De Mexicaanse schaatser Erik Kraan fan-topic.

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Op zaterdag 19 november 2005 19:12 schreef Leatherface het volgende:
Erik kraan

De tornado van Mexico

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Op zaterdag 19 november 2005 19:15 schreef mitt het volgende:
Gaat deze held ook naar de Spelen?

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Op zaterdag 19 november 2005 19:16 schreef I.R.Baboon het volgende:

[..]

Die limieten zijn vrij streng, dus ik denk het niet. Die andere mexicaan heel misschien wel, die is iets talentvoller.

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If we get 3 spots, then Dutch TV better start alloting more time for
coverage for next year's WC

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Op zondag 20 november 2005 19:02 schreef tong80 het volgende:
Hert is ook een zelfde grootheid.

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Op zondag 20 november 2005 19:02 schreef sungaMsunitraM het volgende:

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Op zondag 20 november 2005 19:10 schreef sungaMsunitraM het volgende:
Wat heeft 'ie staan?

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500 meters (men)
February 22, 2003 41.82 Salt Lake City NR
1000 meters (men)
March 23, 2003 1:23.07 Calgary NR
1500 meters (men)
March 21, 2003 2:08.93 Calgary NR
3000 meters (men)
March 20, 2003 4:42.91 Calgary NR
5000 meters (men)
March 21, 2003 8:28.57 Calgary NR

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Op zondag 20 november 2005 19:09 schreef I.R.Baboon het volgende:

[..]

Zou jij hem eruit rijden?

* sungaMsunitraM Mexicaans paspoort aanvraagt

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Op maandag 21 november 2005 01:04 schreef I.R.Baboon het volgende:
ALS IK HET GOED HEB HEEFT ERIC ZOJUIST EEN MEXICAANS RECORD GEREDEN OP DE 1000M. 1.22,03 (was 1.22,18).

WAAROM IS DAT NIET LIVE OP TV?

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Hi Guys,
First of all I want to say that this was indeed the WC in which I had
the most fun. not only my skating, but Having Arnim there, knowing
that Other countries are beginning their trek into the speedskating
world, and a family destiny continues with the Gomez Family. I really
should've taken a picture with beatriu and her dad Antonio.
Anyway, I did not qualify to any olympics after all this training, but
I did not loose a thing. Maybe I got some sore muscles and a back
that gives me problems, but I am living a dream of mine. I hope that
the spark that my skating has commenced will continue not only on
mexico, but for Argentina, colombia, India, and any other country. I
have thought hard and really pondered if world cups are really places
for these countries to wet their feet in the sport. I think so.
there are not many meets outside Europe, that would cater to the
development to the sport. specially for the promotional material that
you can get and use back in your country to show that you are
accomplishing limited but important goals. Here in North America
there are maybe two, and I think that if Canada and the USA want
Mexico to partake in their regional meets, they should really sit down
with us and talk about getting money for the event from the ISU and
that way we can pay for Mexican skaters to fly in. Why only help
mexicans? Well, if they want the ISU money, then they need 3
countries, and Mexico is barely hanging form a thread WE NEED HELP!!!
Arnim has a full time job he works 6am to 2pm, skates from 3 to 5 and
as he says, to have world class results you need to have world class
schedule. If I want to bring younger skaters from Mexico, then I need
to support them here in the USA, and since they cannot work (visas)
then Mexico needs financial support or break the immegration laws.


Anyway, YES! I enjoyed my NR more than ever on sunday. I have not
really practized in a month with a bad back (sprained spine) and I had
even thought of cancelling my season... I did sign up for the SLC WC
because I wanted to be there to take some of the pressure from Arnim,
promote my web store www.theskatenowshop.com and make more contacts.
Anyway, I thought that I had a greater chance of re-injuring my back
than doing any PB... specially in a sprint event. When I crossed the
line and saw the time I almost wanted to cry... noone has yet
answered when was my last 1000m prior to the WC... hint it has been a
while! I even forgot to do my traditional "he keeps skating around
the corner thinking it is a 1500m" which I had planned to do for giggles.

Anyway, I will not travel to any more competitions this year. I might
do a few TT at the UOO. GOOD LUCK Arnim. he travels to Milwuakee and
I hope he takes the 1000m from me. He has to get better straights (no
outside edges). both of us need to get lower too.

I plan skating NEXT year. So do not think I am done. I hope to make
sure that we can make more countries appear in Speedskating. I think
it is good for the sport, after all, in one of my first post ever in
this list I wrote that I wished one day to see a Kenyan give it a go
at the 10k.... I hope I live to see that day.

My next point is the Olympic limits on skaters 100-something. WHY?!!!
I can see the economics, but building a skating oval for millions of
dollars and using it for a couple of hours every other day for 2 weeks
and then maybe dissapear (like it will in Vancuver) is ridiculous.
Summer olympics have lots of swimmers, runners, and such that do not
reach the final heats and yet they are making a local impact back in
their countries in their respective sports. For better or worst, to
be called an olympic athlete/sport is an important recognition that
brings in the crowds. For the reason of making the sport larger, the
IOC needs to allow more variety of skaters to participate. put some
time limits, but do not make it practically impossible for a new
nation with limited resources (USA budget MILLIONS - Mexico 0) and
expect their athletes to compare to each other. We need to start
somewhere and that is what the Olympics are... championships.. that
is another story.. I agree, for that only the best is to take a shot
at it... Olympics, is supposed to be a festival of nations through sport.

For the reason above, I felt that the last WC in SLC was the closest
example ever in the vision I descibed above. A true festival. Some
complained about the duration of the event. I say, that is what the
olympics should be all about. you have 2 WEEKS to do it LARGE! not
to do a 3 day event in 2 weeks. And if some country does not want to
show the first few pairs of an olympic event, they can take a clue
from the US coverage and edit it and shorten the coverage to only show
the last pairs. Is it not that what is done in track and field or
swimming.... Yet, Mexico shows the swimming or track and field heats
where a mexican competes. even if there is no possibility of a medal.

Anyway, I want to thank you all for your supportive words. It really
means a lot to me to see and be noticed by you, the real fans of
skating. back in 1998 I did not even know about world cups or
anything about speedskating and then I found you. I am not a super
athlete that switched to ice or something. I was a regular joe, a
fan, just like you reading this email. and then I decided to put on
some skates, train like a mad man, and chase a dream... sure the
olympics were in my mind... not a gold medal, not a WR, not even a top
ten... my goal has always been to put more people in contact with the
sport. you might not be skating WC's but if more people in countries
are finding news on speedskating because the hear or read that a
looney mexican is skating in the world scene then my goal is acheved
(of course I could scream louder at the olympic scene than the WC).

With my wife Kim we are teaching people to skate (ice & inline),
selling them the best darn equipment they can get for their money, and
not making us rich, but just making enough money to be able to stay in
the sport and help to make it grow. It still is the saddest thing to
have seen an almost empty stadium last weekend... But the greatest
feeling was the dozens of people that came after the meet and told me
(these are fans that I have never met before) "I had lots of fun
watching you skate". After all not only are we athletes, we are also
entretainers.

To Taiwan... Keep skating.

To Arnim, VIVA MEXICO... and keep skating even though your legs are
shaking out of control at the start line.

and to the rest of the world... WHAT ARE YOU WAINTING FOR!!

Come out and Skate!!

From SLC, where I guess someone should tell the dutch and norwegian
media that out of the 2 mexican skaters the one they think is 100%
mexican can speak more Dutch than the one they think is an import.
The color of the skin is not that important in the 21st century, look
at the Dutch football team... they look more south american than I
do!!!!!

Eric Kraan.
Still NR holder of the 1k... hehe!!

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MEN 10000m

Rank No. Name Nation Pair Lane Time
1 725 KRAAN Eric MEX 1 I 16:56.77

45.50 - 41.31 - 40.31 - 40.11 - 39.64 - 39.61 - 39.86 - 40.03
39.92 - 40.10 - 39.82 - 40.02 - 40.22 - 40.44 - 40.41 - 40.35
40.42 - 40.64 - 41.03 - 41.00 - 40.80 - 40.92 - 41.47 - 41.59
41.25