Young GB artistic roller-skaters compete in Italy

Niamh and Bella are looking forward to competing against top roller-skaters from around the world

Two girls from Walsall are competing in Italy after being selected to represent their country in a roller-skating competition.

Bella, 10, and Niamh, 13, are among 11 members of the GB Skate Artistic squad in the Artistic International Series in Trieste, which starts on Thursday.

The pair train at Fusion Artistic Roller Skating Club in Walsall, which hosted a learn to skate fundraiser to support their trip last Sunday.

The girls' coach and Bella's mum Jenna said: "The standard out there is so inspirational, to push them forward even further."

Niamh said the toughest thing to learn was confidence when performing

The girls said they were looking forward to making friends with fellow competitors and watching other skaters "do their best".

Niamh, who will be performing a solo routine to the song Primavera, said she fell in love with skating after being taken to a roller disco when she was five.

"I enjoyed it so my mum took me to lessons," she said.

She came second in last year's British Championships and added her training had helped her gain confidence on the floor.

Bella, 10, will be performing in Trieste on Saturday

Jenna, a former champion skater herself, said European competitors were at a "different level" because they had free access to outdoor rinks.

Her daughter Bella, who started skating at four, won the British Championships minis category and the UK Spring Nationals earlier this year.

Bella said she hoped to eventually beat her mum's medal tally, and added she was looking forward to "seeing all my friends and making new ones" at the series.

"I’m going to skate to Memory," from the musical Cats, she said. "It's scary at first but I just get used to it and you just kind of forget about everyone around you."

Jenna trains the girls alongside her own former coach and ex-British champion Paul McIlhone.

"It's just so lovely seeing them blossom," she said. "And achieving their goals as well."

The series, at Via di Monrupino in Trieste, will see athletes compete in free-skating, pairs, couples, and solo disciplines from 17 to 26 May.