Inline Speed Skaters Switch to Ice for Olympics

Efforts by the roller sports world governing body, the Federation Internationale de Roller Sports (FIRS), to earn Olympic status for inline speed skating or any of its disciplines were limited at the end of the 20th century. FIRS didn’t push the promotional envelope when quad hockey was a demonstration sport in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. FIRS’ attempts to get Olympic status became most active around 2000, when inline speed skating was promoted as the most suitable roller sport for the Olympics. Competition from at least 20 other sports also seeking entry into the Olympics – at a time when they were trying to reduce the number of participating sports – kept chances of entry very slim. Since inline racing did not get Olympic status, many inline speed skaters have successfully switched to ice speed skating to get a shot at Olympic participation.

• In 1993, KC Boutiette was the first inline speed skater to switch to ice and skate in the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer.
  
  
• In 2002, three Team USA inline speed skaters (Derek Parra, Jennifer Rodriguez and Joey Cheek) won five medals in long track speed skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
  
  
• Chad Hedrick, another American inline speed champion, switched to ice in 2002 and won the World All Around Speed Skating Championships in 2004.
  
  
• Joey Cheek won two medals (a gold and silver) in Torino at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games.
  
  
• Chad Hedrick won three medals (a gold, silver and bronze) in Torino.
  
  
• Apolo Anton Ohno, who won three medals in Torino (a gold and two bronzes), also began skating on inline skates.

Team USA inline skaters won eight ice skating medals in all, including three golds in Torino.

Now, many other inline racers cross train on ice to open up Olympic opportunities that may not develop for them in inline speed skating. USA Roller Sports has even offered a Transition Camp – Inline to Ice to help inline skaters learn skating techniques specific to competitive long and short track ice speed skating, to explain the similarities and differences between elite level inline racing and ice speed skating and to provide off ice exercise programs including dry land, slide board and weight training.