Jenna wins again in Graz

COLERAINE ice skater Jenna McCorkell is celebrating again after picking up gold at the weekend.

Jenna took the ladies’ gold medal with personal best scores in both segments of the 2012 Ice Challenge, which took place in Graz, Austria.

It completes an impressive few weeks for the 26-year-old who also took gold at the Ondrej Nepela Memorial in Bratislava with a winning margin of just under 10 points.

McCorkell believes her new coaching regime - now in its second year - is helping her perform to the same standard in competition as she does in training.

“I guess the wins change my expectations going into the season,” said Jenna.

“It gives me a lot more confidence, which is something I’ve always lacked - believing in myself.

“But starting the season on such a high, I think it will continue throughout the season, confidence-wise.

“Getting the first win was a massive boost. I was really pleased with the result - it was a lot more than I had hoped for.

“It’s about having the right coaching team around you, and having that people that know you who know what to say and not what to say.

“It’s a whole new coaching structure and everything has fallen into with that, so I’m hoping that it will be a good season.

“I decided at the beginning of last year that I was either going to finish with competing or I was just going to change everything because the way it was before that, I just wasn’t happy.

“It’s really starting to develop now. Last season was already a huge step as I had better results and better scores, and it can be even better this season if I can stay injury-free.”

McCorkell crashed out of the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010 after a fall in her short programme routine.

However, while admitting Sochi in 2014 is in her sights, she is concentrating on making sure she keeps getting the results to pull herself up the world standings.

She said: “Sochi is the goal, but at the moment I’m concentrating on competition to competition and having a good season this year, which will help me climb up the world standings.

“I need all the small wins to pull me up as high as I can as it gives me a better starting number at the European and World Championships.”