KEARNS, Utah -- Chris Witty appears to be peaking at just the right time.

	Chris Witty qualified for the Olympic Games in the 500 and the 1,000.

Witty qualified in two more Olympic events Wednesday, winning the women's 500- and 1,500-meter races at the U.S. speedskating trials.

The 26-year-old Witty, who won two medals at the 1998 Nagano Games, got off to a slow start on the World Cup circuit this season. Her best finish was a fourth in the 1,000 earlier this month.

But she isn't concerned. Her training is targeted for a peak performance in February, when the Olympics will be held on the same oval in suburban Salt Lake.

"I just stay focused on myself," Witty said. "It's not like I'm skating bad. These are better times for this time of year than I've ever had before. I'm comfortable with that."

In the 500, Witty beat her top rival, American record holder Jennifer Rodriguez of Miami, with a time of 38.38 seconds.

"It's a friendly rivalry," said Witty, from Wisconsin. "It's not cutthroat at all. It makes us both excel."

Rodriguez also qualified in the 500, along with Becky Sundstrom of Glen Ellyn, Ill., and Amy Sannes of St. Paul, Minn.

Rodriguez, a former inline skater who became an international star on the ice, prequalified in the 1,000 and 1,500. She also is likely to make the team in the 3,000, holding the American record in that event.

"In every event," Witty said, "she's right there internationally."

Witty isn't doing so bad herself, having prequalified in the 1,000 to go along with the two spots earned Wednesday. In the 1,500, she cruised to the top spot in 1 minute, 58.53 seconds.

Sannes and Sundstrom were 2-3, each earning a second Olympic event. Rodriguez didn't take part since she's already in.

Witty is one of the few athletes to compete in both the Winter and Summer Olympics, placing fifth in cycling at the Sydney Games.

Still, it's difficult to live up to the expectations placed on a two-time medalist. When Witty struggled early in the season, she heard plenty of criticism.

"One person said I wasn't trying," Witty said with a smirk. "Other people thought I didn't have it in me anymore."

Clearly, that's not the case. Witty is approaching her next Olympic experience with a more relaxed state of mind.

"The last time, I was more desperate to win," she said. "Now, it would be nice to win. ... I'm going to focus on the performance, not the outcome."

On the men's side, Joey Cheek of Greensboro, N.C., won both events Wednesday, setting an American record in the 500 and also claiming the top spot in the 1,500.

Like Rodriguez, Cheek is a former inline skater from a region of the country not normally associated with winter sports. He has dominated the first two days of the long-track trials, also holding the top spot after the first round of the 1,000.

Cheek's time of 34.66 in the 500 broke Casey FitzRandolph's 2{-week-old national record of 34.71.

FitzRandolph had already prequalified in the 500. The other two Olympic team spots were taken by Kip Carpenter of Brookfield, Wis., and Marc Pelchat of Chelmsford, Mass.

For Pelchat, the showing was particularly gratifying. The former hockey player retired after skating in the 1998 Nagano Games.

He came back last year, putting a severe financial strain on his family to prove that he wasn't a fluke four years ago.

"Making one team is one thing. Making two is something else," Pelchat said. "It almost validates what I did four years ago. I deserved to be on the '98 team."

In the 1,500, Cheek and pre-qualifier Derek Parra were joined on the team by Nick Pearson of Vernon, Wis., and J.P. Schilling of Baltimore.

KC Boutiette, who finished fifth at 1,500 in the 1998 Olympics, didn't make the team this time. He was edged out by Schilling by one-hundredth of a second.

Boutiette still has a chance in the 5,000 and 10,000.