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www.mybaycity.com November 20, 2002
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Dow Speedskating Championships Called 'Biggest Event' Ever in Bay County

Short Track Races to Determine Who Represents U.S. in World Meet

November 20, 2002       Leave a Comment
By: Dave Rogers

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Meet Director Alan Izykowski to host Olympic athletes . . . It's BIG !! (Photo by: Andy Rogers)
 

"This will be the single most significant athletic event ever to take place in Bay County."

That's the bold statement of Alan Izykowski, director of the Dow U.S. Championships 2003 World Team Trials short track speedskating set Feb. 28-Mar. 2 atthe Bay County Civic Arena.



The trials will pit the 16 best men and 16 best women to determine the top four in each group who will represent the nation on the United States World Team. Among the athletes coming here will be Apolo Ohno, the young skater with the distinctive chin hair who has become a pop icon through intense media attention.

"Fifty Olympic athletes, either past, present or future, will be in Bay City for the championships," says Izykowski. "It will be a very exciting event, like nothing you've ever seen."

The short track differs from longer races like the 5,000 meters in that the action is fast and furious with racers competing directly instead of just against the clock. "The 500 meters is the most exciting since it is an all-out sprint. There is bumping, jostling, jockeying for position, spills, crashes and all kinds of excitement," says the meet director.

Izykowski's son, Alex, 17, who will be competing here, is now training at Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he is the roommate of the famed Apolo Ohno. Alex broke two of Ohno's records recently in a meet at Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He has qualified for the World University Games in Italy next January.

About $20,000 in sponsorships have already been committed, but Izykowski is hoping for another major sponsor to provide ion exchange resins from the Dow Chemical Co. to purify the water and produce super hard ice like that at the Salt Lake City Olympics.

Seating is limited forthe event to about 400 persons, so Izykowski urges interested spectators to get their tickets early. Orders already have come in from 12 states for the 400 available tickets. There will be no ticket sales at the door.

The meet schedule is as follows:Feb. 28: 9 a.m. start, 9 lap time trials, 4 lap time trials; Mar. 1: 9 a.m. start, 1,500 meter heats and finals; 500 meter heats, semi-finals and finals; Mar. 2: 8 am. start, 1,000 meter heats, semi-finals and finals; 3,000 meter finals; relays.Contact: Alan Izykowski, 686-4905, email, or visit the website of the Bay County Speedskating Club.

Our community can be proud to be the host of this prestigious event. The community should quickly line up to support and to fund this major athletic competition.

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Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read,
respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City.
(Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

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