What you need to know about one of Team GB's top medal hopes!
- Published
Ouch! Elise Christie is a European and World short track speed skating champion - but she just hasn't got her hands on a Winter Olympics medal... yet. Sadly she's started these Games with a fall. She crashed in the final of the 500m and she says she was knocked over. She ended up fourth but don't worry - she still has the 1000m and 1500m to come, with finals on Saturday and then next Thursday ringed in red in her diary.
Did you know figure skating not ice racing was Elise Christie's first taste of life on the skates? She started figure skating aged seven and moved to racing when she was 12. Originally from Livingston, she moved to Nottingham at 15 to train full time at the National Ice Centre. She said she never liked the idea that figure skating has judges giving marks - she prefers winning by getting over the line first!
Now this might sound familiar but she also went to the 2014 Olympic Games as one of the favourites in her sport but Elise had a Games to forget! After crashing out of her favourite event, the 500m, she was disqualified in the 1500m for going too wide and from the 1000m for crashing into an opponent. Ouch! Let's hope she doesn't make that hat-trick this time!
She came back with a blast in the 2017 World Championships when she won the Women's Overall title after taking golds in the 1000m and 1500m events. It was a massive acheivement and she also got a nomination as Sports Personality of the Year! All eyes turned to the Winter Olympics in South Korea.
Elise is still one of TeamGB's biggest medal hopes. And she's shown she's in great shape after smashing her own Olympic record in her heat in the 500m competition but can she turn that into Olympic Gold Medals? She's got two more chances and we believe she can do it! Go Elise!
- Published9 February 2018
- Published10 February 2018
- Published9 February 2017
