British Ice Skating has unveiled the team that will carry Great Britain’s hopes through the opening five stages of the 2026/27 ISU Short Track World Tour, the global circuit that sets the international pecking order in the sport.
Young squad chosen after domestic selection event
The selection comes after last week’s Performance Selection Event in Nottingham and a meeting convened on Monday to finalise the line-up. The chosen skaters will compete across World Tour 1–5, which run from late October to early December and visit Canada, Korea and China.
British Ice Skating has made a point of backing a youthful nucleus of athletes, with several set to make their World Tour debuts. The decision follows a breakthrough at the 2026 World Championships in Montreal, where one of the squad returned with a historic podium finish for Britain.
Named squad and leadership
The selected athletes are:
- Women: Annabelle Green, Chloe Cameron
- Men: Niall Treacy, Willem Murray, Adam Hill, Albie Barlow, Joseph Armstrong
Leading the delegation is Niall Treacy, who won bronze in the 1000m at the World Championships in Montreal in March — Britain’s first short track medal at that level since 2017. Treacy’s result has become a touchstone for the programme as it seeks to maintain momentum.
Performance director cites development and momentum
Jon Eley, the performance director at British Ice Skating, framed the selection as both an opportunity for experience and a continuation of progress made last season. He underlined the importance of exposing a new generation to top-level racing while aiming to build on recent success.
"We're really looking forward to getting the World Tour season underway. The team has had a strong summer of training and there's a lot of excitement around this group as we head into the first part of the season," he said.
Eley added that the young team members will benefit from the intense competition that short track provides and that the federation views these events as part of the long-term preparation for the 2030 Olympic cycle.
Why the World Tour matters
The ISU Short Track World Tour is the discipline’s premier international series under its current format, launched in 2024. The circuit’s early rounds bring together the sport’s fastest skaters to race head-to-head on a 111-metre oval, where speed, tactics and physical contact combine. Events scheduled for the 2026/27 season include stops in Canada, Korea, China — and later in the season Poland and the Netherlands.
For British athletes, regular exposure to high-calibre competition is crucial. Short track rewards race craft and split-second decision-making as much as raw speed; gaining experience in the World Tour environment can accelerate development, sharpen tactical nous and expose weaknesses to be addressed ahead of major championships.
Immediate implications and the road to 2030
In practical terms, the selection gives these skaters the chance to accrue ranking points, measure themselves against top opponents and gain team experience on long-haul trips. For Treacy, returning to the World Tour after a World Championship medal will test whether that result heralds sustained progress or a one-off success. For debutants, the coming months will be about learning to manage rounds, heats and the chaos that often characterises short track races.
British Ice Skating has signalled that this phase of the season is as much about development as immediate podium returns. The strategy reflects a medium-term ambition: to build a deeper pool of competitive skaters as the federation looks ahead to Paris and beyond, ultimately aiming for stronger representation and results in the 2030 Olympic cycle.
| Event window | Locations (selected) |
|---|---|
| World Tour 1–5 | Canada, Korea, China |
The coming weeks will reveal how the selected skaters adapt to world-class opposition and travel demands. For supporters of British short track, the emphasis now is on consolidation: turning promising signs into consistent performances on the global stage.
