Eley backing Christie's shock return to enhance rising profile of short track

Elise Christie's high-profile decision to come out of retirement and target a return to the top table of short track speed skating is a significant shot in the arm for the sport, reckons Jon Eley. Three-time world champion Christie, 31, announced her shock U-turn last week after retiring in December having fallen short in her bid to qualify for Beijing.

Ad/> The Scottish star has endured a series of rotten luck on the Olympic ice — crashing or being disqualified from every event at PyeongChang 2018 — but is aiming for a return to the big-time and the bright lights of Milano Cortina 2026. Beijing 2022'She’s gone! Oh my life!' – Huge drama as leader spectacularly crashes on final bend19/02/2022 AT 11:19 Britain's short track stars once again failed to fire in Beijing and three-time Olympic skater Eley, British Ice Skating's performance and talent manager, hopes Christie's surprise return can trigger an upturn in fortunes.

Eley, 37, said: «She's had a major impact on the sport over the last decade and to have someone like her wanting to still stay in the sport and continue to compete is great. »I've not been able to catch up with her [since the decision] — we've had a few races to work for [in Beijing] but I will do when I when I get back.

«What we're focusing on [at the moment] is the guys that are here, their performances and hopefully the young guys coming through in the next cycle as well.» The Winter Olympics have never been a happy hunting ground for British short track stars and despite all three of this year's team showing promise on the World Cup circuit, that pattern continued in Beijing. Farrell Treacy reached the final of the 1500m event but brother Niall crashed in his 1000m heat and Kathryn Thomson — the most