Spragg, Harry

BORN ABOUT 1955 in Birmingham, England, Spragg began speed skating in 1969 for the Birmingham Mohawks Ice Racing Club. Remembered as a great skater and very competitive, he trained hard on and off the ice and soon became a big star at Silver Blades Birmingham.2 The five-foot-four-inch ice racer represented England and Great Britain in many indoor and outdoor international competitions as a Junior and Senior. He competed in a Junior World Outdoor championship, he was twice British all-around Indoor champion (Victor Ludorum Trophy), and three times British 1500m and 400m Indoor champion. He represented England in four home internationals.

Runner-up in the 1978 ISU Short Track Championships, he placed 7th in 1979. In August that year, he moved to Sydney Australia and joined the Sydney Flyers club. He said at the time he wanted to represent Australia in a World Championship and he soon did, three times in 1981, '82 and '83.

Runner-up in the 1979 Australian Open Indoor Championships, he won the event the next year along with the New South Wales State Championship, breaking Jim Lynch's thirteen-year grip on the title.

Spragg battled several major injuries during his skating career including a fractured wrist, fractured right ankle and a ruptured liver. He still skates, competing against Jim Lynch and others in the Masters International Track Games.

Harry Spragg is the 25th Inductee to the Australian Ice Racing Roll of Honour.