Coach reckons Uddingston youngster Kirsty McShane can win gold in figure skating.

Jan 27 2011 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

A YOUNG Uddingston figure skater could be taking her first steps towards a gold medal when she takes part in a major international tournament next month.

Kirsty McShane (12) will represent Great Britain in the Novice A category of the Kempen Trophy in Belgium on Saturday, February 5, organised by the Royal Belgian Federation.

This is the first international tournament for Kirsty, who only took up the sport three years and three months ago.

Coach Andrew Smith (27) himself a former international figure skater, reckons it will stand her in good stead.

He said: “This is something brand new and it’s new territory for Kirsty.

“The progress she has made has been fantastic, but what I want to see is how this event affects her when she’s back.

“Going to an international event and hearing your country being announced before you perform is a major thing and I think the results over the next year to her next international event should tell us a lot.

“I think they will be much better than what they would be without this event. It will boost her confidence enormously and put her firmly on the road towards a gold medal.

“I’ll be looking for Kirsty to clean her programme, do everything she’s supposed to do and do the absolute best she can – the confidence she will get from that will lead her on to bigger and better things.

“Kirsty trains five-days-a-week every week, sometimes more.

“She trains before school to give her access to quieter ice sessions and she skates in the weekends and evenings.

“As a student and an athlete she is well-rounded, understands the importance and value of working hard to achieve her goals and is fully dedicated to her sport.

“Kirsty thrives on competing and performing and possesses a positive competitive drive and motivation to always improve.”

Andrew, from Coatbridge, first spotted Kirsty’s talent when she enrolled for a class at the North Lanarkshire town’s Time Capsule complex.

He explained: “Kirsty was sent to the Time Capsule for the learning to skate programme in September or October, 2007, and I was teaching at the time. She was the one who shone and showed a very natural promise, but importantly she also loved it and wanted to progress.

“Later on I took her on as a private student and she has never looked back.

“Kirsty has always been abundantly hard-working but if possible she has doubled her efforts since she qualified, and is incredibly excited.”

Andrew added: “I think it has sunk in now that she’s qualified and Kirsty has responded to it very well. It’s a really big achievement to have qualified for an event of this size in such a short time.”