Former IW skater Charlotte Aiken and ice dance partner Josh Whidborne took to the ice yesterday at their first European Figure Skating Championships, in Zagreb, skating as Great Britain’s second entry in the event. Although IW hopes were high that the couple would qualify for the free programme, their score of 41.83 in the short dance earned them 22nd place, two places outside the cut-off point.
None the less, Charlotte and Josh felt they had skated well, despite turning in their lowest score of the season. The championships will have provided valuable experience that they can draw on for future events. And it’s fantastic from an IW point of view to have someone who learned at Ryde rink skating at such a high level.
British number ones Penny Coomes and Nicholas Buckland are safely through in sixth place after the short dance with 60.59, slightly higher than their British Championships score. Update: Coomes and Buckland finished fifth overall – a fantastic achievement that keeps the UK at two entries for next year.
With no further IW participation in the event, iowskaters will now simply relax and enjoy the championships.
Official website: www.europeans2013.hr
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