PARRA EXCELLENCE SAN BERNARDINO SPEEDSKATER CAPTURES SILVER.

Byline: Paul Oberjuerge Staff Writer

KEARNS, Utah - When Derek Parra started his race Saturday, he shattered stereotypes. When he finished, he broke a world record, too.

Parra not only became the first Mexican-American to compete in the Winter Olympics, he completed the fastest 5,000-meter race in speedskating history, eventually winning an out-of-the-blue silver medal at the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Games.

``It shows what people can do,'' said Parra, who is from San Bernardino. ``Anybody. If you have faith, if you believe in yourself, if you have people behind you that support you, anything is possible.''

Parra's world mark of 6 minutes, 17.98 seconds stood only 30 minutes before Jochem Uytdehaage of the Netherlands clocked 6:14.66 to win the gold medal on the first day of competition at the Utah Olympic Oval.

Parra, 31, was anything but disappointed to ``settle'' for silver and an American record in a race when few figured him for a top-10 finish.

``Who would have thought?'' he asked. ``Who would have thought that I would have a silver medal in the 5,000 meters? Not too many people, except myself.''

Parra was a long shot for a medal for several reasons.

The 5,000-meter race is not his best event; he qualified for it only three weeks ago. His previous career best in the event was 6:32.83, a time that would have placed him 22nd on Saturday. And Parra has never been the prototypical speedskater, and not just because of his ethnicity and hometown; at 5-foot-3 1/2, he is as much as 12 inches shorter than other world- class skaters, whose longer legs allow longer strides.

But a skater known by his Nordic competitors as ``the little man with the big strokes'' powered through the race, erasing the 2-year-old mark of Gianni Romme, Dutch speedskate legend.

``This is a total surprise,'' Parra conceded, ``especially in the skating world.''

Parra said he never paid attention to the Winter Olympics while growing up with his brother and single father in San Bernardino's gritty West Side barrio. He took up inline roller skating at age 11 because it was fun, became proficient at it, then made the switch to ice skating at the comparatively advanced age of 26 in 1996 because he wanted to compete in the Olympics.

He never set foot on an ice rink until he was 17, and he didn't return until 1996, when he took to it full time.

He said he is proud to put Mexican-Americans on the Winter Olympics medal charts.

``I think this is a great thing to happen,'' he said. ``Mexican-Americans can reach for their goals. Growing up in Southern California, I would have never even dreamed of being in a Winter Olympics sport, the sport of giants.

``It's a neat feeling. Anybody should be able to touch Latino or Hispanic kids growing up, but if you have the opportunity because you're Hispanic, or Latin, so be it, and I hope I can reach kids.

``I'm going to go back to my elementary school (Roosevelt, in San Bernardino) when I have the chance and tell these kids, 'Hey, if your dream is there, go for it.' You can aim high.'' Parra also expressed satisfaction that a part-time skater - he works in the floor-and-wall department at a Home Depot in the summer - could finish ahead of a dozen full-time skaters. ``It shows that a working-class man can be at the top of the podium, or on the podium,'' he said.

Parra competes again on Feb. 19 in the 1,500-meter race, considered his best event - until he set a short-lived world record in the 5,000 Saturday.

``There are no words, no words to express what he did today,'' his father, Gilbert, said while clutching an American flag in the stands. ``It was just awesome. He flew.''

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Derek Parra races during the men's 5,000-meter speedskating contest in Salt Lake City. Parra broke the American record.

Dusan Vranic/Associated Press

(2) Silver medalist Derek Parra waves while standing next to gold medal winner Jochem Uytdehaage of the Netherlands and German bronze medalist Jens Boden.

Itsuo Inouye/Associated Press

(3) USA's Derek Parra acknowledges cheering crowds after setting a world record - shattered minutes later by another skater - on Saturday at the men's 5,000-meter speedskating competition in Salt Lake City.

Laurent Rebours/Associated Press