‘I’ve made a vow’: Elise Christie planning Winter Olympics return in 2026

Great Britain’s former world champion Elise Christie has vowed to do everything she can to return to competitive skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Christie announced her retirement from short track speed skaing in December, just two weeks after her bid to qualify for the ongoing Games in Beijing effectively came to an end.

The 31-year-old Scot, who crashed out of all three of her races in Pyeongchang in 2018, said at the time “part of my heart will always be missing”, having failed to crown her career with an Olympic medal.

Christie won three world titles in Rotterdam in 2017, becoming both the first British and European woman to do so. She won four world silver and five bronze medals, and 10 European titles.

Asked on Wednesday if she had made peace with the Olympics, Christie told BBC Sport: “No. I thought I had. Watching the 500 metres event the other day, I’ve made a vow I’m going to do everything I can to try to get back out at the next one.

“It’s not going to be easy and it’s not something I can say I’ll definitely be able to do because I don’t have the financial backing to do it at the minute. If I were to try to do it again, I’d still skate for Britain but trying to do it training somewhere else and only focusing on the sprint distances.”