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Ice dancer gains gold




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A 15-year-old who has been ice skating for only five years won gold in the British Ice Figure and Dance Championships, where she performed three dances with her partner.

Kate-Louise Bagnall (15) of Sutton-on-Trent, learnt to skate at the National Ice Centre, Nottingham.

Kate-Louise and her ice dancing partner, Rory Shanahan (15) competed at the championships at Ice Sheffield last week.

They performed three routines over two days and won gold in the novice dance pairs category.

Kate-Louise said: “When I heard that we won I was just overwhelmed. We had been working so hard.

“I do put in a lot of training hours but it is worth it for the achievement you get at the end of it.”

The trophy the pair won dates from 1966 and was once won by Christopher Dean, although not with Jayne Torvill.

Kate-Louise said she was nervous performing at the championships.

“When I was going on to the ice I was really shaking, but the adrenaline kept me going,” she said.

Kate-Louise, who attends Tuxford School and is due to take her GCSEs next year, trains for two hours every morning before school.

She trains most evenings and travels to Sheffield for training at weekends.

She started ice skating as a hobby. Her mother, Mrs Jayne Bagnall, suggested she had lessons.

Before long, Kate-Louise was asked to join the National Ice Centre Skate Academy and at first she was doing solo free ice dancing and synchronised ice skating.

Kate-Louise travelled to Moscow and Holland for synchronised ice skating competitions.

Around two years ago, she switched to dance pairs and has just completed her second year in that category.

A year ago Kate-Louise and Rory achieved their personal best score at a competition in Hungary, making them British number ones in the novice dance pairs.

In April they trained in Germany with coaches from all over the world. They were one of two British pairs in their category to have the opportunity.

Mrs Bagnall said: “She is just so dedicated and prepared to get up early to train the hours that she does.

“It was great that they won gold.”

Kate-Louise will now get back into training for next season, which starts in July, when the pair will move up to the junior category.



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