'Our 60-year-old ice arena is creating future Olympians'

As Britain's speed skaters prepare to go for gold at the Winter Olympic Games in Italy, Bradford Ice Arena is celebrating its 60th birthday.

The city centre rink opened in 1966 and is home to ice hockey teams, figure skating academies and Bradford Speed Skating Club.

The arena is one of two rinks in north of England that has the facilities for speed skating, and members come from far and wide to train in Bradford.

The club reformed 10 years ago after a 24-hour hiatus since a group that was set up in the rink's opening year folded in 1992.

Club leader Malcolm Harrison, 68, says the club is home to ex-Olympic athletes as well as talent for the future.

"We have people who come down here just to get fit, just to enjoy it, some people come down to actually race, there's no pressure if people want to come down and try it. It's great fun," he says.

"It's such an accessible sport that you can actually get to the top fairly quickly. It's a lot of hard work but there's no hidden pathway with it and it's an exhilarating sport. And not many people do it, so there's kudos there."

But the sport can be expensive – and at times dangerous.

"It's a fast sport, it has its dangers, we have cut-proof suits, gloves, helmets, neck guards because the skates are very sharp.

"Handmade boots to your foot can cost £2,500. We have skates that people can borrow so you can start for next to nothing."

Harrison helped train Team GB's medal hopeful Niall Treacy who is based at Nottingham's National Ice Centre and won silver in the men's 1,000m at the 2024 European Short Track Championships.

But he is also hopeful that some of the Bradford club members might one day win medals of their own.

Jacob, nine, recently came fifth in the British Championships after skating for less than a year.

"He's relatively new to the sport but the world is his oyster, it's how far he wants to go through with it," says Harrison.

Jacob says he most enjoys "going really, really fast".

"I've been skating since April and I started speed skating in November. I went on the British and I got fifth place. It made me feel proud of myself."

Paul Worth, 40, skates at the club with his two children. He is a retired ex-Team GB speed skater having competed in Vancouver, Canada, in 2010.

In the 2008 European Championships he won a silver medal as a member of the British relay and a bronze medal at the World Championships.

He has been skating since he was nine months old.

"My mum and dad both used to be skaters before me. Both of them were international skaters.

"My mum went to the Olympics in Lake Placid (New York, 1980) and as soon as I could walk they decided to put me on the ice.

"They put me in the middle and just left me there and let me just figure it out on my own."

He joined Team GB aged 13 and began winning medals shortly after.

After retiring he worked for Team GB as a coach for seven years before moving to Yorkshire for a career change.

Now he coaches at Bradford Speed Skating Club where his children also compete.

"My son loves it, he's really enthusiastic. He competed in the British Championships and got a medal and wants to skate every time he can.

"My daughter, she does it more for fun, she comes and goes. But knowing that myself and my wife are skaters she wants to make sure she can stay part of the family," he says.

But the sport is not just for those who want to win medals, he says.

"It is a really good physical fitness workout. There's an element of power, there's an element of strength, it involves co-ordination.

"It's a sport that hits a lot of zones so it's a good place to start if you want to work hard and have fun at the same time."

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