Phoenix skaters strike gold

PHOENIX Artistic Roller Skaters have struck gold in the British Championships. Six young club members competed in the Federation of Artistic Roller Skating event in Leicester, bringing home some deserved medals after a highly successful competition.

Chloe Dyke, 12, is now the elementary solo champion, while Lucy Ozard and Nicholas Bianco, both nine, are minor dance champions. It was Ozard's and Bianco's first taste of competition at British level.

'All the skaters did extremely well; they all have worked very hard,' said club coach Darren Dyke.

'The club has tended to do quite well at this level. We are the highest-ranking club nationally.'

Phoenix have been training both at Rue Mainguy and back at the Sarnia Hall in Beau Sejour after a change of mind by the then Recreation Committee.

'We have been allowed back, but only when the hall is not being used for other events and purely for artistic skating by club members,' said Darren Dyke.

The training paid off. The skaters attended the mini/

minor and elementary standards. The youngest competitors, Ozard and Bianco, entered both the solo and couples events at their respective age group.

In the mini solo championships, the skaters were required to execute two compulsory dances, with this year's being selected as the skaters' march and glide waltz.

Bianco made an excellent start to the competition, scoring marks sufficient to place him second at this stage, with Ozard closely behind in the bronze position.

Although the floor on this occasion was smaller than their regular training rink, Ozard managed to perform a powerful and precise glide waltz. 'Although clipping the barrier on the last few steps of the sequence, she was awarded 7.0 from all three judges to move her above Nicholas and take the silver medal,' said coach Dyke.

Bianco put in a steady execution of the dance which secured him in third place with both Guernsey skaters earning themselves their first national solo medal.

'With this under their belt, Lucy and Nicholas teamed up in the couples' event for minor championship level in which they also had to perform the march and Olympic foxtrot,' said Dyke.

'Gaining in confidence, they went out with an air of determination to win the event and having performed a controlled and technical march, found themselves in first place,' he added.

'Although struggling to come to terms with the rink size in the Olympic foxtrot, which affected the quality of the edge running, they again showed a significant advantage over their opposition by performing well and securing the gold medal and their first national championship title.'