Skater Christie off to a

FORMER DUNDEE speed skater Elise Christie yesterday passed her first Olympic test with flying colours. Well, just flying really.

The Team GB medal hopeful is taking on short track’s 500m, 1,000m and 3,000m –—and yesterday saw the first heats of the shorter distance at the Iceberg Skating Palace in Sochi.

Drawn on the unpopular outside lane, Christie came round wide before easing clear of her opponents to win in 44.775 seconds and advance to Thursday’s quarter-final, with home favourite Sofia Prosvirnova also qualifying in second.

Christie will be joined in the last eight by team-mate Charlotte Gilmartin, who finished second in her heat to also progress.

“When I saw the draw I was a bit upset, I knew it was going to be a challenge,” Christie said.

“It was always going to be tough and I had to work to get out in front. It was a good chance to work on everything I need.”

The former Dundee Speed Skating Club star, who finished number one in the world in her signature 1,000m event last year, said she would attempt all three distances, but that the flat speed required in the 500m would sharpen her for her preferred longer events.

“This is a good chance to warm up and work on those weaknesses in a competition environment because the 500m is not so important to me,” she added.

“I’m using this to build into the other two events. I had a lot more speed in me. I was being patient and just trying not to get knocked over. I’ve a lot more in the tank.”

Team-mate Gilmartin was also drawn in the outside lane.

Quite short and slight, like Christie, and not of typical short track stature, she required a well-timed dip on the line to progress.

“It was a tough heat and it was a tough draw on the outside, but I got the job done,” she said.

“I knew I had to do some overtaking and I’ve been practising that in training to get it nailed.”

Christie’s boyfriend and team-mate Jack Whelbourne had a tremendous run into the men’s 1,500m final — having set a British record in the qualifying heats — only to crash out when he slipped on a course marker, which had been knocked into his path.

He said: “When I made my move, a block went under my skate. I lost control and it’s given me a bit of a twisted ankle.”