ATHENS TO ATLANTA - GREAT CONTEST!! CONTROVERSIAL FINISH!!

Porto Sant'Elpidio, Italy, October 15, 2002: For more than 20 years, the organizers of the legendary "Athens to Atlanta Road Skate" have put on a great event that inspires and challenges amateurs and professional skaters alike. The event this year was no exception. The course is a long, 87-mile, hilly and difficult adventure. Many of the hills throughout the course are painfully steep and slow climbs, and others have equally steep and frighteningly fast descents. Although this is not a race and the organizers have never presented it as such, it becomes a race for the participants. The pros are anxious to beat other pros. Many of the amateurs want to beat others in their gender and age grouping. Many are racing against a previous time in search of a new personal best. For many, just finishing is a personal best. The event held this year on October 6, 2002, had nearly 200 finishers. At the end of the day, probably everyone was happy that it was over. Some were happy with their finishes and some were disappointed. But two skaters felt that they were fouled at the finish.

Mauro Guenci of Team Verducci Italy crossed the line first followed by an unhappy Eddy Matzger, the perennial winner. Matzger claimed that he should be awarded first place because Guenci grabbed his shirt from behind and pushed on his hip in the last corner before the finish. Matzger claimed that this was a "Non-Incidental Offensive Contact" foul and subsequently protested the results. Guenci did not deny that he had contact, but claimed that Matzger abruptly crossed into his lane and stopped skating, thus blocking him, then jamming his progress, causing him to raise his hand to absorb the force of the collision. Guenci, who does not speak English, had a difficult time presenting his argument on the spot. When he returned to Italy the following day, he prepared his argument claiming that were it not for Matzger's sudden change of lane, there would have been no contact. Meanwhile, the A2A organizers decided to have an unprecedented hearing on Matzger's protest.

Without the benefit of Guenci's argument, the organizers made their review citing USARS and FIRS standards. USARS and FIRS are the USA National and International Governing Bodies, respectively, as designated by the IOC for inline speed skating competition. Their finding was favorable to Matzger. Although they cited the NGB standards, they were not applied. Had they been, there may have been a different finding. In any event, it was not a race, and in fact, it is not sanctioned by the NGB, so the organizers are entitled to operate it as they deem appropriate. It is clear that both skaters feel strongly that they competed honestly and fairly within each of his understanding of the perceived applicable rules. The fact is that they both skated terrifically well and were nearly 10 minutes ahead of the next finishers. Matzger continues to amaze everyone with his unstoppable energy and endurance whether it is a race or not a race! Congratulations to both Eddy Matzger and Mauro Guenci for their great performances and competitive spirits.