INFORMATION DOCUMENT FOR THE 2012 SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN INLINE SPEED SKATING CHAMPIONSHIP
ROLLER SPORT SOUTH AFRICA IS HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THE 2012 SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN INLINE SPEED SKATING CHAMPIONSHIP
The championship will take place at Sun City, North West.
DATE : 30 MARCH – 1 April 2012
More than 200 South African skaters from 7 Provinces will participate in the Senior, Junior, Masters and age group categories of the championship. Skaters from 20 clubs will participate in their first championship in the Beginner section.
Skaters from Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Kenya, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Pakistan and USA have confirmed their participation. Among the international skaters there are numerous world championship medal winners, World record holders and European champions.
The skaters will compete over distances from 200m to 42 km. The races are fast and exciting as the skaters compete in close contact at very high speeds. The marathon 42.1 km takes about 1 hour to complete. Many cyclists struggle to achieve this speed.
Skaters ranging from 10 years old to Masters of 35 and older will participate in the championship and aim to become the 2012 South African champions.
CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS
400m road circuit racing
30 and 31 March Full days of competition 09h00 – 12h00 and 14h00 - 18h00
1 April - ½ Day racing Marathon and long distance races 08h00 – 11h00
The championship will take place on the parking area of Sun City. Spectators are welcome to come and watch the event free of charge. Once you enter Sun City you will see the track to the right of the entrance gate, close to the Skytrain.
Inline Speed skating has grown rapidly in South Africa in the past few years thanks to the ongoing funding we receive from the National Lotteries distribution Trust fund (NLDTF) and Sport and Recreation South Africa(SRSA). The two organisations make the development of the sport possible and with help from the South African Sport Confederation and Olympic committee our skaters are finally reaching the top ten positions at world championship.
Roller skating is practiced in more than 80 countries worldwide and we hope to be part of the Olympic Games soon. Millions of people enjoy the recreational side of the sport. Weekly marathon races in Europe and Asia have up to 13 000 participants.
RSSA is working hard to grow the sport both competitively and recreationally all over the country.
What is inline speed skating?
Inline speed skating is a fast and exciting, a non-contact sport. Skaters compete against each other on a track, road circuit or open road in groups over different distances.
From 200m time trials up to 42km mass start events. A 200m takes +- 16 seconds and the marathon 1 hour.
Competitors are disqualified for pushing, blocking, forcing another racer out of position, or using their arms, legs, or hands in any way that impedes the progress of other competitors. For added safety, skaters are also required to wear approved helmets during competition.
It is a young, dynamic, fast-paced, and spectacular sport. Every young boy or girl and all adults who see skaters going at a lightning fast speed is immediately interested to try and skate or to watch the skaters. It is very easy to draw thousands of skaters, if only we could give them facilities and equipment. Many sports have problems to draw new participants; we have problems because we have to show them away.
In South Africa we have just over 1000 skaters but internationally the sport is huge.
It is practiced by more than 50 million skaters world-wide, in all the five continents. At the 2008 World Championships, 57 countries participated. In the major cities of Europe and Asia there are marathon competitions every weekend between April and September with between 6 000 and 13 000 participants. Most of the competitors are master( recreational skaters) over the age of 35.
Inline speed skating is an individual, non-violent sport, practiced by men and women equally, competing in the same distances at amazing speed. On the track the top senior men’s skaters move at an average speed of 43 km/h, with peaks of 60 Km/h during sprints. The marathon(42km) world record is only 53 minutes?
South African skaters are improving in international rankings but the most important drawback to achieve ultimate results is the lack of international races. Karabo Molepo, from Pretoria placed 8th in the 2011 Junior World championship in the 200m time trial.
FEDERATION INFORMATION:
Roller Sport South Africa (RSSA) is the national Federation for speed and artistic roller skating in Africa. RSSA is recognized by and affiliated to Sport and Recreation South Africa (SRSA) and the South African Sport Confederation and Olympic committee.
CORE BUSINESS:
To administrate and promote roller skating in South Africa.
To develop the sport in South Africa and give all persons equal opportunity to participate in the fascinating sport.
To offer training and grading to all coaches, officials and administrators
To organize the SA championship annually
PRIORITIES:
To grow Roller skating in South Africa and create equal opportunities for all persons actively involved in the sport.
To continue with the improvement of skating, administration, coaching and officiating from club level all the way up to the international level
To win medals at World championship by 2015
To have strong provincial and club structures in all the provinces
To lower dependency on government assistance for funding
To uphold affiliation to SASCOC, FIRS, ACRS and other relevant Federations and to uphold the objectives of the organisations.
Wendy Gila
RSSA: PRESIDENT