Joey Mantia

www.facebook.com/joeymantia
twitter.com/jrmantia

Reason for choosing this sport	Previously a roller speed skater, he took up speed skating because he wanted a new challenge. "I began to feel stagnant. It was such a feeling of redundancy that I was spiralling into a mental state of fatigue and I knew it was time for a change. It was a thrill I had never experienced before, and as a result I possessed an undying motivation to be on skates every minute of the day."
Name of coach	Ryan Shimabukuro [national], USA
When and where did you begin this sport?	He began roller speed skating in 1996, and switched to speed skating in 2011 in Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America.
Training Regime	He trains for at least five hours a day, five days a week. The other two days are a rest day and a light training day, which usually consists of a long bike ride.

Nicknames	Supermantia (nbcolympics.com, 03 Oct 2017)
Other information	CHASING AN OLYMPIC MEDAL He was initially disappointed to miss out on a medal at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, where he finished fourth in the 1000m event. However, after some reflection he felt it was an improvement on his performance at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, and plans to continue through to the 2022 Games. "I went home from Sochi [in 2014] with my head hanging low and tail between my legs. I'm very proud of the fourth place [in Pyeongchang in 2018] - one more spot up and I would have had a medal. It's the 'shoulda, coulda, woulda' kind of thing where you analyse what happened, what you can do moving forward. I'll go another four years and chase the gold [in 2022] because I'm still hungry for it." (teamusa.org, 24 Feb 2018) INLINE TO ICE SKATING He switched from inline to ice skating in 2011, and admitted that he struggled initially with the change in technique. "My biggest problem was that I was stubborn when I came over [to speed skating]. I thought that I knew more than the coaches did, and that did not help me a lot. [Technically] I had to detrain myself not to double-push. Still, if you watch closely, you can see that bob up and down a little bit. There's a sweet spot in inline skating that I always felt was really efficient for me, that felt like home. Ice skating for me is not natural at all." (isu.org, 08 Feb 2018) BUSINESS OWNER He owns a coffee shop, which located inside the College of Pharmacy at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America. "I opened it with a friend of mine who is an incredible barista from Portland, not because I have a love for coffee, but because I have a strong ambition to be my own boss and jumped on an opportunity when it presented itself. I recognised my business partner's passion for making coffee by the way he talked about it, his love for it reminded me of how I am with speed skating. We are just a small shop, so for me it isn't a viable means of income yet, but more a great project to learn the business and have something to focus on after the [2018] Olympics." (Athlete, 16 Nov 2018; nbcolympics.com, 03 Oct 2017)
Memorable sporting achievement	Winning gold in the mass start at the 2017 World Single Distances Championships in Gangneung, Republic of Korea. (Athlete, 16 Nov 2018)
Hobbies	Riding motorcycles, playing computer games, playing the piano, photography, trail running, watching stand-up comedy shows. (usatoday.com, 23 Feb 2018; nbcolympics.com, 03 Oct 2017)
Hero / Idol	US speed skaters Eric Heiden and Brittany Bowe, US distance runner Steve Prefontaine. (nbcolympics.com, 03 Oct 2017)
Other sports	He has represented the United States of America in roller speed skating, winning a total of 25 gold medals at the world championships between 2004 and 2010. (SportsDeskOnline, 11 Sep 2017)
Most influential person in career	Roller speed skating coach Renee Hildebrand. (Athlete, 16 Nov 2018)
Ambitions	To win a gold medal at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. (teamusa.org, 24 Feb 2018)
Awards and honours	He was named Team USA Athlete of the Month in November 2015. (Facebook page, 07 Dec 2015) He was given the Elmer Ringeisen Sportsmanship Award in 2007 for his embodiment of sportsmanship, respect for fellow skaters and good behaviour on and off the track. (teamusa.org, 18 Feb 2008)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"If you ain't first, you're last." (Athlete, 10 Nov 2017)