2024-25 British and Irish figure skating | Page 9 | Golden Skate

2024-25 British and Irish figure skating

I just posted this in their Fan Fest, but felt it should be posted here too. And I have picked this post to reply to, as it wonders about the reasons.

I am gutted too. They were so promising! I wonder if Atl wanted to pursue other things with his life - I recall he is academically gifted and maybe musically as well? I hope Ashlie can find a great partner to continue her ice dance career with.

Atl posted this on Instagram last Saturday explaining what happened:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCuoQ10R8oo/

Basically, he hasn't been happy with the setup at Streatham for a few years now, and so wanted to move. But Ashlie wanted to stay. And, regrettably, they couldn't find common ground, and it led to them splitting.

Atl is now training at the newly re-built rink at Lee Valley.

Now that we've heard his side of the story, I can understand. You have to be comfortable in you training environment. If not, it will get you down and you will not be able to perform to your best ability.

It's just a shame that they didn't both feel the same way, because they were so good together. But, people are different.

All the best to both of them for whatever the future holds.

CaroLiza_fan
 
Last edited:
I guess it's hard when you are still young and have to take your family circumstances into account. Not everyone is able to just up and leave to go somewhere far from home to focus on figure skating.
 
No surprises with the Euros Team selection.

Great win for Phebe and James, not so much the scores as we know Challenger scores can be a little generous but some of the teams they beat. They could challenge for top 10 at Europeans
 
I wonder who will get the ID substitute spot? I'd love Eleanor Hirst and Anthony Currie to get it - they're only a few points off minimums.
 
I wonder who will get the ID substitute spot? I'd love Eleanor Hirst and Anthony Currie to get it - they're only a few points off minimums.
No-one will unless one of the teams gets the minimums. Bushell and Pena are being sent to the Edusport Trophy next weekend. Hirst and Currie did the NRW Trophy last month. As they don't have the Euros minimums, I think they are each only eligible to be sent to one international event in each half of the season.
 
Do we know where us Brits can watch the European Champs? Will we be able to watch on the ISU channel?
ISU youtube channel. There was a post on Facebook from British Ice Skating a couple of days ago. I was on my phone when I saw it, rather than on my computer, so couldn't easily repost it.
 
Anyone know what happened to Sasha Fear, Lilah’s younger sister? I remember seeing her with George Waddell a few years back, and after they split I kept wondering if she would return with another partner.

Are there any young ice dancers in the country who might be available to skate with Atl?
 
Anyone know what happened to Sasha Fear, Lilah’s younger sister? I remember seeing her with George Waddell a few years back, and after they split I kept wondering if she would return with another partner.

Are there any young ice dancers in the country who might be available to skate with Atl?
Sasha got a job working in business/finance or something like that. I think it might have been in New York.

I haven't been able to think of any obvious partners for either Ashlie or Atl. I did wonder briefly about Sophia Bushell, but the age gap is not ideal as I don't think he is senior eligible yet and Sophia has since reappeared with a new partner. Ashlie will probably need to go down the solo ice dance route if she is still only willing to train at Streatham. Atl may need to look outside of the UK, and we'll need to cross out fingers he can find someone who is willing to change which fed they represent.
 
Sasha got a job working in business/finance or something like that. I think it might have been in New York.

Thank you. I hadn't heard anything about Sasha since she and George split, and was wondering what she was up to now.

I haven't been able to think of any obvious partners for either Ashlie or Atl. I did wonder briefly about Sophia Bushell, but the age gap is not ideal as I don't think he is senior eligible yet and Sophia has since reappeared with a new partner.

Funnily enough, I was talking about what has been happening recently with various British Ice Dancers to a friend a few days ago, and Sophia and Atl both featured in the conversation. But, I didn't even think of her as a potential candidate as a new partner for Atl, precisely because she is now with Antonio Peña. I was just passing comment that I was confused that they were competing at the British Championships, because the announcement when they partnered up said they would be representing Spain.

The skater that I was wondering if she could be a candidate for Atl is actually older than Sophia: Lucy Hancock. But, I came to the same conclusion as you did about Sophia. Although now that Atl has shot up, Lucy would be a better height for him than Ashlie, he is still very young. They are at different stages of their careers.

Plus, I just checked, and you are correct - Atl isn't Senior eligible until the 2026-27 Season. I didn't even realise that he wouldn't be Senior eligible next season.

Shifting over to Lucy, and the only problem (like I mentioned for Nikola Sitková when she was being touted as a potential partner for Martin Bidař), is that if she did come home, she would be under embargo until the end of November. Which is far too late if she wants to go to the Olympics. So, I could see her looking for another Hungarian partner, even if it is just a stop gap until the end of next season.

Of course, if she was looking to do this, the partner would have to be a very experienced Ice Dancer to be able to pull this off!

It is never ideal to be splitting with your partner having already competed with them internationally during the current season. But it really isn't ideal for it to happen in the season before an Olympics season. Because if you want to go to the Olympics, it really limits your options.

Ashlie will probably need to go down the solo ice dance route if she is still only willing to train at Streatham.

And her latest Instagram post would seem to indicate that she is going down that route at the moment. Although, it may just be a temporary thing due to the circumstances.

Atl may need to look outside of the UK, and we'll need to cross out fingers he can find someone who is willing to change which fed they represent.

Actually, I wouldn't mind if it ended up that it was Atl that switched countries. Look how good a move it has been for Natalia and Jayin switching to Brazil, where Natalia's parents are from. Atl's Dad is Mexican, and I believe his Mum is German. So, if he switched to either of those countries, it should be straightforward enough. And if he went the Mexican route, it would be a further boost for their Ice Dance programme.

For that matter, with how many Ice Dancers Germany has lost in recent years, Atl's arrival could be a boost to them too! (I just had a look on Ice Partner Search, and there are a few girls with German citizenship looking for Ice Dance partners. Most of them are older than Atl, but there is one that is younger).

If Atl were to switch countries, he would also be under embargo. But, unlike Lucy, it would only be until early October. So, although he would miss the Junior GP Series, he would still be able to do the rest of the season.

CaroLiza_fan
 
I don't think Atl has to look abroad, though he certainly could and would likely have a large pool of possible partners.

However, there are a lot of British solo dancers who might be willing to try partnered ice dance, and Jackson/Field (Novice bronze medalists) have split with Lillie being the same age as Ashlie. Isabel Harrison is also on IcePartnerSearch (bronze at the August Qualifier with her former partner), who is half a year older than Atl, but they're the same "ISU age".
 
I don't think Atl has to look abroad, though he certainly could and would likely have a large pool of possible partners.

However, there are a lot of British solo dancers who might be willing to try partnered ice dance, and Jackson/Field (Novice bronze medalists) have split with Lillie being the same age as Ashlie. Isabel Harrison is also on IcePartnerSearch (bronze at the August Qualifier with her former partner), who is half a year older than Atl, but they're the same "ISU age".
Sorry. I should have been clearer. I was thinking of partners close to his level - i.e. skaters who have the potential to medal internationally and place in the top 10 in ISU championships. I think that would be difficult for Atl to find, unless he looks abroad.
 
I don't think Atl has to look abroad, though he certainly could and would likely have a large pool of possible partners.

I agree. But, it's always a worth having that option on the table, if you want too broaden the pool available to you.

However, there are a lot of British solo dancers who might be willing to try partnered ice dance, and Jackson/Field (Novice bronze medalists) have split with Lillie being the same age as Ashlie. Isabel Harrison is also on IcePartnerSearch (bronze at the August Qualifier with her former partner), who is half a year older than Atl, but they're the same "ISU age".

That is a good point about the Solo Dancers. Although it is only starting to get attention internationally, we have a long history of Solo Dance in the UK. (Which is probably why I get so angry with the way the ISU are changing the rules compared to what we have always worked to). And some Solo Dancers have transitioned to Ice Dance very successfully. Prime example: Phebe Bekker. So it would be worth it for somebody who is looking a part to look at potential partners from Solo Dance, because we do have talent there.

That said, despite the narrative that the producers of the BBC children's documentary "Ice Stars" was trying to sell us a decade ago, not all Solo Dancers are only doing it to pass the time until they find themselves a partner. Some are quite happy to compete on their own. But others do actually want a partner.

I just hope that Atl ends up happy when this all plays out. And the same with Ashlie, and Lucy, and anybody else who is currently looking a partner.

CaroLiza_fan
 
Anyone know what happened to Sasha Fear, Lilah’s younger sister? ...

Sasha got a job working in business/finance or something like that. I think it might have been in New York. ...

As a Dartmouth student in Class of 2026, Sasha Fear has competed in U.S. intercollegiate skating -- for example, at 2024 National Intercollegiate Final, which happened to be held at the same venue where Fear/Waddell represented Great Britain at 2019 JGP Lake Placid and at Lake Placid Ice Dance International in several years. Sasha wrote a cookbook, "Plate to Podium," which was self-published in 2023.

I think Flossie could be referring to Sasha's internship in NYC soon after her partnership with Waddell ended.
 
Sorry. I should have been clearer. I was thinking of partners close to his level - i.e. skaters who have the potential to medal internationally and place in the top 10 in ISU championships. I think that would be difficult for Atl to find, unless he looks abroad.
Even if he finds a similarly talented/successful partner elsewhere, there's no guarantee of success, unfortunately. Pedersen/Starr (USA) didn't work out despite both partners having placed in the top 10 at Jr Worlds.

On the other hand, sometimes young skaters can improve really quickly once they find the right partner and coaching team. Aboian/Veselukhin (USA) for example, who both had pretty mediocre results with their previous partners and came out of nowhere to medal twice on the JGP this season and are now clear favourites for winning Jr Nationals.
 
As a Dartmouth student in Class of 2026, Sasha Fear has competed in U.S. intercollegiate skating -- for example, at 2024 National Intercollegiate Final, which happened to be held at the same venue where Fear/Waddell represented Great Britain at 2019 JGP Lake Placid and at Lake Placid Ice Dance International in several years. Sasha wrote a cookbook, "Plate to Podium," which was self-published in 2023.

I think Flossie could be referring to Sasha's internship in NYC soon after her partnership with Waddell ended.
Yes, it was the internship I'd been thinking of. :)
 
Skaters have to do the best for their careers of course but selfishly I do hope Ashlie & Atl both are able to team up with British eligible partners - realistically anyone based abroad would need to have British heritage to be eligible for citizenship.
 
Possibly a bit early for a 2026 Europeans Thread but I thought I would link to a British ice Skating 1 year to go post in here, especially for those who are UK based who are looking to go to Sheffield next year (lovely to say next year now for this).


First batch of tickets going on sale later this Month on the 28th, a link to register for this is included. This first batch will be the All event tickets; although this does not include Gala tickets but you will get first dibs on buying those. Single session tickets will be on sale later in the year. No info on prices yet.

Mentions biggest ever UK Team? Hmmm, I will be surprised if it's bigger than last year's Euros Team where we had 3 Dance and 2 Pairs entered along with 1 men's and women's entry.
 
Last edited:
I'll be getting tickets when they go on sale in a couple of weeks. Should be a great event.

We could have 3 dance and 2 ladies. Kristen is looking in great form and could scrape a top 10 in euros. Same with B&H, top 11 for sure with F&G in the top 2 will do it.

We'll qualify a 2nd pairs team but don't think we have a second senior pair do we?

With the men's, who knows if Ed skates lights out. I'm ever optimistic 🤣
 
Back
Top