Whanganui speedskater Chase Morpeth will be competing at the World Speed Skating Championships in Italy, from August 27 to September 3, where his parents Scott and Dale will be joining him as the manager and assistant manager for the New Zealand team of five skaters.
The competition will take place in banked track, road, and marathon events. Last year in Argentina, Chase competed in every race (crashing in the 10km elimination at 40km/h), but this year he may be more selective about his race choices in order to maximise his results in his specialist events. It’s his last year as a junior (under 19) so he will be competing alongside the world’s elite senior skaters from next year.
Chase is the current New Zealand Junior Champion, and the current holder of 12 national records gained at the 2023 Nationals Champs.
“He’s been at the top of the New Zealand rankings for quite a while,” said Scott, “so, supporting him to skate overseas is a natural progression as he gains the experience of skating in large elite fields.”
Chase Morpeth, New Zealand Junior Speed Skating Champion.
Now training in Germany, his first event was the famous Geisingen International, held in the Geisingen Arena, just eight days after he landed in Germany in April.
This event attracted 756 skaters, with 98 junior men in his under-19 grade alone.
“The Geisingen complex attracts world-class skaters from around the globe with the world’s best indoor 200m banked track and a picturesque road track,” said Scott.
“Chase has hit the ground running and is ‘living his dream’ of being a fulltime athlete. He has competed in several high-level events and achieved pleasing results.
“The level of racing is higher than what New Zealand can offer, due to the sheer numbers of skaters at these events. Chase has proven that he can mix it with the best skaters in the world, and he is learning so much from these encounters.
“He has consistently been racing in groups of 30 skaters at a time in the long distances, which improves pack racing skills and tactics. Without these skills, you are quickly left behind and out of the race.”
So far, Chase has competed in Worgl, Austria, Heerde in the Netherlands, Weinfeldon in Switzerland, and Gross Gerau and Geisingen in Germany. Another significant event in Zanvoorde, Belgium, on August 11-13, will be his last before heading off to Italy for the World Speed Skating Championships.
Chase’s training regime includes gym work, cycling, and skating, often doing all three in one day. The rest of his time revolves around recovery and schoolwork.
He trains six days each week with the Geisingen team, under Arena Geisingen’s head coach, multiple-world champion Kalon Dobbin, from Palmerston North.
Chase Morpeth on the banked track at the World Speed Skating Championships in Argentina last year.
Scott said by the time Chase cooks all his own meals and does all his washing, he’s pretty much ready to go to bed, and then do it all again the next day.
“I just want to gain as much experience as I can and learn from the very best,” said Chase.
Socially, there’s great camaraderie among all the skaters.
“Chase is making important connections with influential people at the top of the sport, such as Pascal Briand, the German national speed skating coach, Kelly Springer, the head coach of Team USA, and his idol, multiple world champion Bart Swings,” said Scott.
Chase is a keen photographer and quickly became the team photographer for his Arena Geisingen Speed Skating team. He spends a lot of time editing photos for the team before posting them on the official site. You can follow Chase on Facebook and Instagram.
The final stop for Chase will be the Berlin Skating Marathon, which he will compete in with his father. It attracts thousands of skaters annually. Chase’s parents Scott and Dale had planned to go to Europe to watch Chase compete at worlds. A change of plans meant the original coach couldn’t go, so the manager is now the coach and Scott and Dale will fill the management roles.
“While it is an added expense, we can now stay with the team instead of being in separate accommodation,” said Scott.
This adventure for Chase started when he was 6 years old, going to the Hatrick Street Skating Rink one weekend. He ended up at the Thursday night “Learn to Skate” class, which is still run every Thursday by Gary Clark, Chase’s coach.
“He had done all he can here in New Zealand, he has every title over every distance and every one of the current National age group records on all three track types (flat track, banked track, and road),” said Gary.
“Only the top senior men can get the better of him, and only on rare occasions. He has been fortunate that the current top senior man resident in New Zealand, Andrew Jones, is also a Whanganui skater, so a good training partner for Chase.
“Andrew will be the only senior man representing New Zealand at Worlds this year and he arrived in Germany on July 27 to spend the next four weeks continuing his preparation for world championships.
“Of the hundreds of skaters that I have coached over the past 40-odd years, Chase is one of the most challenging, always asking questions, always wanting to step up to the next level, and always entertaining.
“He is also very easy to coach - he listens, he attempts every task set for him, he is tough enough and motivated enough to continue to give his very best effort from start to finish each and every training session. My reward, as his coach, happens on race day.”
Gary said, “We are a bit lucky here in Whanganui with Jubilee Stadium, the fastest flat track in the country, and with Mitre 10 Mega carpark, which the management allows us to use as a road training venue after closing time. They even leave the floodlights on for us during the winter when it’s dark. Good access to suitable training venues is critical to producing good skaters.”
Gary said, “He has never looked back, and Chase recommends this awesome sport to anyone who is into speed, agility, excitement, and most of all, fun.”
