Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle / Sport

China heat takes its toll on Wanganui skaters

staff reporter
Whanganui Chronicle·
16 Aug, 2013 06:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The heat took its toll in Eastern China on the Wanganui speed skaters at the World Inline Cup marathon in Suzhou last week.

Veteran Krystine Davies and 16-year-old Rebecca Smith were in the New Zealand X-Tech team organised by South Canterbury coach Bill Begg.

Wanganui club spokesman Ken Smith said there was a field of 74 senior women skaters with a strong Asian representation including last year's 1000m world champion Guo Dan, who lives in Suzhou.

"The defining feature of the race was the climate, with temperatures reaching 42C, forcing the organisers to shorten the race to 30km for the skater's safety."

Many skaters succumbed to heat stroke, and Davies was also forced out when her vision broke up into dots, being unable to carry on with 6km remaining.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ultimately, of the New Zealand team, Smith was one of only two who finished on the lead lap.

Timaru professional Nicole Begg, who had been training in China, was part of a four-skater breakaway and raced brilliantly to finish second to China's Li Lisha.

Smith gutted it out to come home with the main chasing pack, in 30th place in a mass sprint finish.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"This was a strong performance for the 16-year-old against a field of accomplished international skaters," said Ken Smith.

The pair returned home this week.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Sport

Sam Ruthe becomes fastest 16-year-old miler after Whanganui race

24 Jan 10:41 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

World-class athlete showdown to bring crowds to Cook Gardens

21 Jan 05:00 PM
Sport

Athletics: Tanner and Ruthe eye history at Cooks Gardens

21 Jan 04:00 PM

Sponsored

Discover Australia with AAT Kings’ easy-going guided holidays 

15 Jan 12:33 AM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Sam Ruthe becomes fastest 16-year-old miler after Whanganui race
Sport

Sam Ruthe becomes fastest 16-year-old miler after Whanganui race

Tauranga schoolboy Sam Ruthe ran the mile in 3m 53.36s in Whanganui.

24 Jan 10:41 PM
World-class athlete showdown to bring crowds to Cook Gardens
Whanganui Chronicle

World-class athlete showdown to bring crowds to Cook Gardens

21 Jan 05:00 PM
Athletics: Tanner and Ruthe eye history at Cooks Gardens
Sport

Athletics: Tanner and Ruthe eye history at Cooks Gardens

21 Jan 04:00 PM


Discover Australia with AAT Kings’ easy-going guided holidays 
Sponsored

Discover Australia with AAT Kings’ easy-going guided holidays 

15 Jan 12:33 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP