Favorites prevail at British Figure Skating Championships

Sinead Kerr and John Kerr (GBR) claimed their
seventh British championships, tying the record set
by Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.
Photo: AP/Koji Sasahara

The John Wilson/MK British Championships kicked off the series of national figure skating championships around the world this season, with a record number of participants competing in Sheffield, England.  The favorites all won their disciplines handily. Great Britain will be represented in Vancouver by a total of seven athletes in figure skating, one lady, one pair, and two dance teams. 

The ladies’ field was led by Jenna McCorkell, who won her fourth consecutive British title, bringing her career total to a record seven. She will be competing in her first Olympics in February, going in with a career best free skate effort at Rostelecom Cup earlier this season.

Mathew Parr successfully defended his title in the men’s event with a six-triple free skate, winning by over ten points. The British men do not have a spot at the Vancouver Olympics, but Parr should have a chance to compete in his first European Championships in January as a result of his winning effort.

As was the case at last year’s British Championships, only two pairs competed for the title this year. Stacey Kemp and David King, who finished a career-high 13^th at last season’s World Championships, won their fifth consecutive title with a solid free skate over Erica Risseeuw and Robert Paxton. Like McCorkell, Kemp and King will be competing in their first Olympics in Vancouver. 

Winning their seventh British title were European bronze medalists Sinead Kerr and John Kerr, who are heading to their first Grand Prix Final this week in Tokyo. Silver medalists and 2008 junior champions Penny Coomes and Nicholas Buckland should take the second Olympic spot with their effort, scoring higher than the 146.08 that was required by the British Olympic Association. 

LADIES (final standings)
1. Jenna McCorkell – 122.48
2. Karly Robertson – 104.85
3. Laura Kean – 93.69
4. Tashe Smith-Krup – 80.84
WD Karla Quinn

MEN (final standings)
1. Mathew Parr – 154.19
2. Thomas Paulson – 143.44
3. David Richardson – 140.09
4. Jono Paul Partridge – 130.03
5. Luke Chilcott – 122.46
6. Phillip Harris – 111.41
7. David Bratt – 98.35
WD Elliott Hilton

PAIRS (final standings)
1. Stacey Kemp and David King – 132.09
2. Erica Risseeuw and Robert Paxton – 120.75

DANCE (final standings)
1. Sinead Kerr and John Kerr – 190.14
2. Penny Coomes and Nicholas Buckland – 158.86
3. Christina Chitwood and Mark Hanretty – 152.39
4. Phillipa Towler-Green and Phillip Poole – 146.56
5. Louise Walden and Owen Edwards – 144.13
6. Melyssa James and Jamie Burns – 126.97