Kerrs can re-spark Britain's love for ice dancing

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Posted: Thursday 19th March 2009 | 17:13

FOR 25 years, Great Britain's ice skaters have been living on past glories.

Kerrs can strir GB's love for ice dancing
SKATE EXPECTATIONS: The Kerrs head to World Championships next week on a high (Getty Images)

It's now a quarter-of-a-century since more than 24 million UK viewers tuned in to watch Torvill and Dean clinch Olympic gold with their performance of Ravel's Bolero in Sarajevo.

That was the third Winter Olympics in a row Great Britain had tasted gold, as Robin Cousins, and before him John Curry, had ensured ice dancing took its primetime place in British living rooms alongside Match of the Day.

Since then however, success on the ice has been barren. But a European Championships bronze medal in January suggests a new British duo has blossomed ahead of next week's World Championships in Los Angeles.

Sinead and John Kerr finally delivered on their promise in Helsinki in January, claiming Great Britain's first European medal for 15 years and will head to LA with genuine, if optimistic medal chances.

And a UK Sport-funded relocation to New Jersey for full-time training under the tutelage of former Olympic champion Evgeny Platov adds currency to the argument.

"We've got a shot at a medal," said Sinead. "There's a bunch of pairs, maybe eight, who can make the top three and I'd say we're among that.

"We've beaten the current world champions, the Olympic silver medallists and last year's European champions at different times.

"John and I have had a fantastic season and the medal in Helsinki really topped it off. But we must capitalise on that at the World Championships.

"It will be a lot harder to medal out there but we have beaten some of the best in the world this year so there is no reason why we can't do well.

"The Americans and Canadians always have strong couples so they will be the biggest test for us."

Kerrs have been praise for theri original Scottish routines
SCOTTISH CHARMS: The Kerrs have been praised for their original free dances (Getty Images)

Competing on adopted-home soil will prove an advantage for the Kerrs - who are now based at the Princeton Sports Centre in New Jersey - and those in the corridors of power at UK Sport will expect another impressive return for their money.

The Kerrs now enjoy daily six-hour sessions on the ice at a cost of $600 a month while Platov's acumen no doubt does not come cheap, but it was not always so easy for the Livingston-born pair.

"When we trained for the 2006 Olympics, we'd often have to do it during a public session," said John.

"Our coach would go around saying 'Move to the sides please. They're going to the Olympics.

"The best way to avoid paying for ice time, and we couldn't afford to pay, was to ask politely if people would let us past.

"We moved to States because UK Sport said 'We'll fund a big change in your training, if you think it's going to get you medals.

"You decide what that big change is. For us, that was moving to America, which is where the coach is based and where the coach has all the facilities we need at his disposal."

It's easy to draw comparisons between the Kerrs and Torvill and Dean. For a start, the Scottish siblings equalled the Nottingham duo's record of six consecutive British national championships in January.

But John and Sinead are quick to point out that differences exist, not least because of their brother and sister relationship.

"It's easier in some ways that we're brother and sister," added John. "Skating partnerships can be difficult.

"You're together on ice, and a lot of other time too, but you're not married or going out necessarily.

"You've got a relationship, but not. That can be complicated. With us, we've known each other all our lives, so you can sit there, read the paper, ignore each other and that's normal.

"In Chris and Jayne's heyday, with the greatest respect, they really only had three Soviet couples to beat. And that was because everyone else was part-time."

With less than a year to go, the countdown is already well under way to Vancouver. An impressive showing in LA won't have 24 million Brits on the edge of their seats, but it would be a good start.