Artistic Roller Skating: Tokoroa Roller Skating Club

The New Zealand Roller Skating association promotes all categories of roller skating that also includes speed Skating, skate dancing and roller hockey. It has 33 rinks and clubs and its registered members are over 1200 amateur skaters.

The Oceania Artistic Roller Skating Championships -held in Rotorua from September 19 to 22, attracted 33 New Zealand team members, 37 from Australia, one from Japan and one from the United Kingdom.

Athletes joining the competition from Waikato/BOP were

Tanya Podjursky from Hamilton Roller Skating Club,

Dianne Gunson from Tokoroa Roller Skating Club,

Maegan Fraser, Rosa Hook, Hunta Jenkins and Milah van Niekerk were all from Rotorua roller Skating Club.

These women were selected to represent New Zealand after they showcased their impressive performance at the New Zealand Artistic Roller Skating Championships that was held in Wanganui in July. It was very impressive to see Dianne Gunson's outstanding performance even though she returned to competitive skating after a sabbatical of 15 years. She certainly showed that she has not lost her edge. The Rotorua Skaters team of Maegan, Rosa, Hunta and Milah produced magnificent team performance and won the gold in the quartet’s event. Tanya Podjursky won the bronze in the master ladies figure, and finished fifth in the masters solo dance. It was her debut as a New Zealand representative.

It was also for the first time that these athletes were performing at an international event. Their performance definitely predicts towards more international competitions to be won not just as team situation but also in individual capacity.

By: Madhuchanda Saxena

Content: https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/south-waikato-news/107527525/tokoroa-skater-rolls-in-success