TV star calls for ice rinks in Scotland to be opened
● Hanretty wants youngsters training in the sport to be given green light
Dancing on Ice star Mark Hanretty has called for the Scottish Government to reopen ice rinks closed due to the coronavirus lockdown.
Erskine-born Hanretty, who has previously competed for Great Britain and this year partnered Paralympian Libby Clegg on the popular ITV series, warned in a video shared on social media that the six-month closure could result in the loss of “potential stars” of ice skating north of the border.
Rinks are classed in the same category as leisure activities such as bowling alleys, rather than sports venues – and are therefore not set to open until September 14 at the earliest.
Hanretty points out in the video that figure skating requires social distancing due to safety – and asks the government to differentiate between youngsters training in the sport and hundreds of members of the public crowding public sessions at ice rinks.
The video also points out that while skaters had “waited patiently” for months, seeing overcrowding and a lack of social distancing in bars and pubs had frustrated them.
Mr Hanretty told The Scotsman: “The prolonged closure ofsomanyicerinksaroundthe country is dashing the hopes of so many young athletes. My concern would be that we have lost a huge number of potential stars of the future. For young children, if skating is their hobby and they can’t skate for months, they may move on to another sport.
“No-one wants coronavirus to be around and everyone wants the economy kickstarted again, but it doesn’t make sense that we can go to a pub and drink alcohol, but you can’t go to a rink and skate. It’s tricky to comprehend.”
English rinks re-opened this weekend after lobbying from the sport’s body, British Ice Skating, despite levels of coronavirus being higher south of the border than in Scotland.
Simon Briggs, who coaches British ladies champion Natasha Mckay and a group of other international level skaters in Dundee, warned of a “lost generation” of British figure skaters. Dundee Ice Arena is the only rink in Scotland which has been allowed to reopen – for a small group of elite skaters only. It remains closed to the public and for all figure skating training bar high-end international competitors.
“it doesn’t make sense thatwecangotoapub and drink alcohol, but youcan’tgotoarink and skate. It’s tricky to comprehend”
MARK HANRETTY