Brits miss out on finals in World Team Championships

GREAT Britain's short track speed skating squad suffered a miserable first day at the ISU World Team Championships in Bormio.

MISERABLE FINISH: Great Britain's male and female squads miss out on A finals at season-ending World Team Championships (Getty Images)

Having raised their levels for the Winter Olympics and World Championships in the past two months, both the British men and women's teams found the going tough against competitive fields in Italy.

The women's quartet of Sarah Lindsay, Alex Whelbourne, Elise Christie and Charlotte Gilmartin had the most to shout about as they scored 17 points to finish fourth in group one with South Korea topping the group on 52.

Christie and Lindsay both scored three points for second place finishes in the 500m heats while Christie bagged another two for third place in the 3000m.

But it wasn't enough to make the repechage for the teams placed second and third as Japan scored 29 and Hungary 22 to finish second and third in the group.

Meanwhile, the men's squad of Jack Whelbourne, Jon Eley, Ian Upcott, Paul Worth and Anthony Douglas managed just 12 points in group two of the men's competition.

Eley and Whelbourne both managed third in their 1000m and the quartet without Upcott beat Germany to finish third in the 5000m.

But an overall score of 12 was not enough to make the repechage and both teams will look to reclaim some pride back in the B finals on Sunday.