Witty: a Sydney Summerand a Winter in Salt Lake

The last time U.S. speedskater Chris Witty competed at the Olympics, she was riding a bike.

No, organizers didn’t dream up some goofy hybrid Olympic event. Witty turned in her skates for one summer and pedaled out to the velodrome, racing in track cycling at the 2000 Sydney Games.

Two years after she skated to a silver medal in the 1,000 meters and a bronze in the 1,500 at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, Witty rode to a fifth-place finish in Sydney and set an American record in the 500-meter time trial.

“I was pretty happy just to be there, but to place fifth with a personal record--that’s what you want to do,” Witty said. “You give your best. To actually get your best, even without a medal, was special.”

That’s her philosophy entering the Feb. 8-24 Salt Lake City Games. She and other speedskaters can secure spots on the team when the U.S. Olympic long-track trials begin Tuesday at the Utah Olympic Oval.

Witty, 26, missed out on becoming the first American woman to win a medal in the Summer and Winter Olympics.

During her cycling quest, however, she made it clear that speedskating was her priority. She’s off to a slow start this season on the ice, with her best World Cup result a fourth place in the 1,000 earlier this month.

It’s no cause for concern, though. Witty has pegged her training for a peak performance at the games.

“We’ve had our first World Cups. I didn’t win any medals, but I’ve improved in each race,” she said. “That’s how I want to do between now and February. Every time I step out there, I want it to go better and better.”

Speedskating Coach Tom Cushman thinks Witty can have one of the top U.S. showings in Salt Lake. He credits her Olympic experiences in Nagano and Sydney for helping her see the bigger picture.

“Chris has really matured,” Cushman said. “She knows what her goals are, what her focus is, and she doesn’t let other factors sway her.”

Witty knows she’ll need a strong effort to reach the Olympic podium.

The German sprinters and middle-distance racers are very strong, Catriona LeMay Doan of Canada recently lowered her world record in the 500, and Jennifer Rodriguez of the United States is surging.

“Right now, women’s sprinting is the tightest it’s ever been,” Witty said. “If I blink, I’m out of the medals. If my hair is sticking out of my hood, that’s going to cost me time.”

Witty committed to a frenzied workout schedule last summer, doing all she could to prepare for the season.

“Usually, the conversations I have with skaters go, ‘You need to do more work before leaving practice,’ ” Cushman said. “It was the opposite with Chris. I had to tell her, ‘No, you don’t need to do another 25-lapper.’ ”

Last summer also put Witty back in her usual off-season rhythm, rather than the hectic pace she endured the year before. After riding in Sydney, she was back on the speedskating circuit by December.

“Last year was tough,” she said. “I had to play catch-up. Some of the things I was supposed to be doing in September, when I was at the Olympics, I had to do in December instead.”

By last spring, Witty was back in top skating form. Looking ahead to February, she’s confident the cycling competition will pay off because it means she’s raced one more time in the Olympics than many skating rivals.

“Sydney was just one more chance to be in the spotlight, under pressure, and having to perform,” Witty said. “You get that at the world championships and the World Cups, but it’s not as special as the Olympics.”

The sports are complementary because speedskaters and cyclists both need strong quadriceps. Speedskaters often log long hours riding road bikes during summer training.

Although Witty is focused on Salt Lake for now, she won’t rule out another try for a possible cycling medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

“A gold medal is always an athlete’s goal,” she said. “I don’t know if I’ll get it this time or if I’ll be sticking it out again. I did the Sydney thing, but I still would like to win a cycling medal. I think it can be done.”