Fife Flames teen gets Team GB call up for Youth Olympics

Mirren Foy from Glenrothes will jet out to Switzerland next month to Lausanne in Switzerland as part of Team GB’s ice hockey side.

The 15-year-old, who plays for Fife Flames, achieved the individual qualifying results required to secure her place at the event which runs from January 9-22.

The Youth Ranking is based on the 2018 and 2019 IIHF Men’s U18 and Women’s U18 Ice Hockey World Championships.

Mirren is part of a 28-strong team representing Team GB in 11 disciplines across 14 days of competition.

Claire Rowbotham will be attending as ice hockey team manager.

In previous years, selected players took part in individual skills contests at the Youth Olympics, but the new format sees a combined nations three-on-three cross-ice tournament.

The teams will play a round-robin tournament followed by semi-finals and medal games.

The second phase will have a more traditional, six-team tournament with five-on-five skaters in place.

Both tournaments will feature male and female categories for players born 2004 and 2005.

Lausanne 2020 itself is expected to welcome some of the world’s best young athletes from 70 nations for the third edition of the Games following Innsbruck 2012 and Lillehammer four years later.

In a new format, the two weeks will see the Games split into two waves of athletes attending across week one and week two to allow for more athletes to compete across the duration of the competition – 1,880 in total compared to around 1,000 at Lillehammer 2016.

Ice Hockey UK general secretary, Andy French, passed on his best wishes to Mirren and her team mates.

“On behalf of Ice Hockey UK I would like to congratulate everyone on their election,” he said.

“It is an exciting new format for the 2020 Youth Olympics and I am sure all our athletes will enjoy taking part.

“It is a very prestigious event and one that all seven players should very proud to attend.”

He added: “We are very proud to have them represent Great Britain at the Youth Olympics and we wish them the best of luck.”