 5,000m pack race with a total of six out of six possible points.  Argentina’s Andrea Gonzalez skated away with a total of three points from the combined races, with Colombia’s Cecilia Baena tying it up.  Glass has all three possible medals, winning the silver in the 1999 Pan American Games and currently taking home the gold and the bronze.

“It feels good to have all three medals,” said Glass.  “This is the closest thing that we have to the Olympics.  During the long races, I was feeling the win and knew that powerhouses’ Argentina and Colombia would be right along with me.”

Joey Mantia, the only junior skater on the track, captured both gold medals in the short and long combined races.  In the Men’s Short Distance, Mantia took second place in the 200m time trial and 500m in the sprint, giving him a total of five points overall.  Jose Guzman of Chile trailed closely with four points, and Fabricio Seguell of Argentina took the third place spot.  

“I feel like a million bucks,” said Mantia.  “I am so surprised.  I truly didn’t think that I would come here and do as well as I did.  I’m extremely proud of myself.”

Mantia dominated the Men’s Long Distance with a total of six points, placing first in the 10,000m point’s race and the 5,000m pack race.  Argentina’s Fabricio Seguell followed closely behind Joey, coming in second place in both of the long races.  Gustavo Naula, of Ecuador, took the third place spot, with a total of two points.

“Argentina is better with distance races than I thought,” said Mantia.  “I led the pack the whole race, but I am stronger in sprinting, and it all came down to the sprint at the end.  That is what decided the race.”

Team USA will be bringing home four out of four medals possible for inline speed skating in the Pan American Games.

- OVERALL MEDAL RESULTS -

MEN’S COMBINED DISTANCE RACES

Gold – Joey Mantia – USA

Silver – Jose Guzman – Chile

Bronze – Fabricio Seguell – Argentina

MEN’S COMBINED LONG DISTANCE RACES

Gold – Joey Mantia – USA

Silver – Fabricio Seguell – Argentina

Bronze – Gustavo Naula – Ecuador

WOMEN’S COMBINED SHORT DISTANCE RACES

Gold – Andrea Gonzalez – Argentina

Silver – Pamela Verdugo – Chile

Bronze – Julie Glass –USA

WOMEN’S COMBINED LONG DISTANCE RACES

Gold – Julie Glass – USA

Silver – Andrea Gonzalez – Argentina

Bronze – Cecilia Baena - Colombia