Basingstoke figure skater Danielle Harrison tops national rankings

The 13-year-old Everest Community Academy pupil enjoyed an excellent season, winning the Advanced Novice Ladies class at the Ice Challenge in Graz, Austria and then finishing second at the British Figure Skating Champion-ships in the same class.

Harrison has also competed in the junior class and ended the year sixth in the British junior rankings.

Harrison said: “I am moving into junior and senior competitions now two years early. Junior is for skaters aged 19 and under and the program length and content is more challenging.

“I would like to improve my scores and ranking in this category and am working on harder content. It is important now to work at this. I had a really good season last year and was really pleased. Thank you to my coaches, Everest Community Academy and Planet Ice for all their support.”

Harrison started skating in Basingstoke at the age of six, taking SKATE UK skating lessons, and now trains six days a week at the Basingstoke Arena, owned by Planet Ice, who are are one of her official sponsors and grant her free ice time.

Managing director of Planet Ice, John Neville said: “Here at Planet Ice we are always looking to support talented young people like Danni Harrison in their pursuit of success.

“We are extremely proud to have been part of Danni’s development, from when she attended her first Learn to Skate course up to now, and are really excited to be part of her future as she prepares for the new season.”

She is coached by Debi and Simon Briggs and supported by Gary Peed, Peter Bækgaard, Andrew Smith and Lisa Beaumont.

Simon Briggs, a NISA Level 5 coach and one of the world’s leading technical specialists, officiating at Winter Olympics and World Championships, said: “Danni is an extremely talented young athlete who is showing signs of progressing to the very highest levels.

“She is one of the most talented and committed skaters that I have seen in the United Kingdom for many years.”