Strath trio on a roll
AVIEMORE’S CALUM Irvine has added to his growing reputation as an
Olympic prospect by taking the senior men’s British Rollerski Championship title at the weekend.
The Cairngorm Biathlon and Nordic Ski Club member was joined on the podium by team-mate Scott Dixon, while the CBNSC’s Robert Sircus won the latest under-18s race to continue his dominance in the series.
The championships took place on Saturday at the 1.5k (0.93 mile) Hillingdon Cycle Circuit at Hayes in London, close to Heathrow Airport, having been held last year on the Cairngorm Ski Road.
The event included a one hour race for the seniors and a half hour race for juniors.
Irvine took his second GB Team and Olympian scalp in a month as he beat Simon Platt (Lakeland
He had previously beaten Andrew Young at the recent Cairngorm Hill Race in the UK senior series.
Dixon missed out on second place by a hair’s breadth as he closed a 10 second gap to go level with Platt as they crossed the finish line, both with 19 laps in the same time of 1:03.21.
Irvine and Dixon had flown into London from Sweden, where they have been training at an indoor snow tunnel specifically built to allow racers to continue training on snow during the summer.
Both athletes have now gone on to Loughborough, where they are taking part in their second training camp for future British Olympic prospects alongside talented young athletes from a variety of other sports.
In the under-18 event, Sircus put in another excellent performance to win with 10 laps in a time of 36.42, one minute and 43 seconds ahead of second place Stuart Gray (38.25) of BNDS
In third place was Jamie Homyer of Highland Nordic, who completed nine laps in 38.27. Earlier this year, Sircus also came home from the GB Nordic Ski Championships in Germany with an under-18 gold medal.
The only other racer from the strath competing at the weekend was Katy Homyer from Insh (BNDS
CBNSC’s Rex Sircus said: “These are really excellent results for the CBNSC boys, and with several other very promising juniors boys absent because of family commitments and our fast improving group of girls also unable to be there. It bodes well for the future of the club.
“Former British biathlon team captain and six times Olympian Mike Dixon has continued to inspire and lead the training of club youngsters during the summer break, with Biathlon camps at Glenmore Lodge.”
The regular annual club camp at Glenmore Lodge, a mixture of rollerskiing, biathlon and team building takes place in early August.
The CBNSC Club Championships are also due to take place on Saturday, August 20.
British Roller Ski Championships results
Senior Men one hour + one lap: Calum Irvine (laps 19) 1:03.06 (CBNSC); Simon Platt (19) 1:03.21 (Lakeland); Scott Dixon (19) 1:03.21 (CBNSC); Carl Carrier (19) 1:03.41 (RAF); Mantas Strolia (19) 1:04.23 (Hyde Park); Alexandr Bessarab (18) 1:04.23 (Hyde Park); Carl Pointer (18) 1:04.45 (RAF); Frank Kelly (18) 1:07.03 (RAF); Iain Ballentine (18) 1:07.45 (Hyde Park); Steve Perry (17) 1:06.37 (RAF):
Senior Women one hour + one lap: Fiona Hughes (18) 1:06.54 (Yorkshire Dales); Dora Robinson (Laps 17) 1:07.10 (Huntly); Fiona Crossley (15) 1:06.00 (CBNSC); Ana Irwin (14) 1:05.58 (RAF); Irene Chawko (14) 1:08.44 (LRNSC); Michelle Martine (13) 1:07.12 (LRNSC); Wendy McRae (13) 1:07.21 (Yorkshire Dales); Leah Middlewick (13) 1:09.16 (RAF); Paula Jarzabklowski (10) 1:07.20 (Hyde Park).
Junior under-14 female 30 mins + one lap: Winner – Beth MacLean (7) 39.09 (Huntly).
Junior 16-18 female 30 mins + one lap: Katy Homyer (10) 41.15 (Highland Nordic); Fern Cates (Laps 7) 41.52 (Hyde Park); Alex Coulthard ( 6) 44:16 (Yorkshire Dales).
Junior 14-16 male 30 mins + one lap: Robert Sircus (10) 36.42 (CBNSC); Stuart Gray (10) 38.25 (Huntly); Jamie Homyer (9) 38.27 (Highland Nordic); Angus McLean (9) 40.56 (Huntly); Daniel Coursey (9) 41.58 (Huntly); Gregor Young (8) 41.58 (Huntly).