Who Was Len Duke?

Australian Ice Racing President’s Message

It is with great pleasure that I welcome all member states to the 2019 Duke Trophy, hosted by ice Racing New South Wales and Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink. On behalf of AIR, I thank all the volunteers who have brought this competition to fruition and will continue to give their time over the next two days. Without you, we just couldn’t hold such great competitions. My thanks further extend to the appointed officials for their time over this important racing weekend for short track in Australia. The Duke Trophy is an important part of our national racing calendar, celebrating the history of the sport of speed skating in Australia. Named in the honour of Len Duke, a past Victorian speed skater, it provides much needed racing opportunities, not just for our younger skaters, but also for our senior and master level skaters as well. I wish all the skaters the best of luck for the Duke Trophy! Good luck everyone! Frank Anderson President Australian Ice Racing Inc.

Australian Ice Racing Sincerely thank our sponsors and partners for their support!

AOC FUNDING SUPPORT

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) has the exclusive responsibility for the representation of Australia at the Olympic Winter Games. To help achieve Australian Olympic Winter Team objectives, the AOC provides funding (AOC Funding) to its member National Federations (NFs), athletes and coaches. While the AOC neither seeks nor derives any funding from the Australian Government or its Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), it acknowledges the critical assistance these bodies provide to the AOC’s Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWIA) and member National Federations (NFs) of sports on the Olympic Winter program and to athletes directly for their preparation for the Olympic Winter Games. AOC Funding to the OWIA of $6,025,568 ($2,631,392 2018/19, $1,131,392 in 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22) is budgeted for OWIA program for all winter sports. Although the Host City for the 2021 Asian Winter Games has not yet been announced, however, it is expected that Australia will be invited to participate. It is anticipated that the AOC will select a team of around 40 athletes, including short track and speed skating athletes. AOC funding of around $400,000 is budgeted for this Team. The third Winter Youth Olympic Games will be held in Lausanne, Switzerland from 10 - 19 January 2020. Australia has qualified for 1 male and 1 female quota places. The AOC funding for the WYOG is $400,000 for the Team. The AOC will consider applications for NF Funding for the period 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2022 from the NFs of the following, and any other sports on the program of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games which have received less than $100,000 from the ASC/AIS in high performance funding for 2018-19 and any subsequent year. $50,000 will be applicable to Short Track and Speed Skating.

History of Duke Trophy Competition

The Duke Trophy competition was first run in 1952. The Trophy was donated to the then AAIRC (Australian Amateur Ice Racing Council) by Len Duke. Len was the first secretary/treasurer of the AAIRC. He began skating at St Moritz Ice Palais in St Kilda in June 1946 and eventually represented Victoria at interstate competitions.

There had been interstate racing between NSW and Victoria for many years, initially managed by the Ice Hockey Association as an additional attraction to the interstate hockey matches held at the time. There had been no record of the winning teams in these competitions. The inscription on the plate of the original part of the trophy reads “The Australian Amateur Ice Racing Council Trophy for Interstate Racing”. By 1951 the AAIRC had been formed and had separate associations for speed skating in Victoria and NSW and even for a short time in Tasmania. Len felt there should be a separate trophy for the interstate racing, especially after the Victorian team was very successful in Hobart in 1952. The idea of the skater on the top was born after he won three distances in the 1951 Australian Championships and brought back to Melbourne three beautiful trophies donated by Graeme Smith’s father in the form of a globe of the world on which was mounted a speed skater. One of the original trophies was donated back to the VSSU (which later became VIRA) after Len’s death and has since been made into the Best and Fairest Trophy for the Duke Trophy competition. A bike accident in 1952 left Len with damaged discs in his spine and in a plaster cast for several months. Len could not skate and defend his titles that year. For various reason he dropped out of participation in speed skating. In 1956 it was suggested that the trophy become the Duke Trophy to keep his name in the sport. This was not widely accepted in Melbourne for a few years but by 1963 when the competition moved away from the Australian Championships to its own time slot of Queens Birthday weekend the name settled to the Duke Trophy. The Duke Trophy is now held on the last weekend in July. The original format was a competition between 6 senior men and 2 junior men with races ranging from quarter through half mile to 1 mile. Two skaters per State competed in each race, except for the 1 mile in which there were three skaters per State. The Juniors skated quarter and half mile only, then there was also a 2 mile Relay for the seniors. By 1955 a 2 mile race for Seniors was included. The whole program was held over a half hour period on the last night of Australian Championships. The program is now held over three sessions on a Saturday and Sunday. Ladies came later in the early 1960’s initially there were only three with a special trophy for the ladies Relay donated by Teddi Jenkins of Victoria, a previous Victorian and National title holder David Morgan.

Who was Len Duke?

By his niece Megan, with his sister Jenny (nee Duke), July 2014

Mum and I regret that we cannot attend the 2014 Duke Trophy, however, when recently working on our family history, I realised Mum had more stories about Len, which we’d love to share with the skating community - to honour Len, and to provide some personal insight into this remarkable athlete, in the hope that it will inspire others to skate and shine.

He was an unlikely champion, my Uncle Len. A young man from a humble but loving home, with no formal training in the sport as far as I know, who rode to practice on a pushbike, and ignored his heart doctor’s advice to give up skating, Len Duke the 2nd went on to create and break records, and set a precedent of passion and dedication to the sport of speed skating.

“My brother Len just had such a love of skating. He was very likeable, and also enjoyed the great friendships with mates who also shared his enthusiasm for the sport,” Len’s youngest sister Jenny, and only surviving sibling (my Mum), recalls.

Len Duke with trophies, circa 1951. Courtesy Jenny Duke.

Midway through World War II, just before Christmas 1941, a nine-year-old Len, along with his parents Len and Lil Duke senior, sister Lil and brother Fran, moved from South Melbourne to North Caulfield. In 1946, as the family celebrated the birth of Jenny, a 14-year-old Len began to take up skating, along with 12-year-old Lil. The sport dominated the family home, with Lil senior looking after the skating uniforms, and the family going along to support the champions-in-the-making. “I can remember seeing Len going to and from his skating practice (at St Moritz Ice Rink on the Upper Esplanade at St Kilda), or whenever there was a race on. Len had black wool skin tight “tights” as we’d call them - there was no stretch fabric in those days - and a long-sleeved wool top. And there he’d be with his skates hanging around his neck, laced together, jumping on that pushbike of his, and perhaps meeting with Dave Morgan, another skater who lived around the corner from us. “Len wasn’t home much as I grew older as he went to skating practice at St Moritz and the Glaciarium, or committee meetings etc, but when he was a younger skater and still living at home, he would do funny things like run down the corridor and shout “Track!”, and we’d all jump back, he’d jump over a table he’d put in the hallway to practice his skating moves! I think that was about jumping over barrels on the ice - I do remember he was asked to join an Ice Skating Show and go touring, but he didn’t take up the offer.

“I attended some of his races as a little girl, and I was just so proud. Len was only about 5 feet 7 inches tall, slender build, dark black hair, and had the brightest blue eyes you could imagine. At the beginning of a race, the skaters would all be lined up at the starting line, the Go gun would go off and Len, like a rocket, would be a great starter and shoot out front and skate so fast it was hard to follow him. “He’d be right down with his hands touching the ice as he flew along, and he looked so strong and healthy. I was breathless every time I attended. He was probably only 18 years old at the time, I was about four years old. He was so good that he actually raced in more senior races and won them too. I suppose in today’s language you’d call him a pocket rocket. “He also enjoyed the social skating sessions which weren’t competitive, in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

“When I was about six, Len was riding on his bike with his skates around his neck on the way to practice, and was hit by a car. He suffered from a broken neck, and was in plaster from his forehead down, over his shoulders and down his chest and back. Only his face, the top of his head, and his arms were visible. He had that cast on for months, but Len always had a way around things, and when he was itchy he would take a spoke from his bike and put it down his back and chest to scratch away!

Jenny Duke with brother Len’s infamous pushbike, circa 1951. Courtesy Jenny Duke.

“I loved skating too, but was not interested in speed skating for myself. I was attracted to the pristine white figure skating boots!! As young teenagers, my best friend and I would catch the Dandenong Road tram to St Moritz, on public skating days. I learnt to skate steadily, but not fast, and we would go as often as possible. I took to roller skating like a duck to water. I used to put on a satin skating skirt, a beanie, and go out on to the road near our home (it was in a cul-de sac) and glide along on one leg, jump in the air and turn, and do all sorts of fancy steps. I loved it. Even though Len and Lil had been very successful in speed skating, I never really thought of taking lessons to improve or even compete. I was just happy showing off because I went past eight houses up and down! I can’t remember ever falling over. “I don’t know where the family interest in skating came from, although a paternal great-grandfather of ours was Norwegian, so skating of some form must be in that branch of the family tree! “Despite his skating career coming to a halt, Len continued his interest in sport, and was asked to be a judge for athletic events in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. “Before he began racing, Len was in the Monarchs ice hockey team, I remember the gold crown logo emblazoned on his shirt. As he got older, he became interested in keeping detailed records of the speed skating competitors, competitions, and times etc, all handwritten in a little book, which one of his peers showed my sister Lil and me when we attended the Duke Trophy in Brisbane in 2008. It was wonderful to be so well received, and be able to talk to people who knew Len. I was so proud of my big brother being so well respected. I’m hoping to attend another Duke Trophy in the future.

“My mum and dad (Len and Lil Duke senior), my brother Fran and sister Lil and myself were (and I still am) so very proud of him. Mum kept all the newspaper clippings and photos from his skating days, which I inherited when she died a few years after Len, who died in 1984. I still have them and treasure them to this day.

Skating champion Len Duke (centre) in action, pre 1952. Courtesy Jenny Duke.

“Thank you to Australian Ice Racing for all your hard work, and to all the skaters for following your passion, and to the families for their support, just as the Duke family supported Len all those years ago.”

Duke Trophy 2019 Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink – July 27 & 28, 2019

2019 Duke Trophy Awards Pennington Blades Most Improved – Male Teddi Jenkins Most Improved - Female Colin Coates Spirit of the Duke Len Duke Best and Fairest Len Duke Trophy

Officials and Volunteers

Assistant Clare Taylor, Andrew Morgan, Referee Jim Hewish Referees Keith Fearnside and Luke Russell Assistant Starters Jo Russell, Jessica Jung Adam Zeliff Starters Competitors Margaret Blunden and Brett Finish Line Vicky Del Campo, Astrid Robson Stewards Throssell Judge (assistant) Assistant Lynx Lynx Operator Patrick Hasbani Kerry Hemsley Operators Chi Vinh Lam (Sat) Anti Doping Lap Counter Melina Solin Damien Macey (Sun) Officer Block Stewards Chloe Tan, Jonathan Lam Photographer Krys Justice and Mark Justice

Emilie Hasbani, Sherry Heat Box Results Stewards George Tsalacopolous Hawkins and Amy Jung Steward

Volunteer Event Sean O’Brien Registration & Janet Taylor Coordinator Information Cameron Sorensen, Shweta Chief Gupta, Jason Spiker, Natalia Judith Li Timekeepers Timekeeper Rudoy, Jenni Sheldon, Fran Sheldon and Jo Hakim

Duke Trophy 2019 Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink – July 27 & 28, 2019

Teams and names of skaters

New South Wales

Helmet Helmet Name Division Name Division cover no cover no Aidan Shearer- Hawkins 825 Junior A Atticus Lee 64 Junior C - reserve Anna Le 441 Junior A Daniel Yejun Jeong 62 Junior C - reserve Edison Lam 418 Junior A Dokyoung Oh 67 Junior C - reserve Kieran Guan 404 Junior A Jaeho Choi 61 Junior C - reserve Lucas Wareham 824 Junior A Luca Sucic 69 Junior C - reserve Vicko Poon 423 Junior A Robin Lee 65 Junior C - reserve Vincent Yuan 58 Junior A - reserve Sid Mootoosamy 66 Junior C - reserve Annie Le 449 Junior B Taekyoung Oh 68 Junior C - reserve Arjun Mootoosamy 426 Junior B Yeleena Choi 60 Junior C - reserve Gavin Hakim 835 Junior B Yeonjoo Kim 63 Junior C - reserve Ihan Yoo 839 Junior B Chris Robson 56 Masters - reserve Leo Auliff 59 Junior B - reserve James Lynch 333 Masters Sam Huiwon Lee 815 Junior B Martin Auliff 55 Masters - reserve Charles Woojin Ha 447 Junior C Peter Vanderhorst 57 Masters - reserve Harry Woo 445 Junior C Denali Blunden 410 Senior Jian Jung 446 Junior C Hyojin Kim 841 Senior Serena Eunjin Ha 804 Junior C Keanu Blunden 361 Senior Luke Cullen 390 Senior

Queensland

Helmet Helmet Name Division Name Division cover no cover no Corbyn Russell 146 Junior A Christopher Brookes 196 Masters Erica Russell 167 Junior A Dongbing Liu 248 Masters Sarah Sorensen 239 Junior B Herbie Labiche 112 Masters Sophie Sorensen 238 Junior B Scott Kiel-Chisholm 152 Masters Jack Wilks 244 Junior C Sean Bennett 142 Masters Lily Brookes 105 Junior C Shelley Hedley 234 Masters Micah Hemsley 236 Junior C

Nikhil Gupta 198 Junior C

Duke Trophy 2019 Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink – July 27 & 28, 2019

Teams and names of skaters (Cont’d)

Victoria

Helmet Helmet Name Division Name Division cover no cover no Alisha Copeland 593 Junior A Heather Murphy 582 Masters Max Solin 518 Junior A Ken Stewart 511 Masters Peter Tsalacopoulos 569 Junior A Michael Attwood 505 Masters Ryan Justice 574 Junior A Nicole Bateson 595 Masters Siyu Wang 567 Junior A RayWilby 560 Masters Stephanie Fabian 561 Junior A Russell Collins 546 Masters Christina Tsalacopoulos 570 Junior B Sashen Chetty 534 Masters Katya Kagan 597 Junior B Simon Wallace 509 Masters Billie Russell 566 Junior C Jordan Attwood 559 Senior Henry Nieves 598 Junior C Nathan Peart 578 Senior

Western Australia

Helmet Name Division cover no Frank Anderson 702 Masters

Duke Trophy 2019 Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink – July 27 & 28, 2019

Sat July 27, Day 1, Session 1 Warm up 7.30am to 7:35am Junior C Warm up 7:35am to 7:40am Junior A and B Warm up 7:40am to 7:45am Masters and Seniors Ice resurface 7:45am to 8.00am 8.00am Race 1 Junior C 500m Heat 1 Race 2 Junior C 500m Heat 2 1st, 2nd and 2 others to SFA, rest to Race 3 Junior C 500m Heat 3 SFB Race 4 Junior C 500m Heat 4 Race 5 Junior B 777m Heat 1 1st, 2nd and 1 other to Final A, rest Race 6 Junior B 777m Heat 2 to Final B Race 7 Junior A 1000m Heat 1 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 1 other to SF, rest Race 8 Junior A 1000m Heat 2 to Final C Race 9 Junior A 1000m Heat 3 Race 10 Masters 1000m Heat 1 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th to SFA, rest to Race 11 Masters 1000m Heat 2 Final C Race 12 Masters 1000m Heat 3 Race 13 Junior C 500m SFB1 1st, 2nd and 1 other to Final C, rest Race 14 Junior C 500m SFB2 to Final D Race 15 Junior C 500m SFA1 1st, 2nd and 1 other to Final A, rest Race 16 Junior C 500m SFA2 to Final B Race 17 Junior A 1000m SFA1 1st, 2nd and 1 other to Final A, rest Race 18 Junior A 1000m SFA2 to Final B Race 19 Masters 1000m SFA1 1st, 2nd and 3rd to Final A, rest to Race 20 Masters 1000m SFA2 Final B

Ice resurface 9.30am Race 21 Senior 1500m Final A Race 22 Masters 1000m Final C Race 23 Masters 1000m Final B Race 24 Masters 1000m Final A Race 25 Junior C 500m Final D Race 26 Junior C 500m Final C Race 27 Junior C 500m Final B Race 28 Junior C 500m Final A Race 29 Junior B 777m Final B Race 30 Junior B 777m Final A Race 31 Junior A 1000m Final C Race 32 Junior A 1000m Final B Race 33 Junior A 1000m Final A

Ice resurface 10.35am Race 34 Junior C 222m Heat 1 Race 35 Junior C 222m Heat 2 1st, 2nd and 2 others to SFA, rest to Race 36 Junior C 222m Heat 3 SFB Race 37 Junior C 222m Heat 4 Race 38 Junior B 333m Heat 1 1st, 2nd and 1 other to Final A, rest Race 39 Junior B 333m Heat 2 to Final B Race 40 Junior A 500m Heat 1 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 1 other to SF, rest Race 41 Junior A 500m Heat 2 to Final C Race 42 Junior A 500m Heat 3 Race 43 Seniors 500m Heat 1 1st and 2nd to Final A, rest to Final Race 44 Seniors 500m Heat 2 B

Duke Trophy 2019 Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink – July 27 & 28, 2019

Race 45 Masters 500m Heat 1 Race 46 Masters 500m Heat 2 1st, 2nd and 2 others to SFA, rest Race 47 Masters 500m Heat 3 to SFB Race 48 Masters 500m Heat 4 Ice resurface 11.35am

Race 49 Junior C 222m SFB1 1st, 2nd and 1 other to Final C, rest Race 50 Junior C 222m SFB2 to Final D Race 51 Junior C 222m SFA1 1st, 2nd and 1 other to Final A, rest Race 52 Junior C 222m SFA2 to Final B Race 53 Junior A 500m SFB1 1st, 2nd and 1 other to Final A, rest Race 54 Junior A 500m SFB2 to Final B Race 55 Masters 500m SFB1 1st, 2nd and 1 other to Final C, rest Race 56 Masters 500m SFB2 to Final D Race 57 Masters 500m SFA1 1st, 2nd and 1 other to Final A, rest Race 58 Masters 500m SFA2 to Final B Ice resurface 12.20pm

Race 59 Junior B Relay 3000m relay Final Race 60 Junior C Relay 2000m relay Final Race 61 Junior A Relay 3000m relay Final 12.50pm End of Day 1 Session 1

Sat July 27, Day 1, Session 2

Warm up 5:00pm to 5:05pm Junior C Warm up 5:05pm to 5:10pm Junior A and B Warm up 5:10pm to 5:15pm Masters and Seniors Ice resurface 5:15pm to 5.30pm 5.30pm Race 62 Junior C 222m Final D Race 63 Junior C 222m Final C Race 64 Junior C 222m Final B Race 65 Junior C 222m Final A Race 66 Junior B 333m Final B Race 67 Junior B 333m Final A Race 68 Junior A 500m Final C Race 69 Junior A 500m Final B Race 70 Junior A 500m Final A Race 71 Seniors 500m Final B Race 72 Seniors 500m Final A Race 73 Masters 500m Final D Race 74 Masters 500m Final C Race 75 Masters 500m Final B Race 76 Masters 500m Final A Ice resurface 6.30pm Race 77 Junior B 500m Heat 1 1st, 2nd and 1 other to Final A, rest Race 78 Junior B 500m Heat 2 to Final B Race 79 Masters 777m Heat 1 Race 80 Masters 777m Heat 2 1st, 2nd and 2 others to SFA, rest Race 81 Masters 777m Heat 3 to SFB Race 82 Masters 777m Heat 4 Race 83 Junior A 777m Heat 1 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 1 other to SF, rest Race 84 Junior A 777m Heat 2 to Final C Race 85 Junior A 777m Heat 3

Duke Trophy 2019 Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink – July 27 & 28, 2019

Race 86 Junior C 333m Heat 1 Race 87 Junior C 333m Heat 2 1st, 2nd and 2 others to SFA, rest Race 88 Junior C 333m Heat 3 to SFB Race 89 Junior C 333m Heat 4 Ice resurface 7.30pm Race 90 Junior B Relay 3000m relay Final Race 91 Seniors Relay 3000m relay Final 7.50pm End of Day 1 Session 2

Sun Jul 28, Day 2 Warm up 8.00am to 8.05am Junior C Warm up 8.05am to 8.10am Junior A and B Warm up 8.10am to 8.15am Masters and Seniors Ice resurface 8.15am to 8.30am 8.30am Race 92 Masters 777m SFB1 1st, 2nd and 1 other to Final C, rest Race 93 Masters 777m SFB2 to Final D Race 94 Masters 777m SFA1 1st, 2nd and 1 other to Final A, rest Race 95 Masters 777m SFA2 to Final B Race 96 Junior A 777m SFA1 1st, 2nd and 1 other to Final A, rest Race 97 Junior A 777m SFA2 to Final B Race 98 Junior C 333m SFB1 1st, 2nd and 1 other to Final C, rest Race 99 Junior C 333m SFB2 to Final D Race 100 Junior C 333m SFA1 1st, 2nd and 1 other to Final A, rest Race 101 Junior C 333m SFA2 to Final B Ice resurface 9.20am Race 102 Seniors 1000m Final A Race 103 Junior B 500m Final B Race 104 Junior B 500m Final A Race 105 Junior A 777m Final C Race 106 Junior A 777m Final B Race 107 Junior A 777m Final A Race 108 Junior C 333m Final D Race 109 Junior C 333m Final C Race 110 Junior C 333m Final B Race 111 Junior C 333m Final A Race 112 Masters 777m Final D Race 113 Masters 777m Final C Race 114 Masters 777m Final B Race 115 Masters 777m Final A Ice resurface 10.25am Race 116 Seniors 3000m Sup Final 2 skaters each state Race 117 Junior A 1500m Sup Final 2 skaters each state Race 118 Masters 1500m Sup Final 2 skaters each state Race 119 Junior B 1000m Sup Final 2 skaters each state Race 120 Junior C 777m Sup Final 2 skaters each state Ice resurface 11.10am Race 121 Junior A Relay 3000m relay Final Race 122 Masters Relay 3000m relay Final Race 123 Seniors Relay 5000m relay Final

11.40pm End of Competition