2026 Winter Olympics: Team GB '25 years' behind world's best in short track
BBC World
February 20, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Great Britain’s short track skating team has fallen significantly behind the world’s best, with British Ice Skating’s head of performance stating they are approximately 25 years lagging due to outdated facilities and funding challenges. Team GB sent only one athlete, Niall Treacy, to compete in short track events at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics, where he failed to medal in all three events. This stark contrast to the team’s stronger performance eight years ago highlights a decline tied to reduced funding and resources.
The sport’s funding was slashed after Team GB failed to win any medals at the 2018 PyeongChang Games, leading to a period of rebuilding. British skaters no longer have access to international-standard rinks, forcing athletes like Treacy to train with other national teams, such as the Dutch squad, ahead of major events. The lack of funding also limits the ability to upgrade facilities, with ice maintenance costs and energy prices rising significantly over the years.
Jon Eley, head of performance, explained that short track skating faces additional challenges in balancing rink usage for both hockey and skating. Retrofitting rinks to accommodate safety padding for skaters increases costs and disrupts facility availability. Despite these hurdles, Eley emphasized the importance of learning from successful programs like skeleton, which achieved Olympic success with limited resources through effective talent identification and training strategies.
The current state of short track skating in Britain is classified as a development sport, aiming to build a stronger team for future events, including the 2030 French Alps Winter Olympics. While progress has been slow, there is hope that innovative approaches to funding and facility management could help close the gap with global competitors. This situation underscores broader challenges faced by winter sports in the UK, where resources are stretched thin and priorities often shift toward more popular events like ice hockey.
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Originally published on BBC World on 2/20/2026