World Games Update

Last night I raced in my first race at the World Games and my first race since my accident in Heerde. It was the 10km points elimination race and I ended up finishing third. It started raining half way through the race and it was not called off by the officials so the track was very slippery. The winner Hyo Sook Woo and second place getter Marta Ramirez ended up breaking away when the rain started and gaining a lot of points. I was basically left solo at the front of the dwindled pack trying to chase them down and only caught Marta with a few laps to go.


This morning the 1000 meter heats took place inbetween the showers of rain. In the second heat of the ladies it started to rain with a few laps to go and skaters were slipping all over the track. It wasn't until Angeline Thomas from Australia crashed that they finally decided to call off the race. After the rain stopped the third heat started, which I was in and with two laps to go it started to rain again. The officials didn't call off the race and it was very slippery. When qualifying involves times this effects the outcome of the race. The officials didn't want to re run the heat until they spook to the corner referee's who agreed the skaters were slipping and had to slow down which affected the overall time. Once the track was dry the two heats were both re run and I ended up finishing second in the heat but was the fastest qualifier to go through to the semi finals.

The mens heat were then run and nearly immediately after the ladies semi's started. I won my semi final and am through to the final tonight along with Huang Yu Ting (Chinese Taipei and winner of the 300m Time Trial), Marta Ramirez (Colombia), Chiao Jen Hsu (Chinese Taipei and second in the 300m Time Trial), Jin Seon LimChiao (Korea and third in the 300m time trial) and Brigyte Mendez (Colombia).

Tonight the 1000 m final starts at 6pm and then I also have the 15 km elimination race at 7.20pm.

World Games TV Broadcast

This is the information I have received from the organization:

Public Television Service (PTS) is the host broadcaster of the Taiwan World Games 2009. PTS will form an alliance with other news and sport channels to maximize domestic coverage, and seek worldwide exposure via international channels. Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be live broad casted via one main domestic channel and two cable channels with at least 80% coverage.

Chunghwa Telecom will webcast live and/or highlight programs via its platforms of MOD (Movie on Demand), IPTV (Internet TV), HiChannel (Website) and 3G mobile phones.

Live broad casting sport events include - Dance Sport, Gymnastics and Roller Sport (Speed), and selective live programs from Korfball and Rugby Sevens.

I have since found online one of the sites mentioned that should have some sort of coverage once racing gets underway.
HiChannel - http://hichannel.hinet.net/2009wg/live.html
I was able to translate some of the web page and tomorrow there will be coverage of the 300 m time trials. It looks like it will be delayed coverage from 21.30 - 22.30.

World Games Coming to NZ TV

I found this press release from Triangle Television:

In keeping with its reputation for delivering New Zealanders significant international events they would not see on other New Zealand channels, Triangle and Stratos Television have secured the rights to screen the World Games starting July 17.

New Zealanders will be among nearly 5,000 athletes from around the world who will take part in 26 official sports and five invitational sports that are not included in the Olympic Games.

Triangle will screen the opening ceremony on Friday July 17 at 7:30pm. Stratos will screen a repeat of the ceremony on Saturday July 18 at 3pm.

Half hour daily highlights of the main events will screen on Triangle in the weekends at 6:30pm and weekdays at 7:30pm, except on Mondays when it will be at 9:30pm. On Stratos Television the highlights will screen daily at 8pm.

Triangle Auckland is on UHF Channels 41, 42 and 52 and in Christchurch via TelstraClear cable (Channel 50). Triangle’s sister channel, Stratos Television, broadcasts nationwide via Sky Digital (Channel 89), Freeview (Channel 21) and TelstraClear cable.

World Games Program

17th July
09:00 Ladies 300 m Time Trial Qualification
10:00 Mens 300 m Time Trial Qualification

18:00 Ladies 300 m Time Trial Final
18:30 Mens 300 m Time Trial Final
19:00 Award Ceremony 300 m Time Trials

20:00 Ladies 10,000 m Points/Elimination Final
20:30 Mens 10,000 m Points/Elimination Final
21:00 Award Ceremony 10,000 m Points/Elimination

18th July
09:00 Ladies 1,000 m Heats
09:30 Mens 1,000 m Heats
10:00 Ladies 1,000 m Semi Finals
10:20 Mens 1,000 m Semi Finals

18:00 Ladies 1,000 m Final
18:20 Mens 1,000 m Final
18:40 Award Ceremony 1,000 m

19:20 Ladies 15,000 m Elimination Final
20:00 Mens 15,000 m Elimination Final
20:40 Award Ceremony 15,000 m Elimination

19th July
09:00 Ladies 500 m Heats
09:30 Mens 500 m Heats
10:00 Ladies 500 m Quarter Final
10:20 Mens 500 m Quarter Final

19:00 Ladies 500 m Semi Final
19:15 Mens 500 m Semi Final
19:30 Ladies 500 m Final
19:45 Mens 500 m Final
20:00 Award Ceremony 500 m

World Games

The World Games are an international multi sport event held every four years for sports that are non Olympic. The first games were held in 1981 in Santa Clara, California and now 28 years on the 2009 World Games host city is Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Although I'm not sure of the exact number this year, typically between 25 to 35 different sports take part in the World Games. Inline speed skating is one of these sports and racing starts in a few days on the 17th and runs till the 19th.

The World Games are run by the International World Games Association under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee. In the past some of the sports that were in the World Games eventually made it as Olympic sports. So it's important for skating to showcase our sport to it's full potential for any hope of that Olympic dream.

The track in Kaohsiung is a 200 meter coated/painted flat banking track. The track is an odd shape with not the best surface and probably not the best track to showcase our sport on, but we have to make the best out of what we have. Hopefully the rain holds off and the IOC are able to see some exciting, fast and clean competition.

Skaters had to qualify for this years World Games at last years World Championships. The top 30 male and top 30 female skaters from the track overall get a place on the starting list. However once the skater has qualified the federation from that country can then switch that skaters place with a fellow country man/women. So this means each country is not limited to two skaters per event like the World Championships. This year in the womens competition Colombia can start 5 women per event, Korea 4, Chinese Taipei 3, Germany 3, Italy 3 etc. While other countries like Australia, Spain, Switzerland and France are in my situation and are alone.

A positive for skating is that nearly every sign I have seen around the city promoting the World Games has a skater on it. There are posters, flags, billboards and flyer's everywhere around Kaohsiung and I have seen quiet a few ads on the television. Here are a few pictures I took while I was out getting lunch, I would have only covered about 1km.

Bus Stop


These flags are everywhere


Another big poster


Big Billboard

Zug WIC Results

The Zug World Inline Cup was held on Saturday. Alexandra Vivas and Tamara Llorens were present from the Bont Wheels Team. Kelly Matinez is still in Colombia but will be back for the next race in Biel and I am in Taiwan for the World Games which start on the 17th.


Due to road works the course this year took another route. Some would call the diverted course dangerous, while others technical. I wasn't there but from watching the video of the new course it looked very tricky and there looked to be quiet a few dangerous sections if not taken with caution.

Both the ladies and mens race finished in a bunch sprint and from photos it looks like it was a dry race. Both of the Bont girls finished in the top 5 with Alexandra finishing 3rd and Tamara 4th.

Womens Top 10
1. Cecilia Baena
2. Jana Gegner
3. Alexandra Vivas (Bont Wheels)
4. Tamara Llorens (Bont Wheels)
5. Cindy Etonno
6. Andrea Hartichelar
7. Giovanna Turciarelli
8. Tina Struver
9. Laura Ghezzi
9. Katja Ulbrich

The Zug race is also the Swiss National Marathon Championships. The first Swiss skater in the womens race this year was Livia Meier from the World Inline Center Bont Team who is now the new Swiss National Marathon Champion.

Alexandra 2nd in Einsiedeln SIC

On Saturday Alexandra Vivas finished 2nd in the Einsiedeln Swiss Inline Cup race. Even though the clouds where looking very dark the rain held off until after the race. The race was only short, around 18km so there is not a lot of time to break up the field. So the ladies race ended with a pack sprint. Tamara Llorens lead out up the final small rise before the finish and Alexandra hit the lead with about 300 meters to go. There was a head wind up the final straight and it's a long drag to the finish line. Cecilia ended up passing Alexandra up the final straight, but Alexandra held on for 2nd place beating Tina who finished 3rd.

Top 10 Results
1. Cecilia Baena
2. Alexandra Vivas (Bont Wheels)
3.Tina Struver
4. Martina Taruscia
5. Andrea Hartichelar
6. Cinzia Ponzetti
7. Nadine Gloor
8. Tamara Llorens (Bont Wheels)
9. Flurina Heim
10. Karin Widmer

Evian Roller Babies