This weekend saw the Short-Track Speed Skating European Championships held in Poland. Six British athletes from the short-track performance squad flew out to Gdansk to compete at the Hala Olivia arena. Niall Treacy competed in his second European Championships, alongside debut senior championship skaters Peter Riches, Holly Hoyland and Charlotte Hayward, who train with the Speed Skating Performance Programme in Nottingham. Also debuting in their first Europeans was Branden Marshall and Adam Hill Jr debut in the men’s 5000m relay team. Unfortunately Charlotte Haywood had to withdraw before the event got underway due to an ankle injury that she sustained in Gdansk on the practice ice.
Niall Treacy, a Solihull Mohawk, who recently competed in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and is the current senior British champion placed in the top 10 in the 500m finals. Unfortunately he received a penalty in the 1500m heats for ‘failure to give way’ but did place in the top 30 for the 1000m distance.
Niall commented “Really happy with my performance in the 500m and it gives me confidence going into the remainder of the season and leading up to the World Championships in March. Also incredibly excited about our relay result and going forward as a young fresh team with lots of potential.”
Peter Riches, from Aldwych skating team, stood out by qualifying through the heats on day 1 into the main events in both the 1500m and 1000m distances finishing 17th and 15th respectively.
Holly Hoyland, of the Nottingham Ice Racing Club, competed in her first European Championships and finished top 20 in the 1000m.
Rounding up the weekend was the men’s British relay team; Niall Treacy, Peter Riches, Branden Marshall and Adam Hill Jr, who
blasted through the heats into the B final and placed 7th beating the Ukrainian, Austrian and Bulgarian teams.
Looking ahead to the second half of the season members of the Short track performance squad will also be competing in the European Youth Olympics, Junior World Championships, European World Cups and the World Championships. Keep an eye out for exciting results and team updates along the way!
