Figure skater McCorkell determined to reach second Olympics

BySportsbeat

Updated 11/02/2013 at 10:54 GMT

Having seen Team GB's summer athletes have their time in the sun at the London 2012 Olympics, figure skater Jenna McCorkell insists it is time the winter ones followed in their footsteps.

Jenna McCorkell of Britain performs during the women's short program at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships (Reuters)

Image credit: Reuters

The opening ceremony for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics is now less than a year away and all eyes will be on the British team in Russia, which should include McCorkell, as they look to carry on the feel-good factor.

McCorkell battled through injury to claim her tenth ladies' title at the British Championships in December and last month chose to compete at the European Championships where she placed 21st.

Should the 26-year-old, who is from Coleraine in Northern Ireland, make the team for Sochi 2014 she will be appearing at her second Winter Olympics, having competed at Vancouver 2010 finishing 29th.

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And McCorkell admitted that she will be doing all she can to build on Britain's success at London 2012, where they won 65 medals including 29 golds, if she takes to the ice in Russia next year.

"I am so excited that the Sochi Olympics are just a year away," she said. "It is no time at all really and it feels like just yesterday that we were in Sheffield for the 2012 Europeans.

"I hope to be able to get there and it will be on my mind for some time now. Vancouver was an amazing experience and I think your first Olympics will always stick with you but every Olympics is special and to do two would be amazing.

"Having seen what went on in the summer I was gripped like everyone else but at the same time you missed not being a part of it.

"So hopefully we can build on our summer success in Sochi and give Britain something to be proud of when it comes to winter sports too."

Figure Skating