Derek Parra
Derek Parra is a Mexican-American speed skater from San Bernardino, California who won two medals at the 2002 Winter Olympics, held in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Parra was originally a world champion inline speed skater. Following the lead of KC Boutiette, he switched to ice skating in the late 1990s as it was the only way he'd have a chance of going to the Olympics as a speed skater.
Parra's most successful season was from 2001 to 2002. At the 2002 Winter Olympics, he took the gold in the 1500 meters, an event in which he had been expected to do well but faced a deep pool of competition. Before that, he had surprisingly won the silver in the 5000 meters, an event in which he had not been expected to place but in which he briefly held the world record before being bested by Jochem Uytdehaage of the Netherlands. A month after the Olympics, Parra finished third at the World Allround Championships.
