Nations that dominate inline speedskating
You can hardly talk about inline speedskating without mentioning the Colombian national team. Pascal Briand, ex-world champion, explains this domination...
Par alfathor
The reason for the Colombian domination by Pascal Briand
Who is the leading nation in inline speedskating? The answer is very simple: Colombia. In all age categories, whether in men or women, in the sprints or in the long distances, Colombia wins one gold medal after another.
An overwhelming presence in all age groups
As I have already pointed out above, Colombia finishes the races mostly at the top of the pack. The offspring are available in all categories.
In many sports the focus is only on the men’s sport, but it seems to me that Colombia is implementing a very balanced sponsorship in the inline speedskating, which is also noticeable in the results. Colombia scores mainly in the women’s races, so I think this strategy is very worth mentioning.
The local structure
On the local level, an active policy seems to be operating. Although I am not a specialist, it seems that the Colombians focus on the regions. This probably creates a local dynamism through regional pride, which creates a very deep team spirit. Therefore they develop the team spirit already in the very beginning of the careers of the skaters, which you can see in the end in the national team.
The impressive number of inline speedskaters
Colombia has an impressive number of skaters. Due to this huge number, the skaters have to show great potential for competition, which is not comparable in France. Certainly there are also many skaters who give up the sport in Colombia, because they see no chance for themselves, but with a bigger number of skaters it is more likely to find a talent.
The awareness
The Colombians have a strong fighting spirit. Their attention is fully dedicated to the sport, which slowly disappears in Europe. In France, this sport is becoming increasingly important for health and fun sports, but not for competitive sport. In Colombia, sport is still based on traditional values such as the recognition of successes, the desire to win and the progress. Therefore, they do not hesitate to train harder than us.
The possibilities
They develop very good training possibilities: the number of tracks gives them a great advantage for the development. I do not even dare to mention how many tracks they have in comparison to us. In France, I see a lot of clubs fighting for better conditions. But for now, we will not be able to enjoy the same conditions as in Colombia.
Another remarkable country: South Korea
South Korea also has excellent athletes. For the South Koreans, the national championships are the most important. They are held in the middle of October each year. Therefore the performance of the South Korean skaters fluctuates at the World Championships. The athletes finance their lives with good results at the national championships. The best skater wins $ 150,000 for a gold medal. The world championships are considered a bonus; in some years only the « B-selection » is sent there. Here too, the women collect the most important medals at the track competitions.
The number of skaters in South Korea is not much bigger than in France, but the South Korean athletes are also more oriented towards progress and performance.
In France, the emphasis is on tactics and technique, which can be seen in the races. The senior men, who also seem to be our focus, are currently achieving our best results. So we actually have the necessary know-how for successful skaters.
Useful links
Our section of the world championships in inline speed skating
