The First of Many

     Middle of December, holiday season, there just really isn't much going on in the inline world.  I've been trying to spit out one blog a week, but I've just been drawing a blank this week.  Then when sitting around talking about races with some friends it hit me.. why don't I just write about races that I watched that really stick out to me.  Anyone that's been around me knows I basically watch every race, at every competition I go to, so I have a lot of them to chose from.

    So which race do I write about first??  There were several that really stuck out to me, but one race started something special in our sport.  For that race we have to go all the way back to the World Championships in 2005, .........


   Joey Mantia is an icon in our sport, one of the most decorated skaters of all times.  However, in 2005 he had yet to win his first individual world title.  2004, was Mantia's first year Sr. and although he was close several times, he didn't win an individual race.  He had been pegged for greatness because of his success in the Jr division.  However, just because you win when you're Jr, that doesn't always carry over.  And that leads us to this....


2005 World Class men's 500 meter final:
As a spectator this was one of the most stressful races ever.  Joey is one of my closest friends, so I'm super nervous just watching.  He had mono during the summer, so he missed our team training.  Because of the sickness he wasn't sure if he would be able to finish the long races, which at the time everyone thought were his best races.  He had won the heat of the 300m, but didn't have a great run in the final.  The last race on the track was the 500 meter.  Warm ups started and... wait a minute..... Joey's one of my best friends, I shouldn't be telling this story..... Let's hear this story from his point of view.

"Two and a half laps and a handful of the world’s fastest skaters were what stood between me and everything I’d worked so hard for to achieve. It was the 500m final at the 2005 World Championships, held on a 200 flat track in Suzhou China. I found myself standing on the line more nervous than I had ever been for anything. My teeth were tingling, my stomach was in knots, my hands were clammy and shaking; I wanted to win this race more than I wanted to breathe. Being a flat track with absolutely no where to pass, everyone had the same plan: win the start, win the race. The official gave his command, we rolled to the line, we got set… BANG… officials’ whistles signaled a false start and we rolled back to the starting line. The official again gave his command, we rolled to the line, we got set… this time, I false started and again we were called back by whistle. The official warned me specifically not to jump again, but he was wasting his breath, I was going to be the first one to the corner no matter what, it was do or die. One more time the official gave his command, we got set… I felt something tell me to go, then, the smallest amount of time you can imagine after I set my body in motion, I heard the gun… but this time no whistle. I put every ounce of strength and will I had into that start and made to the opening turn first, it was suddenly my world title to win or lose, the ball was 100% in my court. I remember hearing the bell for one lap to go and thinking, “oh my god, this is really going to happen, I’m about to be a World Champion,” I just needed to make it less than 200m in the front. As we exited the final turn and approached the line, I knew the race was mine, I threw my hands to the sky in victory. It was the single best feeling i had ever experienced and it’s the search for that feeling again that drives me in everything I do today."  

                                                                                                      --Joey Mantia


Yeah, that's how it happened.  On the sidelines we were going crazy.  The biggest thing I remember about after the race was them asking if we wanted to take a bus back to the hotel and Joey would stay and get his award.  I looked the person that asked me that in the face and said "I don't care if I have to walk back I'm watching my friend get his first gold medal."  After that race Mantia went on to win 2 more golds in the championships, and it took off from there.  Joey won many many world titles, but you can't win many without winning your first one.  And this was the story of Joey Mantia's first world title, hope you enjoyed.