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FIVE VERMONTERS BRING HOME MEDALS

6 CONTINUED FROM PAGE ‘I6

gether.

“This is the most competitive
thing we’ve ever done," said
Mintz, a professor of sociology
at UVM. ‘

Their 25 years of playing
paid off. Mintz won a bronze
medal for singles raquetball,
Rothblum won a silver medal

‘for singles, and the two to-

gether won a bronze medal for
doubles.

“This was our last hurrah to
play together,” Mintz said after
returning from Chicago. She
said there will be no raquetball
at the next Gay Games in Co-
logne, Germany in 2010, as the
United States is one of the few
countries in the world that has
raquetball courts.

However, one of the posi-
tive things to come out of the
Gay Games was the establish-
ment of a national gay and
lesbian raquetball group that
plans to hold its own tourna-
ments, Mintz noted.

“If this gets off the ground,
I'll definitely play competitive
raquetball some more,” she
said.

The sweltering heat wave

that hit much of the country in
: 13,

July didn't spare the competi-
tors in Chicago. While partici-
pants in air-conditioned ven-
ues, including raquetball, may
have been able to stay fairly
cool, others found that their
performance at the Games
was affected by the heat. Some
events, held outside under the
sun, must have ‘been espe-
cially challenging, such as bik-
ing. Even so, one Verrnonter
brought home several medals
in biking events. OITM,did-not
get to speak with her directly,
but learned that Elizabeth
Campbell of Rutland earned a
bronze medal in the criterium,
silver in the road race, silver
in team time trial, and a gold
medal in the mountain bike
race.

Fran Moravcsik of South
Burlington also took part in
outdoor events, winning gold
medals in shot and discus, and
silver in javelin (see her story
on page 1). . -

Joan Gardner, a power-
lifter from Charlotte, said the
heat index probably hovered
around 100 to 105 degrees on
the hottest days, and her events
were not air-conditioned. As a

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  ed

result, she competed in only
one event, the bench press,
and won a gold medal in her
one try.

“It was so hot at this thing,”_

Gardner said. “Its so hard to
do your best in conditions like
that.” ~
Gardner said there were
organizational problems, and
she still doesn’t have her gold
medal. Qnly a few events — in-
cluding weight lifting - required
drug testing, and participants
had to wait until after the clos-
ing of the Games to receive
their medals. Gardner sounded
otherwise positive about her
experience, however.
“It was a lot of fun to be
there with everybody,” she said.
“Participating in the opening
and closing ceremonies were
the most gratifying part of go-
ing to the Gay Games, affirm-

ing of me as a gay world-class _

athlete.”

Gardner said she planned
to compete in another event
shortly after the Gay Games,
but closer to home, in Brattle-
boro. V

“I expect I will break my own
record at that," she said.V'