US Speedskating and USA Roller Sports team up to develop athletes in both disciplines

USS and USARS work together to make speed skating stronger

US Speedskating athletes traded their ice skates for inlines at the 2019 Banked Track Clinic in Colorado Springs last weekend. Olympians Joey Mantia, Erin Jackson and Mitch Whitmore teamed up with skaters Anna Quinn, Ethan Cepuran, Rebecca Simmons, Ethan Cepuran, Austin Kleba, Ian Quinn, Brianna Bocox and Liz Johnson to participate in the four-day camp where they learned the basics of inline speedskating.

Cepuran didn’t know what to expect going into the camp. He’d never skated inline and admitted to being a little intimidated. "As the weekend went on it got much easier to be comfortable and have more fun with it. I definitely think that I can incorporate some of the passing drills that we went over into the mass start."

Johnson had skated inline a few times but before the camp, didn’t feel comfortable enough to use it for off-season training. "Inline skating is a useful training tool, especially in the summer months when the ice is out," she said. "The camp effectively introduced inline to ice speed skaters that did not have a background in inline."

Although Jackson has an extensive inline background, including several world championship titles, she found the camp to be very challenging. "It was really hard. I’ve been on ice for so long and I haven’t used my inline muscles for a while. I’m definitely feeling it."

Jackson will race in the Inline Outdoor Nationals, with the hope of making the World Championship team that will compete in July, and the Pan American team that will compete in August.

"Wheels or blades, we are all speed skaters," said USS Skate Tech Chris Needham. "These two camps proved that while we may be managed by two different NGBs we are now working together to make speed skating in the United States stronger."

Last fall, inline speed skaters participated in an ice speedskating camp at the Utah Olympic Oval where they learned the basics of long and short track skating. These camps are part of a program to develop athletes in both disciplines.

"The overall world of speed skating in the United States, be it on ice or inline skates, is dramatically better today for both USA Roller Sports and US Speedskating," said Eric Steele, USA Roller Sports Executive Director. "With the completion of the fall and spring transition clinic camps, both organizations have taken a much needed step toward embracing the concept principles of cross training and talent transfer. We couldn’t be more pleased to see what the future holds for the athletes and coaches as they take the next steps of competing on the track."

About US Speedskating

From Pond to Podium, we are US Speedskating. We grow and nurture a sport where all ages can experience the thrill of speed and the camaraderie of the skating community. US Speedskating is responsible for the development of speed skating from grassroots to the highest elite racing programs. US Speedskating is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union as the governing body for the sport of speed skating in the United States. The Organization has won 88 Olympic medals to-date, making it one of the most successful sports in U.S. Olympic history. US Speedskating is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

About USA Roller Sports

USA Roller Sports (USARS) is recognized by the International Roller Sports Federation (FIRS) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) as the National Governing Body of competitive roller sports in the United States, including speed, figure, hockey, roller derby and slalom. USARS has sponsored amateur competitions since 1937, exercising jurisdiction over the participation of United States roller skaters in international competition, including World Championships, World Games, Pan American Games and Olympic Games. USARS is dedicated to creating, enhancing and conducting events and programs for roller sports in the United States. USARS instills the drive to win and be the absolute best in sport and in life.

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