Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Dundee skaters have it figured out at Ice Arena
DUNDEE skaters made their mark at the 2019 Tayside Trophy Club International and ISU International at Dundee Ice Arena.
Skaters from the USA, Sweden, Lithuania, Ireland and Great Britain travelled to the city to compete in the five-day event, hosted by Dundee Ice Skating Club and Ice Dundee.
In the Club International, 380 skaters competed over four days of competition from Great Britain, Ireland, and the USA, with competition ranging from beginner level through to senior level.
Dundee skaters claimed a total of 19 medals, with many producing new personal best scores and test passes to move up to the next competition level.
On the final two days, the competition turned into an ISU International for junior and senior skaters.
This event saw Sweden, Lithuania, Ireland, and Great Britain selecting several of their top figure skaters to compete.
The senior ladies event saw three Dundee-trained figure skaters representing Great Britain – Natasha McKay, Karly Robertson and Danielle Harrison.
McKay claimed another international victory for Great Britain at her home international, posting a score of 156.23, which included a free program score of 101.63 which was a new personal best. This was McKay’s fifth international gold medal.
Robertson finished the event in second place with a total competition score of 138 points, while Harrison was fourth place overall with a score of 134.57.
In the Junior Ladies competition, Dundee’s Jasmine Cressey led after the short program with a score of 41.57, a new PB.
Another strong skate in the free program saw Cressey post a second PB score of 69.67 to give her 111.23 points overall, securing a second-place finish in her first international competition.
In the senior men’s competition, Dundee’s Conor Stakelum, representing I reland, finished fourth.
Team GB Olympic coach Simon Briggs said: “After five days of competition, we were delighted with how much of a success the competitions have been.
“Our own skaters really outdid themselves with the results and their hard work leading up the their competitions paid off.”