British Ice Skating community angry at being frozen out of rinks, with elite skaters unable to train

The British ice skating community has urged the Government not to delay the reopening of ice rinks any longer as the sport braces itself for an exodus of female figure and speed skaters.

There has been widespread anger at how ice rinks have been grouped with casinos and bowling alleys in the Government’s easing of lockdown restrictions, which has seen scores of elite skaters locked out of training venues.

Ice rinks were due to reopen on August 1, but a spike in coronavirus cases meant that date was pushed back until at least August 15. A petition to reopen rinks has been signed by thousands, including Britain’s Elise Christie, the multiple world and European speed skating champion, who is one of those believed to be unable to train.

Michelle Draper, the chief executive of British Ice Skating, whose membership is 80 per cent female, said ice rinks up and down the country are spending “between five and seven thousand pounds a week” on maintenance costs.

“This is putting real pressure on a high participation female sport,” she said. “Whether it’s our elite athletes, or public sessions, ice skating is a physical activity which supports the wellbeing of the nation. We’ve had no justification from the Government at all as to why rinks couldn’t reopen in a Covid-secure way.”

In what is a qualifying season for the 2022 Beijing Olympics, just two high-performance rinks in Bradford and Dundee have reopened for a handful of elite athletes, while the BIS has already been forced to cancel this year’s figure skating and short track speed skating British Championships, which were due to be held from November.

Victoria Rogers, a Great Britain figure skating coach whose ‘Back on the Ice’ campaign has intensified in recent days, said: “They say the virus is spread more in cold temperatures, but ice rinks are no colder than the cheese aisle in Tesco.

“Ski centres are eight degrees colder [than rinks] and they’ve been back open a week now. It’s ridiculous. I absolutely think some club and recreational skaters won’t come back after this, just because they’ve been off the ice for so long. If teenage girls grow even an inch, because of the very slight balance they have on a blade, they lose it all.”

Kayla Fry, a champion junior figure skater who normally trains six days a week at the Lee Valley Ice Centre, has had to adapt her training with off-ice skates she was given as a birthday present in May.

“I’m really angry,” said the 17-year-old from Gravesend. “I’ve been forced to train in car parks and any other open spaces I can find. It’s so confusing how a trampoline park can open, how pubs can open, but ice rinks can’t.

“In a pub, you’ve got a lot of people in such a confined space to the point where social distancing is hardly being practised. The ice rink where I train at is not a leisure facility, we are our own building.”

With her dad having had to shield during the pandemic after undergoing heart surgery this year, Fry admits she would “wear a mask, gloves, absolutely anything” just to get back on the ice.

Christian Newberry, a former British champion and now national coach, says three of his competitive skaters based in London have even travelled to Europe just to access rinks.

“This government is making our children travel abroad, where they are spending money,” he said. “Not to allow children on the ice is wrong, when they’ve already lost so much in their lives.

“We have had three Olympic champions, John Curry, Robin Cousins and Torvill and Dean. To not think of us as a sport makes no sense to me.”