Aust. speed skater renews rivalry

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33276, 13 July 1973, Page 14

Aust. speed skater renews rivalry

The veteran Australian speed skater, E. Spicer, will renew his rivalry with the top Canterbury competitors in the provincial long-track championships at Lake Ida at the weekend. An official member of the! Australian test team which will compete against New Zealand in a test series from (July 19 to 22, Spicer contested the Canterbury shorttrack events last week-end and won the three senior (titles, all in New Zealand (record time. Although he is a very smooth skater, he is prob-j ably not as accustomed to racing over the longer dis-1 tances as the Canterbury; competitors and it is difficult! to forecast the outcome of' the 5000 and 10,000 metres., Spicer will be favoured to ! win the 500 and 1500 metres events and if the ice remains favourable he should establish new national times in both events. There are several possibilities for the two longer distances. J. H. Havenaar upset predictions last year when he won the national 5000 metres from the Canterbury title-holder, A. W. S. Baird. However, Baird was superior over the 10,000 metres and won both the Canterbury and New Zealand championships. A. L. Tinga, the most impressive Canterbury skater at the shorttrack titles, won the national: intermediate long-track title last winter, and is obviously

capable of holding his oi against the senior I testants. To add to the puzzle, R Montgomery, a consist i performer over the long c " distances, has been traiiii to hard this season and prow mi J his fitness by winning tl Lake Ida long-track agri , n gate title a fortnight ago tei If the Canterbury skau jn . are able to finish ahead ( Spicer in the two stain: I races, it will raise hopes, en ! a New Zealand victory in II W( I I long-track test. — (Mi