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Last year’s champions Carlos Betancur and Julie Glass will be at the start
Chad Hedrick will also be participating on September 25th / Top skaters will battle for the title of champion of the World Inline Cup at the real,- BERLIN MARATHON
2004-09-13
For the first time, the finals of the World Inline Cup (WIC) will take place within the framework of the real,- BERLIN MARATHON for inline skaters. The skaters’ race, which will start at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 25 on the boulevard Straße des 17. Juni, will be staging top athletes once again. The most important competition of the year, the 8th race of the WIC series, is being awaited with great expectation. The real,- BERLIN MARATHON, with about 8,000 inline skaters, is by far the largest skating marathon in the world. In Berlin this year for the second time there will be a separate event for the skaters on Saturday, while the runners will compete on Sunday. For the top skaters, a season will come to an end in Berlin that has taken them all around the world. While the emphasis rested in Europe, the season began in South Korea, and a week before Berlin the 7th World Inline Cup will take place in Duluth, MN (USA). Both of last year’s champions will be at the start Of special note is the commitment of both of last year’s champions, who both said that they definitely wanted to defend their titles and who have been training especially for the specific conditions of the Berlin course. For both Julie Glass from the USA and Juan Carlos Betancur from Columbia, their wins in Berlin are among the highlights of their careers. Betancur is the only male skater to already have 2 real,- BERLIN MARATHON victories under his belt (2002 und 2003). In addition, Chad Hedrick will also be participating in Berlin. The US American won the real,- BERLIN MARATHON in 2000, and with over 50 world championship titles he is the most famous skater in the world. He also made the unique accomplishment last year of beating the entire world elite in ice speed skating and was world all around speed skating champion, as well. Massimiliano Presti and Theresa Cliff lead the World Inline Cup The defending champions in the World Inline Cup are Pascal Briand of France (1997 champion in Berlin) of Team Saab Salomon World and Jessica Smith of Team Kia Verducci International. Of the 6 races so far, Massimiliano Presti (Italy) of Team Fila International alone won three. That makes him the clear leader in the men’s World Cup rankings. The situation for the women is considerably more suspenseful. The American Theresa Cliff of Team Kia Verducci International is leading just ahead of her teammate Nathalie Barbotin (France) and Laura Lardani (Italy) of Team Rollerblade World. There have been five different winners so far for the six races. WIC not only will be presenting such top athletes, but they will also be setting up an entertaining “Inline Village“ in the finish area and will be celebrating the end of the season together with the “After Skate Party” for all of the participants of the real,- BERLIN MARATHON. It is sure to be an emotional, eventful, and exciting skating weekend. Further information is available at tel. 030 – 3012 8810 Or online at: www.berlin-marathon.com
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