Sunday, 5 February 2012

Elise Christie Wins Gold


Britain's Elise Christie won her first World Cup short-track speed skating title with victory in the women's 1,000m race in Russia on Saturday.

Christie, 21, took gold in one minute 31.211 seconds, ahead of China's Liu Quihong and Yui Sakai of Japan.

Gold in Moscow gave Christie her third podium finish of the season, following silver medals in Japan and Canada.

She said on Twitter: "'Really happy that my determination and hard work paid off. Such an amazing feeling."

Last week, team-mates Jack Whelbourne and Jon Eley took silver and bronze at the European Championships.

Whelbourne finished ahead of Eley in the European men's 500m final, staged in the Czech city of Mlada Boleslav.

Livingston-born Christie failed to win a European medal and took to Twitter to express her concern at an injury in the aftermath, but shrugged off any worries to pick up gold in the sport's latest World Cup leg.

"Slightly gammy hand and four days off the ice but I don't care. I can't wait to get out there," she tweeted en route to Moscow.

The GB squad, recipients of a recent significant increase in UK Sport funding, have now won seven World Cup medals this season.