YOU CAN probably count all of Marin's current world champions, in any sport, on the fingers of one hand. Add one more name to that short list.
Lorraine Jarvis has the gold medal and the world champ jersey hanging in her San Anselmo home. Jarvis won the women's age 50-54 500 meter time trial at the recent Track Cycling Masters World Championships in Sydney, Australia.
Her winning time of 39.427 seconds was more than a half-second ahead of her nearest rival. That's a huge win in a world-class cycling event. If you want an analogy, it's like lapping the field in the Indianapolis 500.
Even more remarkable is the fact that in the long history of track cycling, only four women over age 50 have ever broken 40 seconds for 500 meters. Want another analogy? A sub-40 time in the 500 is like running under four minutes in the mile. It's a helluva accomplishment.
Jarvis' first flirtation with track racing was back in 2003. Kelly Silberberg, her husband and coach, is a former collegiate track cyclist. He's the one who first told Jarvis about the Hellyer Velodrome in San Jose.
"She met some women who were on my team, they were all into the track, and they said, 'Hey, you've got to try it,'" Silberberg said. "So we all went down there, and that was it. One day on the track, and she was hooked."
The hook was firmly planted when Jarvis won the very first track race she entered in the 2003 California State Championships at Hellyer. Since then, she's accumulated some 26 state champ medals. Ho hum, time for another challenge. Time to get serious.
Images Bob Cullinan
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