A SCOTS figure skating pair have seen their “dream come true” after being told that they’re set to compete at the Olympics.
Anastasia Vaipan-Law and Luke Digby are fresh from a season which included their fourth British title in a row and a fifth-place finish at the European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, which was Great Britain’s best pairs finish in that event for over 30 years.
A 12th place and best-ever World Championships display in Boston, USA then sealed the duo’s place at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics next year.
In the fifth year of their partnership, the Dundee-based pair have vowed to do all they can to make the most of a season which will include their Olympic debut.
Anastasia said: “That moment we found out was a dream come true. It’s something we’ve worked so hard for throughout our entire partnership.
“My parents both skated at a very high level, seeing them when I was young always inspired me.
“From starting my skating journey at seven years old, my dream was always to compete in the Olympics.
“We’re about 18 years into that journey and it feels incredible for that dream to be coming true.”
Luke added: “At the Worlds we felt like we’d done enough, we knew we’d skated to the best of our ability.
“But we still had to wait a week for our Olympics place to be 100% confirmed.
“It’s been our dream from when we both started our solo careers, especially from when we started our partnership, the main aim was to compete in the Olympics.
“It’s been building up to this point and when it is confirmed it’s just a massive relief and you can allow the excitement to start building.”
Currently in their pre-season with competitions not starting until September, Luke and Anastasia will take to the ice at the Milano Ice Skating Arena to represent Team GB in February 2026.
With the majority of their training taking place between Dundee Ice Arena and Regional Performance Centre Dundee, the two are leaving no stone unturned to make sure they’re ready for the biggest season of their careers.
Luke explained: “We started getting some ideas together towards the end of last season. We started looking at music and a few ideas to start getting a plan together.
“Then once the World Championships were finished in March it was pretty much straight into that programme.
“We’ll be working on it throughout the pre-season until we start competing in September.
Anastasia added: “To have the facilities we have in Dundee is something we don’t take for granted, we couldn’t ask for anything more.
“The support system we have around us is fantastic. Our coaches have been there from the start and they’ve helped push us to where we are now.”
Luke and Anastasia are under the guidance of coach Simon Briggs and SportScotland institute of sport staff who provide a range of support including physical preparation, nutrition, medical and physio.
Anastasia explained: “The support that SportScotland gives us is massive. The strength and conditioning side of our sport is so important.
“To have access to the gym at RPC Dundee, the physio and other expertise they provide to us day in and day out, it’s crucial for us to be able to achieve what we want to achieve.
“Having that all in Dundee is something we’re so grateful for and we definitely would be where we are without them.”
Luke added: “As a pairs team there’s lots of explosive movements, lots of lifts.
“So we need to do a lot of gym work to build that strength and we do flexibility training which is very important, there’s a lot of different elements that go into helping us on the ice and the SportScotland team are across it all.
Forbes Dunlop, chief executive of SportScotland, said: “We are proud to play a part in what is a team effort to ensure Scotland’s athletes are ready to compete with the best on the world stage.
“I want to congratulate Anastasia and Luke on their Olympic qualification, it’s a huge achievement.
“They both delivered when it mattered most at the Europeans and Worlds earlier this year and I’m sure they’ll do the same at Milan Cortina.”
