Blake in action on the ice Out speed skater Blake Skjellerup has claimed another national title in a clean sweep at the Zealand National Speed Skating Championships in Dunedin. The Winter Olympian won all four of his individual races in the two-day event as well as racing, and his Auckland club's relay team who also won its race. The wins are a sold warm-up for the New Zealand Winter Games where Skjellerup will compete from tomorrow against skaters from around the world. Skjellerup is pleased with the results from his first competition of the season and looking forward to getting back into international competition. "It's always wonderful to be able to compete here at home and it felt great to be back out on the ice racing," he says. "It's fantastic that New Zealand has the facilities to host international competitions like this and I hope people will take advantage of the fact that we have some international skaters here and come down and cheer on us locals." Skjellerup recently delivered the keynote address at the Human Rights Conference at the Vancouver Out Games and is next week being inducted as an ambassador to the Federation of Gay Games in Sydney.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 26th August 2011 - 8:22pm