We are committed to ensuring our skaters get the best training possible to turn them into world class athletes, so here at the National Ice Centre (NIC) we are pleased to welcome Gurgen Vardanjan to our team. The four times Champion of the Cup of Russia has joined the ice sports development team as the new Director of Skating.
For Gurgen, moving to Nottingham and the NIC was a decision he made with great pleasure and excitement. Having known the venue since it first opened, Vardanjan truly believes the rink has some of the best facilities in the world for top class skaters. Over the past few years Gurgen has been no stranger to the NIC, holding international camps and seminars here giving him a great insight into how the coaching team and skaters work and train.
We caught up with Gurgen to see how he’s settling in and what he thinks about the NIC…
Gurgen said: “I have known the ice rink since it first opened and it has always been a fantastic venue to visit and work at so the decision to come here was unquestionable.
“The National Ice Centre has amazing facilities, everything that an athlete could want – fantastic ice, a brilliant dance studio, an excellent coaching team and devoted staff.”
Aside from the venue and its world class facilities, Gurgen also said his decision was made easier by the people who work at the NIC.
“All the NIC employees are fantastic and have a great respect for each other, the skaters and the venue. It makes it a great pleasure to come into such an amazing venue.”
So what does the future hold for Gurgen Vardanjan at the NIC…
Having had an amazing career as a competitive skater before moving onto coaching it is difficult for him to pin-point one skating memory that is most valuable. Having been involved in so many fantastic skating events and competitions he has a wealth of experience and memories. The recent Vancouver Winter Olympics in Canada and Nagano Winter Olympics in Japan are very special to him, as are all the European and World Championships he has been involved with. He believes joining the NIC coaching team is the next big step on his journey.
Gurgen said: “The future holds big skating plans and developments at the NIC, especially with the number of international skating camps planned over the year. I want the NIC to be the place where all the big international competitions come and really make a mark on the skating world!”
His goals for the future involve turning the venue into a place all skaters want to visit and train at, he said: “I want to work on bringing not only skaters from all over the UK and the world to train here, but also their coaches. I believe this will help their progression and bond their relationship resulting in much higher skating standards.”
So what about the potential of the current NIC skaters? Well, Gurgen feels they have a lot of scope to grow. He also wants his international camps at the venue to be the chance for NIC skaters to train with athletes from all over the world, allowing them to exchange skills and experiences.
He believes the key to skating is starting young. “I want to encourage young children to try skating as it is a great way for them to develop; it gives them goals to work towards and ensures they lead a fit and healthy lifestyle.”
It is very clear that Gurgen is extremely passionate about his future at the NIC and will continue to drive the venue in a positive direction and produce many top skaters of the future. We are very excited to see what the next weeks, months and years bring with Gurgen on board. His aim is to bring academy skaters to an enviable standard that will see the NIC represented at skating competitions across the world – so watch this space!
