op ice dance pair has skated to success in two prestigious European competitions.
Mark Hanretty and Christina Chitwood, who train at iceSheffield, competed in the North Rhine-Westphalia Skating Union Trophy in Dortmund, Germany and the Ice Challenge 2009, which took place in Graz, Austria.
Mark, 24, and Christina, 19, achieved a podium finish in Dortmund, producing a new season’s best score in every element - the compulsory dance, original dance and free dance categories.
They also came fourth in the prestigious Ice Challenge, ahead of the three other British couples competing for the title – Penny Coomes and Nick Buckland, Philippa Towler-Green and Philipp Poole, and Louise Walden and Owen Edwards, who finished ninth, 10th and 11th respectively.
Their performance in the competition impressed the judges and saw them achieve a personal best of 150 points.
Mark said: “Both Christina and I are really pleased to have had such a fantastic result in Austria and Germany and to achieve a personal best is something we are very proud of.
“This result has without a doubt given us a confidence boost. However, we have to make sure we remain focussed to ensure we perform to the highest standard we can.”
Mark and Christina are now set to return for the British Championships, which is taking place on their home turf at iceSheffield from 23 – 28 November.
The pair is hoping that their latest performances will once again ensure they qualify for the European and World Championships, a feat they achieved last year.
Peter Morrissey, ice development manager at Sheffield International Venues (SIV) managed iceSheffield, said: “We are absolutely thrilled with Mark and Christina’s latest achievements and they continue to do everyone at iceSheffield proud with their successful performances.
“We are very much looking forward to seeing Mark and Christina progress in their career as they continue to be very exciting prospects for both iceSheffield and the country.”
