Although the season is half way, in Turin we see some World Cup debutants at the start. One of them is Asier Iturria Peña from Spain. When a back injury is keeping Beatriz Gomez out of competition (she had an operation in December), Spain now enters its male national record holder.

Peña is a former inline skater, member of a Norwegian speed skating club and coached by Ivar Njøs, the brother of Grunde, still an excellent sprinter himself (one of those who skates faster than his age). Asier is born in Pamplona on 15 april 1977, and improved very much in this year, from 2.22 to 2.05.41. Alas, he just missed that time in Turin. But today, Sunday Feb.4 he brings the Spanish national record on the 5000 below 7.30 with 7:28.83.

His other pbs: 42,90 - 4.46,2 - 7.31,74 - 15.33,86.

Federación Española de Hielo (Spanish Ice Federation) is the name of the young federation responsible for, among other sports, speedskating. In the past, speedskating was part of the Royal wintersports federation in Spain. This Federation tries to get money from the ISU to promote long- and short track speedskating among inline skaters in Northern Spain.