TREBLE YELL
Ice queen Elise on top of the world after trio of golds
Livingston’s Elise Christie is a triple world champion after scooping three gold medals at the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Rotterdam.
The 26-year-old became the first British woman to win a world title when she finished ahead of the field in the 1500m event on Saturday.
She followed that up with a gold in the 1000m and a bronze in the 3000m the following day, which also saw her claim the overall title.
It marks a phenomenal turnaround from Christie, who admitted she was close to quitting the sport after three disqualifications in the 2014 Winter Olympics and a barrage of social-media abuse.
Christie had gone into the event having clinched numerous medals at previous World Championships but this was the first time she grabbed gold and now boasts a career haul of a dozen medals.
It’s yet another achievement in what has been a stunning season for the Livi lass, who broke the 500m world record in a World Cup event in November.
She had also been struggling with injury and was forced to miss the final two World Cup events and passed up the chance to compete in the European Championships to focus on achieving her golden goals in the Netherlands.
An elated Christie said: “My dream has come true and for the first time ever I’m a world champion. I can’t even describe how happy I am, it’s amazing.
“Thank you everyone who has helped to get to this moment in my career.”
West Lothian Council paid tribute to the region’s latest world champion, with a spokesperson saying: “We would like to congratulate Livingston’s Elise Christie on her World Short Track Speed Skating Championships victory.
“To become the first British woman to win a world title in speed skating is a remarkable achievement.
“Elise has shown her dedication to her sport through many years of hard work to achieve her goals, making her an excellent role model for the next generation of West Lothian athletes.”