Former IW skater Charlotte Aiken and ice dance partner Josh Whidborne ended the week at the British Championships with some good news: they took silver medal position in the senior ice dance. It’s an excellent result because it was the position they had set their sights on achieving in their first year in the seniors event.

Lying in third after the short with 45.69 points, they were only marginally behind Louise Walden and Owen Edwards on 46.83. Charlotte and Josh managed to jump a place after the free, scoring 74.62 for a total of 120.31. An extended lift cost them a point. Walden and Edwards suffered two falls in the free, finishing fourth in that section, but their free score of 65.14 and a total of 111.97 was enough to earn third place overall.

Both couples were well down on leaders and eventual champions Penny Coomes and Nicholas Buckland, on 58.33 after the short. Coomes and Buckland cemented their position as British champions by scoring 95.32 in the free for a total of 153.65.

“We feel really happy with the way we skated our free dance and are over the moon with our second place,” say Charlotte and Josh.

“We’re so pleased to be back this season and to top that have hit all our targets so far and are keen to keep pushing on!

“Thank you for all the support from the Island.”

Mina Zdravkova and Henry Aiken, Charlotte’s brother, finished fifth in the junior ice dance.

Results: http://www.johnds.org/British_12_13/

IWCP report: www.iwcp.co.uk (PDF archive: iwcp_07122012).