An injury-enforced break has led to the perfect end to the pre-Christmas speed skating season for Christchurch's Blake Skjellerup.
The 26-year-old finished 10th in the 1000m in the latest World Cup round in Shanghai, China, finishing second in the C final.
A fall two months ago meant four weeks' rest for Skjellerup and the result is better than he was expecting with a limited buildup, and ties his best result, achieved in 2008.
Skjellerup has recently moved from his Calgary base to Melbourne and works with Australian national coach Ann Zhang.
He finished fourth in his initial heat and was forced to go through the repechages which proved dramatic. A second in his first repechage race qualified the New Zealand champion and Olympian to the repechage quarterfinals. He won the slowest of four races at that stage and in the semifinals was tripped while ahead and given a pass through to the main draw with race winner Pan To Barton Lui (Hong Kong). Skjellerup then finished third in the main draw quarterfinal to reach the C final in which he came third.
Manager Matt Andree Wiltens, speaking from New Zealand, said Skjellerup was "over the moon" with his result. "Especially after the injury break," he said. "It says really great things about Blake's new training regime in Melbourne." Skjellerup will return home for a Christmas break before, funding permitting, heading to Moscow and Heerenveen (Netherlands) for the last two World Cup meets. He will then attend the World Championships in Shanghai in March.
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