|
Navy
skiers hop to it at Falls Creek
Skiing
The
Kangaroo Hoppet, Australia’s only international cross country
skiing circuit competition, was contested at Falls Creek on Saturday,
August 31.
The event attracted 1078 entrants from 21 different nations, and
with 20 Service personnel competing, it was also one of the largest
ADF Nordic skiing competitions.
Conditions were overcast and in parts, wet, which made the going
slow and tough.
The three Services raced for the Kinetix Cup, which requires two
Service competitors to race in the Hoppet (42km) race, two in the
associated Birkenbeiner (21km) race and one of the competitors to
be female.
The RAAF team had just one competitor in the Birkenbeiner and so
received a penalty. The Army team was fortunate to find a previously
unknown compatriot who finished 10th overall in the Hoppet and this
lowered their aggregate time significantly.
Consequently, Army won the Kinetix Cup, with Air Force second and
Navy third.
Aggregate times for the three teams were: 1. Army - 9:39:36; 2.
RAAF - 11:50:35 (inc 20% penalty); 3. Navy - 12:39:04.
Notable Navy Birkenbeiner performances included Ralph Loeding, who
came second in his age group and 30th overall; and Lisa-Jane Lewis,
Shona Muir, and Zoe Rose who each finished around 10th in their
age groups.
Garry Lewis and Tim Baird also obtained credible results in the
marathon Hoppet event, finishing 20th and 28th respectively in their
age groups.
The Navy Nordic Ski and Biathlon Association would like to thank
the ADF Sports Council, RAN Central Canteens Board, RAN Ski Club,
and HMAS Harman and Kuttabul for supporting this activity.
|
