Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-02-21
INTERNATIONAL SKATING.
The Anne rican and Russian Cham
pions Compared

Neville Goodman, correspondent OF
the London Field, thus describes the
difference in the style of skating by the
Russian and American amateur cham
pions at the recent international anna
teur contest at Amsterdam for the
championship of the world:
The race WAS unique. The Old
World and the New each furnished Its
best amateur skaters, and these were so
well mat .hed and so vastly superior to
all other competitors and so different IN
their STYLES that the contest was Superla-
lively interesting. Nj. Won Panschin
won two events of the three, but Mr.
Joseph Donoghue won the longest and
most important race in mastery style.
Donoghue's fall in his half mile was
unfortunate, but it probably made no
difference to the result against Panschln.
1t would appear that the Russian
is the fastest amateur in the world Tor
any distance from quarter. mile to one
mile, while Donoghue is the best and
fastest amateur skater for all distances
beyond the mile. This conclusion is
confirmed by his subsequent narrow
victory at Vienna over q mile course.
M. Won Panschin takes almost exactly
three strokes to his rivals two. This is
partly due to the conformation OF the
men. Panschin is short, rather thick
set, with full broad chest. proportion
ately long body and short though very
muscular legs.
He strikes wide, never bringing his
foot under his body or on to the outside
edge. He takes stride and plants his
foot before him on the heel, as is evil
dent by the distinctly audible chatter
made when the weight of the body,
passing forward, brings his long blade
sharply on to the surface of the ice.
The foot is no sooner planted than he
commences his quick sidelong stroke on
the inner edge, he throws his arms aud
works his body with great yigor, seeming
to spend much energy, of which he APP
pears to have an almost ineXhaustlble
supply. Donoghue, on the other hand,
skates in a style which more nearly re-
sembles the fen style, though it exceeds
it in grace and ease. He brings up his
foot more under him, strikes n little on
the outside edge of his skate and
thrusts his foot more directly forward.
and, making full use of his long limbs,
gains length and strength of stroke by
their full extension, which propels him
at a greater pace with apparently little
effort. Skating with his hands locked
behind his back, and a momentary inter-
val of repose between tie commence
ment and final siielong thrust OF his
stroke, he glides along quite smoothly.
In observing him one wonders how the
great pace is obtained. He seems hard
ly able to quicken or squirt, and exas-
perates those interested in him by the
apparent GOODNESS and indifference with
which he skates
This admirable style is again partly
due to his physique. Three inches
taller than Pansohin, with almost dispro.
portionately long legs, he hardly seems
as yet (being only eighteen years old
fully furnished as to his chest. His
boyish face, slim figure and somewhat
listless air, indicate that fuller manhood
will yet add to his powers. tits worthy
of remark that the skates of both men,
though their forms and styles and coun-
tries are so far apart, are essentially the
same. Won Panschin has some beauti-
fully made bright steel blades, fastened
by plates directly on to the sole of his
boots, while Donoghue's skates are
rough in make, with heavy wood, fast
ened by straps, but the essential part =
the long, straight, narrow iron, scarcely
1 1-l6 inches thick, extending both be-
fore the toe and behind the heel and
lying for Is inches along the surface OF
the ice-was identical. The Russians
blade, however, stretches further in
front and less far behind than that of
the American, and is still thinner.