Teen ice skater feels a duty to Ukrainian family

A teenage ice skater with family in Ukraine who has been selected to represent Britain at an international event says he feels a duty to show he can do what "needs to be done".

Edward Solovyov, from Cramlington in Northumberland, won the Under-19s British figure skating championship in his debut appearance in December.

The 15-year-old was then selected to be part of Team GB at the European Youth Olympics Festival (EYOF) in Georgia.

With family members fighting against the Russian invasion, he said: "It feels like I've got a responsibility to show the world, you can look past anything and still make good things out of it."

Edward was born to Ukrainian parents who moved to England more than 20 years ago.

When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, some of the teenager's relatives were able to leave their homes and join his family in the North East.

"But my uncle and cousin had to stay and join the army," Edward said.

"It's just something that needs to be done.

"I just need to do my best and show what I can do."

He is hopeful about his chances at the festival.

"Maybe a podium," he said. "Maybe."

Edward started skating at Whitley Bay Ice Rink almost a decade ago.

"This place is where it all started," he said.

"It's like my second home - in fact I should probably just live here.

"If I had to think of something to represent skating, I'd think of this rink."

He met his coach, Karen Brennan, when he was six.

"He was a little boy that used to skate round in red dungarees and a knitted jumper," Ms Brennan said.

"The day war broke out in Ukraine was Edward's first ever international competition.

"We were in Holland at the time.

"Edward's mum had come down to breakfast absolutely distraught because there'd been bombings in the towns they grew up in."

It is the first time Ms Brennan has been to an Olympic event as a coach.

"We're all just so proud, and excited," she said.

"It's something that we haven't had in this ice rink for a long, long time."

Edward said he did not expect to be selected for the EYOF.

"I'd say it was one of the first physical representations of all the work I've put in through the years," he said.

"It's quite big for me, it's a little bit daunting - each country's selected their own very best for the challenge."

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