Hanretty slams red-tape that threatens Olympic dream

ICE dancers Mark Hanretty and Christina Chitwood  have seen their hopes of competing at next year's Winter Olympics in Vancouver left hanging by a thread due to bureaucratic red tape.

CONSTANT STRUGGLE: Christina Chitwood and Mark Hanretty having to fight red tape to pursue their Olympic dream

Hanretty, 24, and American-born partner Chitwood finished 18th in the European Championships in Finland in January, earning qualification to the World Championships in Los Angeles.

But the National Ice Skating Association were forced to rule the pair could not compete because Chitwood did not have a UK Visa, throwing their Olympic dream into doubt.

And Hanretty  was left raging at the behind-the-scenes politics that could now stand between them and Vancouver 2010.

He said: "It's a really frustrating situation for us now because of Christina being from America we were then told that we weren't allowed to go the World Championships in Los Angeles.

"We skated really well to finish 18th at the European Ice Skating championships in Finland so to then be deselected for the World Championships was hard to take.

"We really feel now that we have to not only be skating well but to make sure that we are by far and away the best pairing so that the governing body can't afford not to let us in."

The duo did receive a boost last week when they were selected on the Lloyds TSB Local Heroes initiative for the second year running.

Both will receive funding to help them with the cost of training and competing internationally and Hanretty, who now trains in Sheffield, admits a legal battle could be inevitable with the British authorities.

Chitwood, 19, is due to get married to a British citizen in August but even then her citizenship won't be assured, meaning the pair could continue to be left in limbo.

"Christina is getting married in August to Tom Parkin but even that won't let us get citizenship because she is under 21 so her marriage won't guarantee her a visa," he added.

"It is a very complicated situation for us and we are taking legal advice and trying to work it out but we are just stuck in limbo at the moment.

"We are stuck having to concentrate on our skating but also at the same time having to fight this political battle which is really difficult."

Lloyds TSB is providing £1,000 to over 250 emerging young sportspeople identified each year across Britain, in the run up to London 2012 and beyond.  Visit www.lloydstsb.com/Localheroes