WOMEN’S SKATE RACE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 550, 31 December 1928, Page 10

WOMEN’S SKATE RACE

THRILLS AND SPILLS

GIRL TURNS SOMERSAULT

Thirteen women took part in roller-skating race from London Brighton. 53 miles. There -were mg,, thrills and spills on the way, and onh six completed the distance. The race was the second organised by the Brixton All-Blacks Skatlnr Club. The women started from jy 5 . Ben, Westminster, at 4 a.m.. and tht 2S men competitors followed an hour later. Of the seven women who gave t, some because of broken skates, forgot within six miles of Brighton. One girl. Miss H. Goodson. after skating 15 £ miles. collapsed and slipping, turned a double somersaulShe was placed in one of the amhr lances which accompanied the coni petitors, and taken to Brighton, wher she quickly recovered. A new women's record for the race was established by Miss L. E. Dan a 24-year-old London girl, who cont pleted the journey in 6hr llmin 30ser The former women's record was 6hr 41min. Miss L. M. Smith, aged 19, Wa second, her time being 6hr SOsec. Miss K. J. Giles equalled ths old record. Fall Woke Her Up All three confessed that they had never done any road-racing befort Miss Davy said: “I fell down after crossing Westminster Bridge through colliding with two others. Bn" this did not hurt me; in fact, it wak= me up.” The youngest competitor, Jfis= “Pat” Brunton, aged 16, skated the whole distance, notwithstanding the fact that she had a bad attack 0! cramp at Handcross, 36 miles bon London. Her time was Thr 7min. The girls looked surprisingly fresh when they arrived in Brighton. Miss Davy was seized by the crowd and carried shoulder-high along the front Only six of the 28 men competitor; fell out by the way. The winner, Mr. L. Stewart, the ice international skater, and one of ths British ice skaters in this yesrt Olympic Games, led almost all the way.