Skating: Speedster returns with gold

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Scott Arlidge will return to his desk at St Peter's College in Auckland today to continue his sixth-form studies. But now as a world champion.

Arlidge earned himself an early present ahead of his 17th birthday on Monday with victory in the junior road 1000m at the world skating championships in Colombia, shrugging off a painful arm injury to claim his piece of gold.

A crash in the banked track championships that preceded the road events left Arlidge with a badly dislocated arm, which was in plaster until he hacked it off before racing to victory.

Crashes, he admits, are part of a sport in which competitors reach amazing speeds.

The breakthrough victory for New Zealand after a 20-year golden drought capped 10 years on wheels for Arlidge, who started out at the Mt Wellington club in the days of roller skates.

"We switched to inline skates in about 1993-94," said Arlidge, who won bronze over 500m at last year's championships in Chile. "It is quite expensive. A pair of boots and plates costs about $2000 and I need a new pair of boots every year."

While past campaigns were funded by endless sausage sizzles involving his family, this year's foray was made all the easier with a $10,000 grant from the new Regency Duty Free Foundation.

His father, Bob, said that support was invaluable because his son, as a junior, was ineligible for NZ Sports Foundation funding.

About to join the senior ranks, Arlidge will be unable to defend his title in France next year but hopes to make his senior debut.

"Before that I hope to race professionally. European teams don't pick up junior skaters but I hope to get the chance once I turn senior.

"Skating is huge overseas. It rates behind only soccer and cycling as the biggest sport in Colombia, and in Europe races attract up to 5000 competitors who pay a $20 entry fee each which is handed out in prizemoney."

There are only about 200 registered speed skaters in New Zealand. Fellow New Zealand team member Shane Dobbin already races professionally in Europe.

Arlidge, Wayne Begg, of Auckland, and Blenheim's Shaun Perkinson finished fourth in the 5000m relay, while Arlidge was fourth over the 500m and fifth in the 300m road events.

He crashed three times in the wet while contesting the 42km "marathon."

To win gold, Arlidge had to contest one of six six-man heats, a quarter-final, semifinal and final.

The road championships, raced over a 400m circuit around a soccer field and in front of crowds of up to 25,000, followed the track events in which Arlidge contested every distance. He and fellow team members had a hectic but enjoyable schedule.