Speed Skating NEWS

The World Speed Skating Championships being held in Gijon Spain, start on the 4th September and Victoria has five skaters competing:

Michael Byrne (Senior)
Andy Finster (Senior)
Angeline Thomas (Senior)
Daniel Greig (Junior)
Brooke Lochland (Junior)

To keep up with the latest news and results, click on these links:

http://www.gijon2008.com/ (English version top RHS of page)

http://www.mundopatin.com/gijon2008/english/

Melbourne Speed Club featured last Thursday night on ‘Inline Plus’ on Channel 31 and here is the link to the story…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXP88exthck

Dear Presidents,
I have pleasure in communicating you that the 2008 World Masters Marathon Championships are scheduled in Pescara (Italy)
next September 20.

The sports venue alteration, from Zurich to Pescara, is due to the opportunity in giving special relevance to our Sport on the occasion of the test event of Roller Speed Skating that, for the first time, has been included in the official program of the Mediterranean Games.
It is necessary that the Organising Committee of the Games could have the possibility to test facilities, the corresponding location of races and the marathon will be suitable for it.

I am sure that this opportunity will be strategic for further developments of the Olympic Program, above all thanks to the possibility to exploit an organising structure of very high level.

F.I.R.S. and C.I.C. esteemed to make this alteration in order to obtain the best possible coverage for the event and for all the Roller Sports Movement.
F.I.R.S. and C.I.C. thank the Organisers of W.I.C. for having been available in organising the 2008 WMMC and then renounce for the promotion of our sport discipline.
It will be care of the Organising Committee in sending a circular letter to all of you about hotels and how to reach Pescara.

With my best sports regards,
Dr. Roberto Marotta
CIC President

Video of race: http://www.skatepodium.com/Video/TV/0000337

Congratulations to Victorian Speed Skater Brooke Lochland after her win in Holland, here’s what she had to say after the race:

“So I finally had a win in Holland, in the World On Wheels competition in Oldebroek. It was a nice course with tight corners which suited me. We had 32 laps of the small course. It was a fast race with many attacks in the first 12 laps of the race but always a Cado Motus girl on the wheel. Then I followed Gretha Smit’s wheel when she attacked with 2 other strong girls on me. This break-away got away with about 20 laps to go and we held it off until the end. Gretha Smit (2nd at the Olympics for ice skating) was very strong when she led so I was hurting with 12 laps to go but a Cado Motus girl has won every race in Holland this year so I had to keep the streak going. 1 lap to go, they just sat on me so I led slowly watching there every move. Gretha attacked on the outside so I sprinted as fast as I could to get to the last corner before the finishing straight, before she did. I luckily did that and got a nice gap from a hard corner to easily win down the finishing straight with Gretha 2nd and Anniek 3rd. Unfortunately my team mate Janitta fell during the race, she had already a broken finger and fell on it but she is o.k. My other team mate Margo held off for 7th place after trying hard to keep the peleton from catching my break-away group. All in all, a nice, tough race.”

Photos of Brooke

On Sunday, the 15th June, about 80 skaters participated in either a 6km or 15km skate on the new EastLink roadway.

The Age said: “An estimated 100,000 people walked, ran or cycled along the EastLink freeway at an open day yesterday.”

Worlds skater Michael Byrne said “Of those 100,000 - although Speed Skaters made up around 100, there were thousands of Victorians who had their heads turned by Speed Skaters ranging from World, World Cup and Australian Champions, to Skate Victoria’s youngest and newest enthusiastic members. While Speed Skaters were keen to blaze a trail down the State’s newest tollway, there are hundreds (perhaps thousands) of Victorians who never expected to see skaters out-pacing the cyclists on the smooth Eastlink roadway and who today are looking for a way to find out more about Speed Skating in Victoria.”

During his Channel 7 interview after the skate Michael said “It’s not often you get to have an opportunity like this so for us it’s about the fastest place you could go skating.”

Click here for Channel 7 story http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ1Tn7JqcEo
Click here for photos: http://good-times.webshots.com/album/563833341tIhQmS
Click here for the story on the Cadomotus website http://cadomotus.blogspot.com/2008/06/australia-skaters-in-news-at-eastlink.html