KEARNS — American speedskater Jennifer Rodriguez captured her first ever World Sprint Championship title Sunday afternoon at the Utah Olympic Oval, but her road to get there was anything but a sprint.
"I still don't think I'm a world champion," she said. "I've never been one before so it's pretty exciting."
In her fourth attempt, the converted in-line skater from Miami won her first all-around crown with a win over Japan's Sayuri Yoshii in the 1,000 meters — the final event of the day — with the time of 1 minute, 14.18 seconds.
Rodriguez didn't decide until Friday to compete in the event after what she called a horrible experience in a World Cup event in Calgary last week. Due to fatigue she competed in just one of the four races.
"This week I really, really rested and I took my time and I didn't do much," she said, "And I felt pretty good on Friday."
Rodriguez, who now resides in Park City, finished third last year and fifth and ninth in her first two tries, finally broke through.
"To put together four strong races is really tough. That's why it's harder to become the all-around champion than an individual champion," she said. "I never thought I would be an all-around world champion because I'm not strong in four races."
At least for one week she was.
Besides winning the 1,000 meters Sunday she finished fourth in both 500s and second in Saturday's 1,000, giving her 150.015 points, which is a new American record for points.
"I'm not a 500-meter skater, and for me to be in contention with the top girls blew me away actually," she said. "I'm more of a 1,000-meter skater, and in order to win the world championship as a 1,000-meter skater you have to try to keep it close in the 500s."
Anzhelika Kotyuga of Belarus was second with 150.415 points, and Sabine Volker of Germany was third with 150.425 points.
Chris Witty was the second-highest American in 16th with 153.570 points, while Elli Ochowicz was 21st with 154.370 points.
"It's awesome," said Witty, the last American to win the overall championship in 1996, of Rodriguez's performance. "It's been a long process (for Rodriguez) and a lot of hard work. She's taken chips away from her personal bests."
Rodriguez entered Sunday with the overall lead and won the United States' first World Sprint Championship crown since 1996 with an American record 37.94 in the 500 meters (two one-hundredths faster than her time a day earlier). She followed the 500 meters with the fastest time of the day to beat Yoshii in the 1,000 meters.
"I love racing here. It's my home track, my home crowd, and my family came in to watch me skate and they don't get that many opportunities to do that," Rodriguez said. "I would rather be here than anywhere else. This is my home."
Rodriguez tasted success at the Olympic Oval in the 2002 Winter Olympics with bronze medals in the 1,000 and 1,500 meters.
Erben Wennemars of the Netherlands won the men's World Sprint Championship title with 137.310 points, while Jeremy Wotherspoon of Canada was second with 137.820 points, while Joey Cheek of the United States jumped from fifth to third in the final event — the 1,000 meters — with 137.975 points.
Wotherspoon was in first place after three events but finished eighth in the final event to drop him to second place.
Americans Shani Davis and Casey FitzRandolph finished seventh and eighth with 138.715 and 138.770 points, respectively.
E-mail: jhinton@desnews.com