Speed on ice
Competitive speed skating at Lake Ida will be limited this winter, the national marathon on July 28 being the only significant championship planned for the outdoor lake. Even then, there is no guarantee of the event taking place with the weather often having the final say. The marathon has been contested only once in the last three years. The national outdoor ice racing championships, which will be organised by the Mainland club, will be held for the second successive year at Twizel. The 200 m track championships will be decided on July 14 and 15, and the 400 m titles over the next two days. The big test for the country’s best speed skaters will be in Auckland in August when the national 111 m track championships will be held along with the Tasman Trophy competition between Australia and New Zealand. Australia did not send a team last year to defend the trophy which it has held since 1974, but with ice guaranteed on the indoor rink in Auckland, Australia is expected to renew the rivalry between the teams of eight. ______
Relay racing, a popular and fast form of speed skating, has been introduced at the indoor Centaurus rink in Christchurch and this type of competition has been organised for alternate Wednesday evenings. Mark Atkinson, the dominant skater in New Zealand for the last eight years, has been chalking up mileage on the roads in preparation for the defence of his national 111 m and 200 m aggregate titles. He will be hard pushed to retain his championships from the youthful Tony Smith, who has kept fit in the summer by cycling. He became such an accomplished bike rider that he gained selection in the Canterbury team for the national hard-track championships last month. Speed skaters in Canterbury will look forward to the building of an inter-national-sized indoor rink at Lake Bryndwr. At the Winter Olympics, speed skating has always been outdoors. In 1988, at the Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, indoor skating has been included as a demonstration sport. 808 SHUMACHER
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Press, 21 April 1984, Page 26
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345Speed on ice Press, 21 April 1984, Page 26
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