Friday 31/01/25
Anastasia Vaipan-Law and Luke Digby have secured GB’s highest-placed Pairs finish at a European Figure Skating Championships in over thirty years.
After a confident short program, the pair went into the free skate on Thursday in an incredible fourth place. Despite Anastasia experiencing a heavy fall in their morning practice session, the British pair were resolute and went on to deliver a personal best free program resulting in an overall personal best score and the first top 5 finish for GB in decades. The last time British Pairs skaters achieved this result at the prestigious event was in 1989, when Cheryl Peake and Andrew Naylor also achieved a 5th place finish.
The pair’s achievement – a significant jump from their excellent 9th place finish last year - reflects the impressive progress Vaipan-Law and Digby have been consistently making on the world stage since they first teamed up in 2021. As their confidence and technical skills continue to grow, the future is bright for them and the young skaters they will undoubtedly inspire.
Excitement is further fuelled by the knowledge that the next European Figure Skating Championships will be on home soil, with Sheffield set to host in January 2026 - the last major international competition before many of the competing athletes will go on to the Winter Olympic Games in Milano-Cortana! For Luke, a Sheffield native who took part as a flower boy the last time the UK hosted the competition in 2012, this promises to be a particularly special occasion. Figure skating fans who want to add their voice to the roar of the home crowd can get their tickets for the event now: europeans2026.com
For the moment, though, Anastasia and Luke, who train in Dundee with coaching team Simon, Debi and Jason Briggs, have their eyes firmly set on the World Figure Skating Championships taking place in Boston in March.
The pair shared:
“We are thrilled and very proud of our achievement over the last two days. A top 5 finish is a dream come true and we loved having lots of support from the crowd. We would like to thank our coaches and the whole British team for their support.
“We will take some time to recover and reflect upon a great event here at the Europeans. Then we will look forward to building up to another World Championships with it being the first Olympic qualifying event.”
FINAL SCORES:
Short Program: 64.82 (4th)
Free Program: 118.93 (6th) - Personal Best
Overall: 183.76 (5th) - Personal Best
The excitement doesn’t stop with the 2025 European Championships!
Looking ahead, the ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2026 will be taking place in Sheffield, UK at the Utilita Arena Sheffield, from 13th-18th January 2026 - the first time the UK has hosted this event in over a decade. This prestigious event will showcase the best skaters from across Europe on British ice, offering fans the opportunity to experience world-class figure skating up close.