World number one Elise Christie will compete this weekend at the European Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Malmo, Swede including the nine team’s skaters in Britain.
“So far in this season the focus has been on Elise Christie because she is number one in the world, but we have a number of skaters who are progressed and improving constantly, and have already impressed at the World Cup series,” Stuart Horsepool the director for GB Track said.
Charlotte Gilmartin has progressed nicely, having made it to the final at ICU World Cup this season.
Great Britain took part in their European Championships last time in 2008 and the squad will benefit from this international experience in their first outing as a team. Great Britain will also take part in their first women’s 3000m relay team for five years.
Kathryn Thomson who is just sixteen years old has joined the Star Class silver medallist together with the world number one Christie, Gilmartin and Alex Stanley.
Alex Stanley was a member of the 2008 gold medal winning relay team. She said: “It’s brilliant to have a girl’s team together again. I raced in the last team at Europeans in 2008 and we won, but it was a complete shock because we weren’t ranked anywhere near the top. We all train together but this is our first time together in competition so we don’t know how it will go, but I’m looking forward to racing with the others.”
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