Bracknell Ice Skating Club Newsletter - February 2006

Claire and Stephen Win Novice Dance Gold

Two BISC members have become the fourth Bracknell couple in nine years to win the British Novice Ice Dance Championship.

Claire Miller and Stephen Moore, both 15, won the title at iceSheffield on February 15 when they found themselves up against tough opposition from a Guildford couple who won one of the two compulsory dances while Claire and Stephen won the other and just pipped their opponents to win the free dance and the overall event.

"It was very close and although people said we skated really well, I didn't think we had won until the result was announced," Claire said. "Of course we are thrilled and we're looking forward to moving up."

The Bracknell couple, who have skated together for about 18 months, will now compete at primary level in the hope of qualifying for the primary championships next January.

Coached at Slough by Louisa Owen and at Bracknell by David Phillips, they follow in the footsteps of several former pupils of David and his wife Lucine Chakmakjian. Katie Cussen and John Horne won the novice championship in 1998 followed by Joanna May and Andrew Smykowski in 1999 and Rebecca Forsyth and Christopher Hockaday in 2004. John and his new partner, Rowan Musson, who now train at iceSheffield, are the current junior bronze medallists while Andrew and former BISC member Kira Geil, who also train at iceSheffield, are the current senior bronze medallists. Joanna, who had been without a partner since winning junior bronze with Andrew in 2001, last year partnered up with a Milton Keynes skater but that has just ended because he could not commit to the amount of training needed at senior level.

Rebecca and Christopher have decided to move up to junior level this year where they will compete against fellow BISC members Helen Ingram and Gary Langham.

Meanwhile Claire, who is also an accomplished free skater and has competed in the novice ladies championship, is hoping to qualify for the junior ladies championship next year. Both she and Stephen also compete in the solo dance championships where Stephen won bronze in the junior men's event last year.

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