The Kiwis who travelled to Copenhagen recently for the World Outgames did New Zealand proud, taking away 14 medals. In to win: LGBT athletes came to Copenhagen Six gold, six silver and two bronze medals were won across a range of swimming and running events. Wellington athletes took out eleven medals in the swimming pool. Eve Tregerthan won three gold medals in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly events. Karen Moses won a gold for the 50m breaststroke event, a silver for the 200m breaststroke and a bronze for the 100m breaststroke. Martin Kaulback took out a gold medal for the 50m backstroke and a bronze for the 50m freestyle. The Wellington team also won three medals in swimming relay events, a gold medal for the 100m freestyle, a silver for the 50m freestyle and a silver for the 50m medley. Meanwhile, Nigel Jeffcoat won a silver medal in the half marathon and Anthony Paltridge won two silver medals, one for the half marathon and one for the 10,000m running event. PLANNING FOR WELLINGTON'S GAMES 2011 "The Copenhagen World Outgames were a fantastic experience and we are very proud of our team's achievements," says 2nd Asia Pacific Outgames Sports Convenor David Huxford. "The games were described as 'a successful tribute to the global LGBT community and a fantastic celebration of diversity and love', and we are now even more excited about bringing the Outgames spirit to Wellington in 2011," he adds. The 2nd AsiaPacific Outgames, running in Wellington from 12-19 March 2011, will involve a range of sporting, cultural and conference events for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and friends from the Asia Pacific region and further afield. Swimming, tennis, fast-pitch softball, running, volleyball, same-sex dancing and soccer are confirmed sporting events for the 2011 Outgames in Wellington, and participants can make suggestions for other events on the new Wellington Outgames website. 2nd AsiaPacific Outgames Spokesperson, Virginia Hopkins-Burns says "the Outgames is a great time to visit New Zealand and is an ideal time for offshore kiwis to make the trip home. "We are encouraging those considering participation to set a goal and train for a sporting event, or learn a new one. For those less inclined to sports, there is time to create a work of art, a piece of music, or write a paper to present at one of the Outgames conferences. "The 2nd AsiaPacific Outgames will cater to everyone and we really want to see the whole LGBT community involved," she concludes.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Tuesday, 25th August 2009 - 5:43pm