SPECIAL OLYMPICS Jamaica has six athletes in training for participants in international competition in Speed Ice Skating.
"None of the six athletes has ever skated on ice," says Sports and Competition Director Mrs. Carole Mitchell, "however, they are competent skaters on roller-blades and should be able to make the transition to ice fairly easily."
The athletes train weekly using in-line skates or roller blades, a form of roller skates where the four wheels are all in one row, as well as running for endurance and strength training.
The goal is for four of these athletes to qualify for participation in the 2001 Special Olympics World Winter Games which will be held in March in Alaska, USA.
The rules for Speed Ice Skating state that the athletes must have training and competition experience on ice to qualify for competition at the World Games. This will be obtained when the six skaters go to Coral Springs, Florida, where they will have use of the ice rink in that town, August 14 to 17.
To help fund the training of the ice skaters, a Gala Benefit Performance of the National Dance Theatre Company will be held tomorrow, Sunday, August 6, starting at 5:00 p.m.; all proceeds will go to Special Olympics Jamaica.
