Stern task for N.Z. ice skaters

Press, 13 June 1979, Page 20

Stern task for N.Z. ice skaters

Bv

BOB SCHUMACHER

New Zealand faces a daunting task at Lake Ida next month when the annual speed skating test against Australia is held.

The series was inaugurated in 1973 and New Zealand was successful that year. Since then the venue has alternated between the two countries, but the outcome has been the same.

Australia has won the last five tests and mostly by decisive margins. Whereas New' Zealand has lost many of its young and talented skaters, Australia has prospered, many of its junior representatives in the earlier series progressing to senior company and serving their country successfully.

There is a feeling of optimism this year that New Zealand will acquit itself with distinction. It may not have the reserves of strength of Australia, but the leading skaters are training diligently and should match . the Australians for fitness if not in technique.

It will be an intense and strenuous time for the skaters from both countries with no rest day between the long-track and short-track events.

In previous years, the New Zealand championships have been

held in conjunction with the test series. The dates for the national titles and the test are the same, but it is hoped that there will

be sufficient time at the end o. each day to run the test for the Tasman Trophy as a separate event. The long-track races will be held on July 18 and 19, and the shorttrack events over the next two days. Because two Victorian members of the probable Australian test line-up have to return early on July 22, a team of New South Wales skaters have offered to

compete in an international series against New Zealand that day.

The Australian team be selected following the Duke’s Trophy meeting in Sydney this W'eek-end and the New Zealand selectors, Messrs John Graham and Gavin Smith (Invercargill) and Peter Silcock and Brian Blair (Canterbury), intend to announce their team on July 9 after the Canterbury long-track championships.

However, the selectors have named a squad of 21 from which the national team of four senior men, two women and two junior men will be chosen. Competition is especially keen in the junior men’s section where 11 skaters are competing for the two positions. Circumstances prevent the national championships being used as a basis of selection and the selectors will have to make the final decisions on past performances, medal tests and results from the New Zealand small-track championships in Christchurch over Queen’s Birthday weekend and at the Canterbury championships. The squad is:—

championships. The squad is:— Senior men: Mark Atkinson, John Adams, Robert Montgomery’, Dean Cade, Mike Day (all Canterbury’), Ken Howie (Southland). Women: Ans Kremer (Westland). Sue Blair, Debbie Cade, Nancy Sykes (all Canterbury). Junior men: Barry Kereama. Darren Graham (both Scfjthiand), Ross Jensen, Malcolm Biggs (both Auckland), lan Chaney, Peter Le Comte, Gary Wilson, Keith Cooper, lan Riley Jon Havenaar (all Canterbury), Russell Thomas (Southland).

Atkinson has rep: ’■sented New Zealand

in the test series since 1975 and is a certainty for the senior team. The 24-year-old Centaurus skater has been training hard and he was in devastating form when winning all the senior titles at the national small-track earlier this month. Last winter, Atkinson was unbeatable: he won the four national shorttrack races and the four long-track races as well. Dean Cade should give Atkinson strong support. Cade was a national junior representative in 197 f and he had some great battles with Atkinson that year and in 1977. His appearances last year were limited although he finished third to Atkinson and Howie in the national short-track aggregate. Montgomery is striving to regain a place in the national team that he last held in. 1974. A multiple winner of the New Zealand marathon, Montgomery is strong in stamina arid has skated well before on the outdoor circuit. Howie has been in the New Zealand team for the last three years and his third placing in the 10.000 m race against the Australians at the lake two years ago was the best by a New Zealander in the senior men’s longtrack events. He is tenacious but lacks a sharp sprint. W o r k commitments have prevented Adams from training seriously for the test. He is a gifted young skater who has served his country admirably since the inaugural series. Day tries his best but lacks the style of his rivals.

Mrs Blair, a member of the national team for the last four years, received the “sportsman of the year" award last year for her outstanoing

performances at home and in Australia. She just failed to win the Au s t r ? I i a n women’s

aggregate last year, but won the 1000 m in record time. The other three women skaters have ali represented New Zealand against Australia. Miss Cade missed racing last year but has made a satisfying come-back. She was runner-up in the aggregate to Mrs Blair at the small-track

championships and their close duels over the three races proved a feature of the championships. Miss Kremer, last year's Canterbury and New Zealand short-track and long-track champion, is an excellent outdoor skater whose forte is the long distances. She has no peers over 1500 m and 3000 m.