The Nebelhorn Trophy 2013 in Oberstdorf, Germany served as the final Olympic qualifying event for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia next February and Ireland was represented by Clara Peters in ladies and Conor Stakelum in men singles.
The competition took place over the weekend with both Peters and Stakelum in action over two phases in their respective events, the short programme and free skating.
Peters made some uncharacteristic mistakes in her short and, although she came back strong in the free, there was too much ground to make up and she finished in 27th out of the ladies seeking to qualify a place for their country in Sochi. It was a similar story for Stakelum who finished in 28th of those trying to advance to the Olympics.
Both skaters will now refocus their attention on qualifying for the European Championships in Budapest in January.
There was some success with an Irish connection at the event with Danielle O’Brien, whose parents hail from Dublin, qualifying a spot for Australia in ice dance with her partner Gregory Merriman.
The Ice Skating Association of Ireland (ISAI) is the sole national governing body for the sport of ice skating in Ireland recognised as such by the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) and the International Skating Union (ISU).
Contact:
Sean Gillis
