Casey Fitz Sort-of Newsletter May 15, 2001

   It’s about time I did an update!  The season ended the second weekend in March and I’m finally sitting down at the computer to let you all know how it ended.  Nobody ever said I was fast away from the ice! 

 Last time I wrote for the website was after my trip to Europe.  I had finished the trip on a high note with a medal in Heerenveen after a lousy World Sprint Championships in Inzell, Germany.  I was hoping to build my momentum as I prepared for the last World Cup of the year in Calgary and the World Single Distance Championships in Salt Lake City.  Here’s what happened…..

 Calgary was the best competition I’ve had in four years!  I got silver in the first 1000m. breaking my old American Record (1.09:74) by over a second (1.08:62).  Then I won another silver in the first 500m setting another U.S. record and becoming the first American sprinter to skate under 35 seconds (34.82).  My second 1000m. was off the mark, finishing (gosh, I can’t remember) somewhere in the second half of the top ten.  In my final World Cup race I placed fourth in the 500m missing my third medal of the weekend by .02 hundredths of a second but still under 35 seconds. 

 Salt Lake City played host to the World Single Distance Championships (the equivalent of the Olympics in non-Olympic years) the following weekend.  I got my first World Championships medal since before Clap Skates were introduced four years ago!  I earned the bronze medal in the 500m, bettering my American Record ( 34.72) from one week earlier.  The 1000m. was full of distractions and I did not have as good of a race as I was capable of, finishing in the lower half of the top ten. 

 Winning a medal at the 2002 Olympic Venue was a huge boost mentally.  Some rinks definitely “play” to certain skaters.  As I look back, I’ve almost always skated well in Nagano, Japan and in Milwaukee, USA for instance.  Others haven’t been so kind (I conveniently seem to have forgotten which ones fall in this category J).  At any rate, I’m already looking forward to racing in the Salt Lake City Oval next season as you cheer me on, right??!!

 Thanks for your support. 

 Casey Fitz

   PS:  After taking the month of April off for a little R & R with my family in Verona, its back to Calgary in early May this year. Training starts with a one-week cycling trip and builds from there.  Gotta fine tune a few things!