Two skaters represented the North East at their first ever British Championships this weekend at Kettering, Northamptonshire.
Niamh Dawson (13) from Bishop Auckland and Hannah Godwin (12) from Coundon took part in the event which attracted 18 clubs from around Great Britain.
Both skaters joined Spectrum Roller Skating Club about 4 years ago and train 10 hours per week at Shildon Sunnydale Leisure Centre. Their dedication has paid off as in order to take part in Championships the skaters had to take skating tests – Hannah moving from Novice, through Elementary, into Preliminary Standard and Niamh moving from Novice, through Elementary, Preliminary and into Inter Bronze Standard. The achievement of passing those tests and being able to compete in this prestigious event is phenomenal.
In Espoir category Hannah placed 19th in compulsory dance, 15th in freedance and 19th overall. In Cadet category Niamh placed 27th in compulsory dance, 27th in freedance and 27th overall. Both skaters have worked very hard to create programmes which combine technical elements and artistry to reflect the new judging system of rollart which is being introduced into the sport.
“I am very proud of how far Niamh and Hannah have come and all they have achieved. It was an amazing opportunity to take part in The British Championships and watch the best skaters in the country. We hope to take what we have learnt and develop, moving forward with excitement for the next level of competing.”
Coach Tracy Stevens
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