Ellia Smeding and Cornelius Kersten Relocate to Canada to Prepare for 2026 Winter Olympics

British long track speed skaters Ellia Smeding and Cornelius Kersten have announced their relocation to Calgary, Canada, as they prepare for the 2025–2026 season and set their sights on the Olympic Games in Milan. The duo will join Pro Team Calgary and train under the leadership of Bart Schouten, who has been officially appointed as their head coach by British

Ice Skating (BIS).

Smeding and Kersten have proudly represented Great Britain on the international stage, including at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Owing to limited speed skating infrastructure in the UK, the pair have historically trained in the Netherlands, with the support from the performance rehabilitation team at Bisham Abbey aswell as BIS.

Following the 2022 Games, the two athletes co-founded Team Novus, an international training initiative led by coach Daniel Greig. Under this banner, they achieved impressive results: Cornelius secured a bronze medal in the 1.000m at the World Championships, Ellia multiple top 8 finishes and both athletes posted multiple personal bests throughout the

season.

However, injuries sidelined both skaters in recent seasons. Cornelius has spent the past two years in rehabilitation from a hip injury, while Ellia made a brief return to competition at the close of last season. Determined to return to peak form in time for the Milan Games, British Ice Skating explored training alternatives tailored to their recovery and performance needs.

“Both Ellia and Cornelius are exceptionally talented,” shares Jon Eley, Head Performance at British Ice Skating. “As they return from injury, we recognised the need for a fresh, individualised performance environment. We believe Bart and his set-up offers the optimal conditions for their comeback and Olympic preparation.”

In Calgary, they will train alongside elite athletes such as Sofia and Viktor Thorup, and Olympic medallist Ted-Jan Bloemen, as part of a high-performance programme led by Bart Schouten, renowned for successfully coaching athletes to Olympic and World Championship success.

“I’m excited to work with Ellia and Cornelius,” said Bart Schouten, who will serve as both BIS head coach and Pro Team Calgary coach. “They bring drive, determination, and experience, and I believe that the great infrastructure at the Olympic Oval will support them in reaching their full potential.”

After a strong off-season, both athletes are physically and mentally prepared for the upcoming challenges, with their eyes firmly set on the Olympics in Milano.