British National Championships, 26-30 November 2025

[CaroLiza_fan]

Oh, dear. I just checked the schedule for the Formula 1, and discovered that there is a Sprint Race this weekend.

Consequently, I will be leaving the Junior girls at 16:50 to watch the Qualifying for the Sprint Race, rather than staying until the resurfacing and then leaving for food then like I planned.

Oh, I hope they do like last night and don't take the stream down straight away.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

We're back for the Junior girls.

Warming up to the original version of "I Like To Move It" by Reel 2 Real. Can't remember the last time I heard this version. It's always the version from "Madagascar" that you hear.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Shakira!!!!!!!!

Come on Jenny, let her finish the song!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Alex KNOX (Magnum) is skating to "With You" by Caissie Levy. Don't think I've seen somebody skate to this particular song before (everybody goes straight for "Unchained Melody"), but I wish more would!

She is wearing a white dress. Normally I would complain about it blending into the ice, but the song is from "Ghost". So, you kinda have to wear white!

What a beautiful way to start the competition.

After that programme, I hope she climbs up from the bottom.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

We're definitely going to the musicals tonight. Madison LYNCH (Kirkcaldy / Fife) was skating to "On My Own" from "Les Misérables".

She was wearing a black dress with a silver stripe across her chest, and silver trim.

That was another beautiful programme.

Awwww. Fellow Kirkcaldy skater Hannah ROBERTSON (who is coming up in the next group) just came into the results area and gave her a hug.

She goes into the lead of both the FS and overall.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Well, I managed to get the programme from Layla Alena REAY (Whitley Bay) finished before the F1 coverage started.

She was wearing a beautiful black dress with a metallic blue tinge. And skating to "Dreamcatcher" by Secret Garden.

Everything about that was beautiful. Well, apart from the fall.

She goes into the lead of both the FS and overall.

And that's me away now.

All the best to those still to come.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

I just got a shock when I was looking at the livescoring there now before I left.

Arina VOROBEVA (Nottingham), who was 4th after the SP and well in the battle for the podium positions, has withdrawn!

Hope everything is alright with her.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[La Rhumba]

@La Rhumba - they're playing some Turkish music for you! "Şimarık"by Tarkan.

But the warm up ended before we got too far into it.

CaroLiza_fan

Oh, thanks for that, I joined later and missed it, though my late Mother used that word in description as an insult.

I watched the Senior Dance and really distinguishing the Top 3 was so obvious, it was a little depressing how far behind the rest of the field was. Not much progress in the Karnes/Leggott partnership since Bolero Cup. Sophia Bushell & Antonia Peña have definitely improved and have no challengers for 3rd.

I feel loathe to criticise the Junior Women but I feel so sad for my favourite Isla Shenton. As a Novice she looked amazing, with a bright future. Now at Junior level, and I appreciate teenage years are difficult, but unable to land a 2A in the SP, 3 falls on double jumps in the FS. But worst of all coaches giving her Hey Big Spender and Pink Panther/James Bond Theme in 80s leotards and hand gun gestures for Choreography. I could cry at the dismal coaching and packaging of this skater! Sadly I see cruise ships not medals in her future.

For crying out loud BIS let school kids in free, let Pensioners in free, those empty blue stands are soooooo depressing and cruel to the skaters. They always said when we had international medal winners again things would improve. When? The promotion of our sport is dismal.

Sorry to be a misery.

 

[La Rhumba]

Glad to have you here. Hope you enjoy them.

I don't suppose you know what times the schools close in Sheffield, do you? I hope it's 3 o'clock. I want the rowdy kids in the audience to have to go back to school soon so that they can be picked up and taken home!

I'm turning into a grumpy old man!

CaroLiza_fan

Just reading through your posts today - great work, thank you - so inviting the school kids was not a good idea then?

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Oh, thanks for that, I joined later and missed it, though my late Mother used that word in description as an insult.

Oops. It's well seeing I don't know the language.

For crying out loud BIS let school kids in free, let Pensioners in free, those empty blue stands are soooooo depressing and cruel to the skaters. They always said when we had international medal winners again things would improve. When? The promotion of our sport is dismal.

Sorry to be a misery.

Just reading through your posts today - great work, thank you - so inviting the school kids was not a good idea then?

It was a good idea in theory, for the reasons you said. But in practice, it was a disaster!

They arrrived just before the resurfacing in the Advanced Novice Ladies, and they were there to the end of the segment. And the scene was set when they were chanting going into the resurfacing. Granted, they were quiet during the programmes, but in between they were very rowdy. You could hear in Jenny Bill's voice that she was getting fed up with them too.

I swear, I would have thrown them out long before the end of the competition. Doing it during Group 3 would have been too disruptive. But, there was a perfect opportunity to do it during the Group 4 Warm-Up.

Now I'm the one being the misery!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[La Rhumba]

Oh no, I've just seen that Mimi and Joe have had to pull out as Joe cut his head open and had to have stitches!
Shame for the competition, hope he recovers quickly

Edit: Also it looks like Arina Vorobeva has withdrawn from junior women, what a shame as she was in fourth. I hope she is not injured.

Oh nooooo! What a shame! That was going to be an exciting battle between the top 2 and a Junior Worlds place! Poor Joe. Hope he recovers well.

 

[La Rhumba]

Alex KNOX (Magnum) is skating to "With You" by Caissie Levy. Don't think I've seen somebody skate to this particular song before (everybody goes straight for "Unchained Melody"), but I wish more would!

She is wearing a white dress. Normally I would complain about it blending into the ice, but the song is from "Ghost". So, you kinda have to wear white!

What a beautiful way to start the competition.

After that programme, I hope she climbs up from the bottom.

CaroLiza_fan

Karly Robertson, one of my favourite skaters from Dundee, skated to this beautiful song. As soon as I heard it I was reminded of Karly and had to go and listen to it again on YouTube. I agree, an absolutely magical musical number.

 

[Weetos]

We are getting back to back Les Mis and R+J

Happy for Darya who looks delighted to keep her position

 

[La Rhumba]

Her name may be Alice Smith but she skates just like an Eteri skater of 5 seasons ago, she has clearly modelled herself on them, and looked joyless, no reaction to winning in the K&C. Sad.

 

[Weetos]

I think Alice was not all that happy with that performance but she still wins thanks to seven triples, miles ahead on the technical content. Shame about the falls, she is a worthy winner

 

[La Rhumba]

That was Junior Women concluded. Medal Presentations to follow.

Practices start at 6am then Senior Free Dance begins at 1pm tomorrow.

Have a nice evening all!

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

I feel loathe to criticise the Junior Women but I feel so sad for my favourite Isla Shenton. As a Novice she looked amazing, with a bright future. Now at Junior level, and I appreciate teenage years are difficult, but unable to land a 2A in the SP, 3 falls on double jumps in the FS. But worst of all coaches giving her Hey Big Spender and Pink Panther/James Bond Theme in 80s leotards and hand gun gestures for Choreography. I could cry at the dismal coaching and packaging of this skater! Sadly I see cruise ships not medals in her future.

I'm playing catch-up, and have now watched her. And I was going to make a cheeky comment about "She's skating to the Pink Panther music and not wearing pink. That's why it went wrong". But then the James Bond music came in. And it was during it that she made all the mistakes. (3 falls in a row! )

Having the Pink Panther music at the start and end with the James Bond music in between seemed a very odd combination. So, I agree with you that they could have come up with something better. But, I wouldn't give up on her just yet. It could be the effects of going through puberty. And she could re-find her form.

Look at Stefania Yakovleva. She is 2 years older than Isla, and for pretty much all of 2024, she was having a horrid time, really struggling after being injured and going through puberty while recovering. And look at her now. In the best form she has ever had. The undoubted revelation of the Olympic Qualifying Event.

So, there is hope.

We'll just have to wait and see what happens with Isla.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[Weetos]

Lol. Darya fell over the carpet.

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Imagine being the Group 3 skaters, and doing your Warm-Up to these two:

Oh, hang on. Jason Donovan has arrived to save the day!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[La Rhumba]

Top 5 Senior Rhythm Dance uploaded. 2 have music copyright issues inevitably, but because my channel is not monetized YouTube these days allow me to only suffer a blocking in certain countries, usually just Russia, so if you're in that part of the world, please use a VPN if you want to watch.