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Joey Mantia

United States

SportSpeed Skating
FederationIDSSUSA10702198601
NOCUnited States
Born07 Feb 1986 in  Ocala, FL
GenderMen
ResidenceSalt Lake City, UT, USA
OccupationAthlete
LanguagesEnglish
FamilyPartner Hanne Desmet
Personal Bests
EventRecordDateLocation 
Personal Bests
  Event RecordDateLocation 
    500m 35.06 28 Dec 2013 Salt Lake City, UT  
    1000m 1:07.34 09 Mar 2019 Salt Lake City, UT  
    1500m 1:41.15 04 Dec 2021 Salt Lake City, UT  
    5000m 6:28.50 14 Mar 2012 Calgary  
    10000m 13:54.13 13 Jan 2013 Salt Lake City, UT  
Main Achievements
 
Main Achievements
Olympic Games
Event  
Olympic Games
    Team Pursuit 8 Laps     1  
World Single Distances Championships
Event  
World Single Distances Championships
    1500m     1  
    Mass Start 3      
General Interest
General Interest
Most influential person in careerRoller speed skating coach Renee Hildebrand, and speed skating coach Ryan Shimabukuro. (Athlete, 16 Nov 2018; teamusa.org, 19 Dec 2019)  
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
Name of coachRyan 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.  
General Interest
General Interest
Other sportsHe has represented the United States of America in roller speed skating, winning a total of 26 gold medals at the world championships between 2004 and 2010. (SportsDeskOnline, 11 Sep 2017)  
Sport Specific Information
Sport Specific Information
Reason for choosing this sportPreviously 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."  
General Interest
General Interest
Awards and honoursHe received the Eric Heiden Athlete of the Year Award at the 2021 US Speedskating Congress. (US Speedskating Facebook page, 22 May 2021)

He received USA Roller Sports' Elmer Ringeisen Sportsmanship Award in 2007 for his sportsmanship and positive behaviour on and off the track. (teamusa.org, 18 Feb 2008)

He was named US Speed Skater of the Year in 2005, 2006 and 2007. (whatsupusana.com, 12 Jan 2020)
 
Sporting philosophy / motto"If you ain't first, you're last." (Athlete, 10 Nov 2017)  
Social Media
Social Media
www.facebook.com/joeymantia  
twitter.com/jrmantia  
General Interest
General Interest
Hero / IdolUS speed skaters Eric Heiden and Brittany Bowe, US distance runner Steve Prefontaine. (nbcolympics.com, 03 Oct 2017)  
NicknamesSupermantia (nbcolympics.com, 03 Oct 2017)  
Other informationINLINE TO ICE
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 de-train 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)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
He opened a coffee shop 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." (whatsupusana.com, 12 Jan 2020; Athlete, 16 Nov 2018; nbcolympics.com, 03 Oct 2017)
 
Memorable sporting achievementWinning gold in the mass start at the 2017 World Single Distances Championships in Gangneung, Republic of Korea. (Athlete, 16 Nov 2018)  
HobbiesPlaying the piano. (teamusa.org, 09 Dec 2021)  
MilestonesAt age 35 years and 300 days, he became the oldest male speed skater to win the 1500m at a World Cup event when he triumphed in 2021 in Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America. The win also made him the oldest speed skater [male or female] representing the United States of America to claim an individual title at a World Cup event. One week later, at age 35 years and 307 days, he also won the 1500m at the World Cup event in Calgary, AB, Canada. (teamusa.org, 09 Dec 2021, 04 Dec 2021; SportsDeskOnline, 14 Nov 2022)

He became the first speed skater to win three gold medals in mass start at the world single distances championships, when he claimed his third title at the 2021 edition of the tournament in Heerenveen, Netherlands. He also won gold in the event in 2017 and 2019. (SportsDeskOnline, 23 Nov 2021)
 
InjuriesIn November 2022 he announced his intention to not compete at World Cup events during the 2022/23 season in order to rest his lower back. He had been affected by back problems at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. (Instagram profile, 11 Nov 2022; washingtonpost.com, 19 Feb 2022)  
Famous relativesHis partner Hanne Desmet has represented Belgium in short track, and won bronze in the women's 1000m at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. (Instagram profile, 16 Feb 2022; vrt.be, 12 Feb 2022; SportsDeskOnline, 14 Nov 2022)  
Championships results
Year Competition Event Rank  
Championships results
    2016/2017 World Single Distances Championships Mass Start 16 Laps1  
    2018/2019 World Single Distances Championships Mass Start 16 Laps1  
    2020/2021 World Single Distances Championships Mass Start 16 Laps1  
    2022 Olympic Games Team Pursuit3  
    2019/2020 World Single Distances Championships 1500m3  
    2022 Olympic Games Mass Start4  
    2018 Olympic Games 1000m4  
    2019/2020 World Single Distances Championships Mass Start 16 Laps5  
    2020/2021 World Single Distances Championships 1500m5  
    2022 Olympic Games 1500m6  
    2014 Olympic Games Team Pursuit 8 Laps7  
    2016/2017 World Single Distances Championships 1500m7  
    2018 Olympic Games Team Pursuit 8 Laps8  
    2018/2019 World Single Distances Championships 1500m8  
    2018 Olympic Games 1500m8  
    2018 Olympic Games Mass Start 16 Laps9  
    2014/2015 World Single Distances Championships 1000m10  
    2016/2017 World Single Distances Championships 1000m10  
    2019/2020 World Single Distances Championships 1000m12  
    2018/2019 World Single Distances Championships 1000m12  
    2015/2016 World Single Distances Championships Mass Start 16 Laps12  
    2015/2016 World Single Distances Championships 1000m12  
    2014 Olympic Games 1000m15  
    2015/2016 World Sprint Championships Overall17  
    2014/2015 World Single Distances Championships 1500m21  
    2012/2013 World Allround Championships Allround22  
    2014 Olympic Games 1500m22  
    2018/2019 World Sprint Championships Overall27  
World Cups
Year Competition Event Rank  
World Cups
    2021/2022 World Cup Classification 1500m1  
    2021/2022 Salt Lake City, UT Team Pursuit1  
    2013/2014 Berlin 1500m1  
    2021/2022 Calgary, AB 1500m1  
    2016/2017 Nagano 1500m1  
    2021/2022 Salt Lake City, UT 1500m1  
    2015/2016 Heerenveen 1500m1  
    2016/2017 Heerenveen Mass Start 16 Laps1  
    2019/2020 Tomaszów Mazowiecki Mass Start 16 Laps1  
    2019/2020 World Cup Classification Mass Start 16 Laps2  
    2019/2020 Nagano Mass Start 16 Laps2  
    2015/2016 Calgary, AB Team Sprint2  
    2018/2019 Heerenveen 1500m2  
    2021/2022 Stavanger 1500m2  
    2015/2016 Salt Lake City, UT 1500m2  
    2017/2018 Stavanger 1500m2  
    2017/2018 Heerenveen Mass Start 16 Laps2  
    2015/2016 World Cup Classification 1500m3  
    2019/2020 Heerenveen Mass Start 16 Laps3  
    2017/2018 Stavanger Team Sprint3  
    2019/2020 Calgary, AB 1500m3  
    2015/2016 Calgary, AB 1500m3  
    2021/2022 Tomaszów Mazowiecki 1500m3  
    2016/2017 Astana 1500m3  
    2015/2016 Inzell 1500m3  
    2016/2017 World Cup Classification Overall4  
    2016/2017 World Cup Classification 1500m5  
    2016/2017 World Cup Classification Mass Start 16 Laps6  
    2017/2018 World Cup Classification 1500m6  
    2015/2016 World Cup Classification 1000m6  
    2020/2021 World Cup Classification Mass Start 16 Laps7  
    2018/2019 World Cup Classification 1500m7  
    2018/2019 World Cup Classification Mass Start 16 Laps8  
    2017/2018 World Cup Classification Mass Start 16 Laps9  
    2017/2018 World Cup Classification Overall9  
    2015/2016 World Cup Classification Overall9  
    2018/2019 World Cup Classification 1000m10  
    2020/2021 World Cup Classification 1500m12  
    2016/2017 World Cup Classification 1000m13  
    2019/2020 World Cup Classification 1500m13  
    2013/2014 World Cup Classification 1500m14  
    2017/2018 World Cup Classification 1000m14  
    2013/2014 World Cup Classification 1000m16  
    2021/2022 World Cup Classification Mass Start17  
    2014/2015 World Cup Classification 1500m19  
    2015/2016 World Cup Classification Mass Start 16 Laps20  
    2014/2015 World Cup Classification 1000m25  
    2019/2020 World Cup Classification 1000m25  
    2012/2013 World Cup Classification Mass Start 20 Laps31  
    2012/2013 World Cup Classification 1500m32  
    2013/2014 World Cup Classification Overall35  
    2021/2022 World Cup Classification 1000m39  
    2018/2019 World Cup Classification 500m58