Magrat Garlick
Rather Mad Witch
Public information thread.
Shane Dobbin, 28 years old from Palmerston North and four-time world champion on inline skates, has decided to take up the sport of ice speed skating in a bid to compete at the Olympics. Dobbin thus follows a number of American skaters who have won gold medals on the ice after being successful inline skaters.
Yesterday, Dobbin skated his first timed 5,000 metre race, completing in a time of 6:37.96 - an Oceania record by 14 seconds - which would have been good for 20th place at the World Cup meet two weeks earlier. The qualifying time for the Olympics is 6:36.00.
Another Manawatu chap, 19-year-old D. J. Nation, also skated in this race, and though his time of 6:53.54 was considerably weaker, it places him ninth in the world for his age group.
Watch this space.
Shane Dobbin, 28 years old from Palmerston North and four-time world champion on inline skates, has decided to take up the sport of ice speed skating in a bid to compete at the Olympics. Dobbin thus follows a number of American skaters who have won gold medals on the ice after being successful inline skaters.
Yesterday, Dobbin skated his first timed 5,000 metre race, completing in a time of 6:37.96 - an Oceania record by 14 seconds - which would have been good for 20th place at the World Cup meet two weeks earlier. The qualifying time for the Olympics is 6:36.00.
Another Manawatu chap, 19-year-old D. J. Nation, also skated in this race, and though his time of 6:53.54 was considerably weaker, it places him ninth in the world for his age group.
Watch this space.