If it is possible to directly compare results under the IJS from various European competitions this season, then the seniors ice dance event at the 2012 British Championships is going to be close.

Current champions Penny Coomes and Nicholas Buckland turned in a score of 126.66 at the Cup of Russia (Rostelecom Cup) last weekend, with 51.39 in the short and 75.27 in the free.

The NRW Trophy in Dortmund a week earlier saw former IW skater Charlotte Aiken and skating partner Josh Whidborne achieve 126.23, with 47.41 in the short and 78.82 in the free. The score is consistent with other results achieved recently, with their best of 127.19 overall at the Mary Groombridge Friendship Trophy. The other British couple, Louise Walden and Owen Edwards, were not far behind in Dortmund with a total of 117.24 (43.06 in the short and 74.18 in the free).

Aiken and Whidborne have also come out ahead of other British championship competitors Sophie Jones and Jordan Brown at the Mary Groombridge Trophy, and Carter Jones and Richard Sharpe at Sheffield IJS.

Of course, performances can go wrong on the day and, iowskaters doesn’t actually believe that results from IJS competitions are directly comparable – rather that the judging panel and the technical specialist can make a marked difference to the scores. And judging at the Cup of Russia is probably tougher than in Dortmund. But none the less there is real hope that a skater who started her career on the Isle of Wight may end up this year with a British championship medal in one of the recognized Olympic figure skating disciplines.