Whanganui skater Tazia Parker, who won all her events bar one. Photo / Supplied
Whanganui skater Tazia Parker, who won all her events bar one. Photo / Supplied
Four Whanganui speed skaters recently attended the Australia Speed Skating Road and Flat Track Nationals, as part of a 10-strong contingent from New Zealand in early July.
Racing was held over four distances and two days on the Nundah Cycling Criterion Track in northern Brisbane between July 3 and 8.
Three races were competed on the indoor wooden Logan City Recreation Centre, capped off with a marathon back in Nundah on July 8.
While rain hampered proceedings outdoors at times, all racing was completed and the New Zealand team, representing their own clubs of Blenheim, Nelson, Palmerston North and Whanganui, won a total of 46 medals.
With about 100 skaters from four Australian states represented, the New Zealand medal haul was the greatest per capita over the five days.
Noteworthy results among the Whanganui contingent came from Tazia Parker, who won all her events barring the four lapper (about 1500m on the road), in which she was taken out by a fallen skater in the cadet girls division.
Parker's mother, Crystle Denbee, competing in the masters ladies grade, benefited from a small field but proved strong to take out four silvers and three bronze medals and junior man Chase Morpeth scored two golds, four silvers and two bronzes, in a strong international level field.
The only race that eluded him for a medal was the open men's marathon, in which he took seventh in a field of about 25 skaters, and won by Harry Stogdale, a former runner-up in the world champs.
