Witty golden despite illness

    The standing world record in the women’s 1000-meter speed skating event was shattered by a very unlikely competitor.

   That the record was broken is not a surprise as the ice surface in Salt Lake City has proved to be the fastest in the world.

   What is surprising is that it was broken by American Chris Witty, who was not favored to be in medal contention. Even more surprising, she discovered three weeks ago that she was suffering from mono.

   “I couldn’t run a lap without getting tired,” she said.
Cruising the two and a half laps around the track in record pace, Witty said she felt as if she were floating around the oval.