Kirkcaldy Ice Skating Club girls set for British Senior Championships

The trio – who reached the finals due to their fine displays at Sheffield qualifiers held in March, August and October – will perform on two separate days at this week’s showpiece. They will consist of a short programme featuring jumps and spins today (Thursday), before a long programme tomorrow (Friday) with more elements, before their combined performance achieves an overall score.

Arcadia, 17, of Cardenden, who is doing a nursery nurse apprenticeship, has previous experience at the British Championships having previously landed a junior bronze medal a few years back and she will be competing in the same category this time.

"Arcadia is well known in Kirkcaldy,” club head coach Jackie Coubrough told the Fife Free Press. "She performs at the ice hockey games.

"When she medalledwe had the television cameras in. She has been skating a long time and has done really well.

"Arcadia is really strong, a fantastic jumper and her performance scores are always massive so she’s a crowd pleaser.”

Hannah, 15, will be one of the youngest skaters contesting the junior category at the iceSheffield arena.

"Hannah is just a wee powerhouse with great stamina,” Coubrough said. “She travels to our club from Dunning in Perthshire.”

And Balwearie High School pupil Maddie, 13, of Kirkcaldy, will enter the advanced novice class in Sheffield.

"Maddie started skating with me when she was six,” Coubrough added. “She had quite a lot of success but she’s very young to be at this level.

"Having qualified is the major thing and anything that she does on top of that is a massive bonus.

"She is a very expressive skater who always does really well in her performance and execution.”

The three Kirkcaldy members each train on ice for 11 hours a week – two mornings a week from 6am – and they also train off ice, a Zoom call teaching jumping, stamina, musicality and flexibility, for three hours a week.