South Canterbury speed skaters face tough time at national champs

A South Canterbury speed skating team down on its normal numbers faces an uphill battle to retain the Unity Shield at the national championships in Palmerston North.

South Canterbury has dominated the Unity Shield, awarded to the top speed skating region, for the past decade, but the smaller team and rule changes mean a continuation of that domination is shaping as a big ask, according to long-time coach Bill Begg.

The championships begin in Palmerston North on January 2 with road and indoor track titles and finish on January 7 with the marathon at the Manfield raceway.

“With the smallest team for a long time with 17, around half the usual number, the club is not represented in the juvenile boys, junior men, senior men’s and women’s individual events,” Begg said.

He said rule changes to the Unity Shield have followed the national body investigating and consulting with all clubs to create a field that other regions would have a chance instead of South Canterbury’s domination. Changes include the dropping of relay points and changing from the three, two, one points for the first three in each race, to four, two and one.

“While we have no senior competitors, we are well represented in the masters, with Shannell Wooding favoured to dominate the female events and Ricky Purukamu and Derek Tan sure to be medal contenders – Purukamu in the sprints and Tan in the distance events.”

Emily Thompson (Waimate) is the club’s only junior racing in the toughest grade of all, but Begg said she has the ability to contest the medals. She will be racing competitors just recently returned from the world champs, but capable of causing an upset.

In the cadet division, the Oceania champion Kyla Beveridge will be one of the favourites, backed up by Lauren Crawford and Georgia Kortright in what is another strong grade Crawford and Kortright were too young for the recent Oceania champs and are in their first year in the grade, but both are strong.

Beveridge won the Oceania title in her first year in the grade and the trio form a very strong relay team, Begg said.

“We are well represented in the cadet boys with Callum Sandri, Thomas Crawford and new to the grade Brayden Teague.

“Sandri got individual Oceania medals and with Crawford got a relay Oceania gold, so they will be amongst the action.

“Teague is new to the grade and has dominated all the distance events in the South Island this year and should add to his NZ title collection and these three also form a very strong relay team.”

In the juvenile girls, Gemma Thornley and Layla Rae fly the South Canterbury flag.

Begg said, after poor representation for many years the Auckland-based Mt Wellngton club is turning up with the biggest team with many unknown skaters. Thornley, a former primary champion, faces her first juvenile nationals.

“The primary grade will be sure to feature the dynamic youngster Oceania Purukamu who has already won a number of titles giving away a number of years on opponents.

“Lilly Rae will also be capable of podium places and Sophie Kortright will be new to this level. They will also encounter some unknown Auckland opposition, who could feature in the sprints, but Purukamu should be a bridge too far in the longer events.”

Begg said two youngsters, Mason Teague and Luke Rae, line up against a strong field from Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Palmerston North and Christchurch.

“Both have never faced top competition, if somehow they obtained a medal, it would be an excellent outcome.”