Chch to host skating congress

Press, 12 July 1988, Page 48

Chch to host skating congress

By

BOB SCHUMACHER

Christchurch will be the venue for the 1990 congress of the International Skating Union. It will be the first time the congress has been held in a southern hemisphere country and only the second time it has been away from Europe in the last 100 years. The decision to allocate New Zealand the congress was made at the recent meeting of the international body ;in Davos, / Switzerland, which was attended by the president of the New Zealand Ice Skating Association, .Mr Terry l : Walls,! of Christchurch. New Zealand warded

off the challenge from the United States to host the 1990 congress, and Mr Walls said yesterday that his presence at this year’s congress was advantageous for several reasons.': ... Apart from being able to promote the New Zea-.. land case and respond to questions, Mr Walls saidthat’ he was able to guar- ‘ antee other spin-offs. - He had an assurance from two internationally qualified . administrators that they would hold?;, seminars on judging and ice dancing at the 1 time of the congress, possibly.-in Auckland as well as Christchurch. 1 Mr Walls said that the

president of the International Skating Union, Mr Olaf Paulsen, of Norway, was suitably impressed with what New Zealand had to offer on a - short sojourn to this coun- : try last year. . . The congress will be held at the Christchurch < Town Hall from April 30 ‘ to May 6 and at least 120 delegates from 35 countries are expected as well as up to 35 observers. , / Mr Walls said that a significant step taken at the congress in Switzerland was the agreement by Pacific Basin countries to launch the Inaugural ' Pacific figure skating championships in either

Australia or Japan next year. This would involve competitors from ChineseTaipei, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. “Although this would be a lower level than the world championships it would at least provide a stepping stone to the next level and allow skaters international experience at reasonable cost, Although we get up to 23 junior skaters at the. national championships; they taper off as they grow older because they run out of objectives. The Pacific Basin meeting -might help them stay on,” -Mr AValls said.