It was everything Eben Jackson thought it would be, and much more.
Competing for the first time on the international outdoor road, the Auburn inline speed skater came away with a bronze medal at the recent Federation Internationale de Roller Sports World Championships in Haining City, China.
Jackson, who represented USA Roller Sports (USARS), accompanied five other junior men’s division teammates in China. He came away encouraged by his efforts, holding off the field for a podium finish in the 500-meter road sprint.
Jackson followed Italians Michael Locci and Mauro Corselli to the finish line. Locci’s winning time was 40.895 seconds; Jackson stopped the clock in 41.241.
“I felt pretty good for my first time out there,” said Jackson, a home-schooled 16-year-old and a natural sprinter who routinely covers 500 meters in less than 45 seconds. “(The competition) is what I had expected. I knew it was going to be rigorous and hard going into the race. I just told myself to skate the way I know how to skate.”
In addition, Jackson finished 63rd out of a field of 87 in the 26.2-mile marathon race on a flat, 400-meter oval.
A former gymnast, Jackson is relatively new to the sport that he says brings out the best in his strength and stamina.
“It’s exciting,” said Jackson, quick, lean and strong at 5-foot-6 and 145 pounds. “It’s great. It’s the thrill of going fast and the chance to meet a lot of interesting people around the world and the country.”
Jackson has proven to be a quick study, competing regionally and nationally for Puyallup-based Tiffany’s Speed Team.
Jackson is a frequent flier, on the track and in the skies. He joined the country’s best skaters for world-race preparations at the U.S. Olympic Training Center Velodrome in Colorado Springs, Colo.
He plans to return to Colorado in April to train for more races. Until then, he will compete locally.
His experience in China will serve him well in future competition.
“I will know what to expect next time,” he said. “I can go back there with a mindset, knowing what I can do and knowing what I can expect from others.”
