NIALL Treacy secured Great Britain’s first World Championship medal since 2017 after claiming bronze at the Short Track World Championships.
The Henley-in-Arden speed skater took bronze in the 1,000m race to win Britain’s first men’s individual World Championship medal in 30 years.
Treacy headed to Montreal, Canada following a frustrating Winter Olympics which saw him miss out on a medal following a series of crashes.
However, the two-time Olympian put that disappointment behind him to medal at the World Championships.
Treacy said: “It’s just a culmination of years of hard work.
“Me and my coach, every time we come out here say that we can compete with these guys, and for the past few competitions, World Tour, Euros and the Olympics, we’ve made A-finals, but didn’t get the medal.
“But to finally have one in my favourite distance is just huge.
“Now I’ll have a World Championship medal for the rest of my life.”
British Ice Skating, head of performance, Jon Eley added: “This bronze medal means a huge amount to everyone involved in the programme.
“To see Niall deliver on the world stage like that, in the 1000m and to bring home the first individual men’s World Championship medal in over 30 years is incredibly special.
“It’s a reflection of the hard work and belief from Niall, the coaching team, the support staff and everyone who has contributed to building this programme over the last Olympic cycle.
“Niall showed real composure and courage in that race, and he absolutely earned that place on the podium.
“Moments like this are why we do what we do.
“It’s a proud day for the whole team and a fantastic way to finish the final race of the Olympic cycle.
“We’re excited about what this means for the future.”
Treacy finished third behind South Korea’s Rim Jong-un who won gold and Jens van ‘t Wout of The Netherlands who took silver.
