Skating standard high

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32967, 13 July 1972, Page 24

Skating standard high

For the first time, a team of Auckland iceskaters will compete at the national championships, which begin at Lake Ida on Friday.

A party of 21, including the president of the Auckland club and its coach, will attend the three-day championships. Seven or eight members of the party are expected to take part in the short-track events and the sprints. They are coming more for the experience than in the expectation of winning titles. Competition at the Canter-

bury provincial championships this winter has been intense and the standard has never been higher. Skaters have set 12 New Zealand records and more are likely this week-end. Unfortunately, last year’s senior short-track and longtrack title-holder, G. M. Glover (Wellington), will not be competing. His clash with the outstanding Canterbury sprinter, A. W. S. Baird, would have been the highlight of the championship. LONG-TRACK TITLE

Baird should now add the short-track title to his Canterbury championship, although G. O. Keddell and

G. S. Erikson should prove worthy rivals. The long-track title is not so clear-cut. Baird won the Canterbury championship and must be favourite for the double, but R. J. Montgomery, a long-distance specialist, and J. H. Havenaar have the ability to fully extend him. Miss A. Kremer has been in top form in the women’s events this season and winning both titles should be only a formality. A. L. Tinga in the intermediate section and D. F. Cop-

ping in the junior boys’ grade look fine prospects if they re tain their Canterbury cnam pionship form.