Britain are an up-and-coming short track speed skating nation and there are genuine medal contenders among the five-strong squad for Sochi 2014. Elise Christie leads the two women selected having come into her own since making her Olympic debut at Vancouver 2010.
She won the individual 1000m World Cup title as part of a fine 2012-13 season, as well as World and European Championship medals. Christie became the first British woman to claim a World Championship medal with bronze in the 1000m.
Christie underlined her podium potential at the recent European Championships in Dresden, winning 1000m gold, taking relay silver and finishing second overall. Gilmartin claimed 1500m bronze at the 2013 European Championships and, with Christie, just missed out on qualifying Britain a women’s relay team for Sochi.
Christie is one of three Britons selected to have previous Olympic experience with Jon Eley, who will attend his third Games in Sochi, heading up a trio of men chosen.
Eley is the only member of the squad to have competed at two Games – Turin 2006 and Vancouver 2010 – and, like Christie, is a multiple medallist at World and European Championships.
He will be joined at an Olympics again by Jack Whelbourne, who made his debut at Vancouver 2010 and is the 2011 European 500m champion, while Richard Shoebridge is set to make his maiden Games appearance and completes the men’s team after they too failed to qualify for the relay.