LUCY Mould graced the recent Skate Nescafe National Series event at Basingstoke with a second-placed finish in the primary section despite a hamstring injury, writes NEIL BRAMWELL.

And another Blackburn Ice Arena skater, Nick Rigby is also on course to qualify for the British Championships in Northern Ireland in November.

Lucy, 14, who travels to Blackburn every morning from her home in Bradford to be coached by Joy Sutcliffe, was winning the event after the short programme when her injury flared up again.

Her coach wanted her to withdraw but Lucy battled on to claim second spot overall.

She is now preparing for the next event of the series at Hull later this month - the fourth in the five-event series.

Sutcliffe said: "She had a brilliant long programme considering the injury and, if she had been fit, I think she would have won.

"She has only been skating for four years and had only been on the ice for two weeks after the initial hamstring problem."

Nicki Curling, National Ice Skating Association's events co-ordinator, said: "The aim of Skate Nescafe is to raise the game, allowing our top skaters like Lucy to compete against other skaters of national standard on a regular basis."

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