The British Synchro Skating Championships are being held at the National Ice Centre in Nottingham between 19-20 January. Teams from across the UK skate in unison in a range of categories at the annually held event.

The Synchro teams are made up of up to 16 skaters on the ice creating shapes, patterns and movement together. There are 57 teams in the competition with Team Spice skating an exhibition program.

There are 852 competitors in the main event with over 98% of them female including a two-year-old in Team Highland Pups, Inverness and a 75-year-old in Team Orion from Lee Valley London.

The categories are Adult, Elementary, Team Spice (additional needs skating), Juvenile, Junior and Senior.

Image source, Getty Images

Saturday 19 January

14:35-21:00, Free Skating & Short Programme, BBC Connected TV & online

Sunday 20 January

14:15-20:30, Free Skating, BBC Connected TV & online

This is a story of true sporting dedication. The Isle of Wight’s synchronized skating club was founded in 2005 and has a history of producing British champions but since 2016, they have been without a practice venue after their local arena in Ryde was closed down.

Since then, as the local council has tried to force the leaseholders to re-open the venue, members of the Wight Crystals, Sparkles, Jewels and Sequins have had to take a 04:00 ferry to the mainland to train at the nearest rink in Gosport.

“Ice time in Gosport is limited and teams are only training fortnightly, which isn’t ideal,” said coach Terri Smith. “I'm very proud of all of my skaters and the support of their families to enable them to still follow their dreams.”

Three teams from the Isle of Wight club will compete in the British Championships. Their journey has been difficult, but they have fared better than the Wightlink ice hockey team, which was forced to pull out of their national league in mid-season after the Ryde Arena was closed and have since folded.

Image source, British Ice Skating

• Teams are of between 12 and 16 skaters. There are more than 600 teams in the USA.
• Like single and pairs ice skating, the synchro teams skate short and longer free programmes.
• The first Synchro skating team was formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1956 as a half-time exhibition for a local college ice hockey team.
• 2000 saw the first Synchro World Championships, held in Minneapolis.
• Synchro skating is under review for future inclusion in the Olympic Games, but only the World Student Games, in Turin in 2007, has so far featured a tournament.

Image source, British Ice Skating

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• There's an emphasis on quick foot movement and supple knees, so you'll also improve your flexibility.
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• Concentration is key, so ice skating can be mentally stimulating.

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