Russian coaches boost local skaters
Daniel Clery, The West Australian
16th May 2000

YOUNG figure skaters from the West Coast Ice Skating Club warmed up for this year's national junior championships with an impressive display at the Hollins Trophy competition in Sydney last month.

The club sent nine competitors aged nine to 17 to the event, considered the most important interstate competition outside of the nationals, and returned to Perth with three gold, one silver and three bronze medals.

Coach Valentin Kadzevitch said it was the most successful return for a WA ice skating team in an interstate competition.

He believes several of the club's skaters have the potential to be successful at this year's national championships at the West Coast club's home rink at Cockburn Ice arena from 29 July to August 5.

Traditionally one of the weaker States in figure skating, WA's success in the Hollins Trophy demonstrates the strides being made within the sport in this State.

In the primary women's division, WA competitors made a clean sweep of the medals, with Emilia Ashan, 11, Laura Downing, 12 and Jaimie Burnett, 11, placing first, second and third respectively.

Gold medals were also won by 12-year-old Leigh Edwards in the novice men's division and Stephanie Hernandez, 9, in the pre-primary division.

Kadzevitch said he was struck by the progress made within the sport since he arrived in Perth four years ago.

"Figure skating in Western Australia used to be not so good when I got here." Kadzevich said.

"We were thought of as the lowest State, but now we are taken very seriously by the other States."

Don Burnett of the West Coast Ice Skating Club said the excellent coaching offered by Kadzevitch and two other Russian skaters now resident in Perth, Irena Stavroskaia and Ekaterina Borodatova, had been a key factor in the group's recent success.