Charlotte Gilmartin was given a major confidence boost after taking a clean sweep of titles at this year’s USANA British Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Nottingham.
Gilmartin has already shown her class with both World Cup and European medals this year before turning on the style once again at the National Ice Centre in the last major event of the season this weekend.
And with less than a year to go until the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, there were few better ways for the 27-year-old to show her credentials.
Skating for her home club Solihull Mohawks, victories in the 500m, 1000m and 1500m senior ladies events gave her the overall British Championship title, with Kathryn Thomson and Jennifer Pickering also on the podium.
Not done there, Gilmartin also enjoyed relay honours, taking gold in the exciting mixed event alongside Billy Simms, Farrell Treacy and Ethan Treacy to defeat Aldwych and Nottingham.
“It’s a confidence boost for me after the Worlds. It’s nice to come home and have the crowd supporting us all,” she said. “The atmosphere at the British is fun and friendly and it’s great to see the up and coming skaters coming through.
“The relay is the best part, you are working with your club teammates and have to get the changes right. It’s fast and fun and pretty hectic with the varying standards but that makes it more exciting”.
The Sochi 2016 European 3,000m champion and 2014 Olympian was among eight members of the World Class Programme competing this weekend, with Mohawks teammate Farrell Treacy taking the overall British Champion title following wins in the 500m and 3,000m superfinal.
Triple world champion and history maker Elise Christie missed the competition to undergo recovery from minor treatment on her foot, though she was on hand to cheer on her British teammates.
Sportsbeat 2017