The Canterbury Alpine Club have several athletes who currently have world rankings during the 2008/09 season.  Mark, Blake, Tom & Fran, have had many years of competing on the ice, competitions ranging local, national, international, World Cups, World Championships and Olympic Winter Games - check out the photo gallery.

We currently have three athletes competing in International Speed Skating Events in Europe and America.  All three athletes also represent New Zealand in inline skating with excellent results.   4 Times World Champion Inline skater, Shane Dobbin will compete in March at his first Speed Skating World Championship on ice.  Check out the latest on Shane at shanedobbin.blogspot.com. 

Update: Shane Dobbin, four-time world champion on inline skates, has joined the New Zealand Olympic initiative breaking the Oceania record by 14 seconds in the 5,000 meter, a result that puts him within the top 20 in the world. Recently qualifying to skate at the World Single Distance Championships, Shane placed 14th in the 10km race.

Also making the same transfer from inline to ice is D J Nation who placed 15th overall distances at the Junior World Speed Skating Championships. 

Wayne Begg our third speed skater, also skated 2 NZ Records in Calgary in March in the 500m 37.2 sec & 1000m 1.12.7sec.

Mark Jackson, Blake Skjellerup, and Francesca Jackson all qualified to attend the ISU World Championships in Vienna. Indications were that this could be a break-through event for our athletes, and they certainly lived up to those expectations. Mark Jackson skated the 9th fastest 1500m placing inside the top 32 overall, and Francesca slashed a massive 10 seconds off her previous performance at the championships in 2009. Sadly, Blake Skjellerup, who had skated a world-elite time of  2:12 in the 1500m just days before the championships, was forced to withdraw after an illegal move by a competitior sent him into the crashmats, breaking his collarbone.

We are looking forward to this Olympic qualifying season for these athletes, and for up and coming stars Tom  and Corey.  Short track is well positioned to perform with distinction at the qualification meets, leaving a world-class path for our junior skaters to aspire to.