| ..Return
To Event Coverage ..14-year-old scales 60-foot wall fastest to win gold |
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..By
Paul Moser |
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To
tell the truth, after watching Tori learn how to walk at eight
months and climb shortly after, the Allen's did not give their
daughter's chosen playtime a second thought. "We
had walls around the house she climbed," Stephen Allen
shrugged. "We had trees in the yard she climbed. Active
kids climb and you don't think about it." That
is not the case anymore as Tori, 14, still climbs anything in
sight. Quite simply, the Allen's have no choice but to pay attention
to their youngster's climbing these days — now she getspaid
for it. "Dad
tells me I'll be a millionaire by the time I'm 16 if I keep
climbing," Tori began. "But I don't believe him."
With
thousands on hand outside the First Union Center for the X Games
women's speed climb Saturday, Tori continued to do what she
does best while scaling a 60-foot surface in 13.42 seconds for
her first X Games gold medal. The
Ukraine's Olga Zakharova finished second with a time of 14.92.
Etti Hendrawati (14.79) of Indonesia earned bronze. "This
is my first X Games so this is a good start," smiled Tori,
who turned 14 a couple of weeks ago. "This is such a good
feeling. I love the big crowd, this really helps me get into
it." Climbing
professionally wasn't always on Tori's agenda, however. The
personable teenager began her athletic career as a figure skater.
All that changed a few years back while shopping in an Indianapolis
mall near a local sporting goods store. "I
was Christmas shopping with my dad and I wanted to climb the
wall," Tori reminisced. "That year for Christmas I
ended up getting gear and a membership to a climbing gym. I
entered competitions and it grew really fast from there." It
has been almost faster than her climb Saturday. For, less than
four years after scaling the sporting goods store wall, Tori
is now considered the top climber in the world. What's more,
the youngster has corralled a strong fan base behind her outgoing
personality. "I
definitely hope climbing grows," Tori said. "I bring
a different crowd, there's a lot more kids. It's really awesome.
I want it to get bigger and bigger and I'm glad I can help." As
has always been the case, her parents will be there to watch
her climb - whether for fun or prize money. "I'm
way beyond the fear (of her falling)," Steve Allen said.
"She's grown her wings and I'm just helping her fly in
the right direction now." ******** The
Ukraine's Maxim Stenkovoy earned gold in the men's speed climb
with a time of 9.71 seconds. Alexandre Pechekhonov won silver
and countryman Serguei Sinitsyn earned bronze for Russia.
******** During
the 2001 Gorge Games in Hood River, OR, a then 12-year-old Tori
Allen threw out plastic monkeys to the crowd. Since then, Allen
has been associated with her favorite animal. "Monkeys
and I are alike," said Allen, who raised a pet monkey while
in Africa. "We both have lots of energy and will climb
until we're worn out. We rest, then we climb again." |
