Two young skaters from Billingham Ice Skating Club and Tees Active Sports Academy will be heading to Sheffield next week to compete at the British Figure Skating Championships. 18 year old Elliot Thompson will be competing in the Junior Men’s competition .This will be the third time that Elliot will be competing at the Championships which involves a rigorous selection process.

Elliot who has had problems with injury this season has been training hard and will be skating in his short programme to ,Goodbye@ from the Hatchi soundtrack, while his free programme will be skated to music from the film ‘Zorro’. Elliot said: “After a frustrating year of injuries, I am over the moon to be competing at the British Championships once again.

“Being at the pinnacle competition of our sport in this country it never loses its appeal. I am aiming to enjoy my time skating but also watching the top men and women in the UK.”

Annalise Jones started skating on the Saturday morning classes at the Billingham Forum when she was 6 years old and she now trains for 14 hours on the ice and 3 hours off ice. As a result of her dedication and hard work, this week, at the age of 12, she is preparing to compete in her first British Championships. At the Championships, Annalise will be skating to Danse Macabre by Saint-Saens. The music is based on a very old poem and French superstition. It tells the story about how everyone is equal when they die and dance together after their death. Annalise said, ‘While I am on the ice I am portraying a spoilt Princess, who has been woken from the dead to dance the ‘Danse Macabre’ and I am extremely angry that anyone has dared to wake me!

Cathryn McCabe Annalise’s coach said Annalise has remained focused and prepared well for the Championships and is really excited to compete at her first British Championships

For further information on Tees Active Sports Academy contact Academy Manger Allan McDermott on (01642) 528772