Liam takes top NZ rider
Kapiti Observer Newspaper, Thursday October 30th 2008
BMX
by Randall Walker
Kapiti BMX rider Liam Perry took no prisoners in his assault on the weekend’s Mighty 11 trans-Tasman championship held in Gisborne over the weekend.
Ranked fifth going into the series for 11-year-olds, Liam showed up his more fancied team-mates by finishing top Kiwi rider in four of the five races.
Having done the job for his country he was gutted when the Kiwi’s blew a 10 point lead in the fifth and final race to lose the test series by 1 point.
He did not leave empty handed however, claiming the Ivan Mauger Shield for top New Zealand rider, and putting him in the company of Olympian Marc Willers who won the shield in 1996.
Competing internationally for the first time, Liam blew away his pre-race nerves with a dream start to the test series – cutting inside the two leading Australians on the second corner to win the first race.
He finished second behind the top Australian, Chris Brown, in the next three races, dropping to fourth in the fifth race after his pedal unclipped on the first jump. He beat New Zealand No. 1 and Captain Codi Merito in every race bar the last one.
Liam was “pretty happy” with his performance “but disappointed we lost” the series.
Liam’s coach Dave Kidd had rightly predicted Liam would be the bolter in the side when his selection was announced and said “he lifted to another level which just kept surprising everybody”.
“It was only really Liam and the captain of the New Zealand team that really stood up and gave it to the Aussies”.
Kidd said Liam’s success was great payback for the “hours of training that he’s put in” and he had become a role model for the younger kids.
In the North Island Champs, held on the same weekend, Liam competed in a special Mighty 11 class, rather than his usual age group, and finished third overall behind two Aussies.
Kapiti Observer Newspaper, Thursday October 30th 2008
BMX
by Randall Walker
Kapiti BMX rider Liam Perry took no prisoners in his assault on the weekend’s Mighty 11 trans-Tasman championship held in Gisborne over the weekend.
Ranked fifth going into the series for 11-year-olds, Liam showed up his more fancied team-mates by finishing top Kiwi rider in four of the five races.
Having done the job for his country he was gutted when the Kiwi’s blew a 10 point lead in the fifth and final race to lose the test series by 1 point.
He did not leave empty handed however, claiming the Ivan Mauger Shield for top New Zealand rider, and putting him in the company of Olympian Marc Willers who won the shield in 1996.
Competing internationally for the first time, Liam blew away his pre-race nerves with a dream start to the test series – cutting inside the two leading Australians on the second corner to win the first race.
He finished second behind the top Australian, Chris Brown, in the next three races, dropping to fourth in the fifth race after his pedal unclipped on the first jump. He beat New Zealand No. 1 and Captain Codi Merito in every race bar the last one.
Liam was “pretty happy” with his performance “but disappointed we lost” the series.
Liam’s coach Dave Kidd had rightly predicted Liam would be the bolter in the side when his selection was announced and said “he lifted to another level which just kept surprising everybody”.
“It was only really Liam and the captain of the New Zealand team that really stood up and gave it to the Aussies”.
Kidd said Liam’s success was great payback for the “hours of training that he’s put in” and he had become a role model for the younger kids.
In the North Island Champs, held on the same weekend, Liam competed in a special Mighty 11 class, rather than his usual age group, and finished third overall behind two Aussies.
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The NZ Mighty 11 Test Team riders - Liam 2nd from right.
Doing the customary Haka challenge
Pensive or just relaxing?
Winning race 1 of test series
Running 3rd in this race
Aussie and NZ teams
Prizegiving - presented by Sarah Walker (in black) and Marc Willers (in red/white pants), both NZ Olympians
Prizegiving
Shield for top NZ rider - Liam and coach of the team.
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