Rutherglen Reformer

Taylor’s ready to fly the flag for Team GB

Stonelaw pupil off to tournament in Austria

- Murray Spooner

A Cambuslang ice figure skater will travel with Team GB to compete against the finest talent Europe has to offer in the sport.

Taylor McLeod is set to make her final bow in the basic novice A category in the impressive 10,000seater OlympiaWor­ld Innsbruck Arena in Austria.

Four other members of Taylor’s East Kilbride Ice Figure Skating Club will accompany her as they all take to the ice in different age groups and levels.

The 12-year-old Stonelaw High pupil is expected to jump ranks to advanced novice after the tournament due to her hard work and determinat­ion throughout the years.

Taylor’s dad Simon said it was a big moment in his daughter’s skating developmen­t.

“It’s going to be a very exciting trip,” he told the Reformer. “We’ll fly out on February 27 for the Tyrol internatio­nal figure skating competitio­n.

“It will be the first time the five of them go out there together so it will be good for them.

“It’s another ISU (Internatio­nal Skating Union) competitio­n with kids from lots of nations there and they’ve had lots of entries this year.

“So they’ve changed the venue and they’re now going to be skating in a 10,000-seated stadium as opposed to the 3000 one so it’s going to be quite a big event. It will be similar to the competitio­n in Bratislava where they skated in the Olympic stadium which was a 10,000-seater and Taylor absolutely loved it.

“It’s a bit more exciting this time because that’s where they held the 1976 Winter Olympics.”

The event will also be streamed live from the venue.

Taylor plans to compete in the Bradford Open this week to secure a score to help her qualify for the British Championsh­ips.

Her sister Isla, eight, is also performing well in her age category. The Calderwood Primary pupil will feature in the Bradford Open while competing in level one for the first time after moving up from beginners.

That’s where they held the 1976 Winter Olympics

 ??  ?? Big occasion Taylor will skate inside a 10,000-seater stadium
Big occasion Taylor will skate inside a 10,000-seater stadium
 ??  ?? Team GB pride Taylor McLeod
Team GB pride Taylor McLeod

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