Teen speed skater faces Asian's finest

Whanganui speed skater Renee Teers seeks to qualify for the World Champs in the Asian Roller Skating Championships in South Korea beginning next week.

Whanganui speed skater Renee Teers leaves for Namwon in South Korea on Saturday to compete in the Asian Roller Skating Championships on September 4-14.

Teers, who turned 16 yesterday, has been selected as one of four New Zealand skaters to compete in the Junior Women's grade (Under 19) with the others being from the South Canterbury Club.

New Zealand and Australia have been invited as guest nations and are the only countries competing from outside the Asia Region.

The championships are at the highest level of the sport with the Asian nations, in particular the hosts South Korea, China and China Taipei being amongst the best in the world.

Only two skaters from each nation will be allowed to compete in each event.

Teers has been selected to race the 10km and 20km road race and the 10km and 15km track races.

The 15km is a race in which the Whanganui High School student won the Open New Zealand title this year against the senior skaters in an upset victory at the Banked Track Nationals.

She will also compete in the relays and the 42km marathon for which all skaters are eligible.

As one of the youngest competitors and with limited international experience Teers will be looking at the competition as a learning experience and to get a taste of top level competition before she seeks to qualify for the World Championships in Barcelona, Spain on July 5-14 next year.

Meanwhile, two Whanganui roller hockey exponents will also compete in the rink hockey at the Asia-Oceania Championship which is a qualifying tournament for the World Roller Games, 2019.

Jimi Blinkhorne and Dean Fitness are in the New Zealand men's roller hockey team.

By Staff Reporter
Wanganui Chronicle 30/8/18