Emma Aalto and Millie Colling managed to break the glass roof. In October, they will compete for the first time as a female couple in ice dance.
Ice dance pair Emma Aalto19, and Millie Colling20, are preparing for their first competitions, which will be held in Helsinki in October. However, they are not racing for the first time.
The two became friends as they competed against each other in solo ice dance. Both shared frustration when there was no suitable couple.
– There are very few men in this sport, especially in Finland. It’s pretty impossible to find a couple, Aalto says.
– Then I got a little crazy idea to try something new, he continues.
Aalto sent a long message to Colling and asked if he would like to skate together.
– It was a long poetry essay, but one sentence would probably have been enough, Colling laughs.
Colling and Aalto are cool on the ice. Tuuli Syrjälä
Rule change
Usually in ice dance, a man and a woman skate together. Canada is allowed same -sex couples, but otherwise it is new.
The two asked their coach From Neil Brown Could it be possible for them to skate together. Brown went forward to the Finnish Figure Skating Association, Skating Finland.
“They were interested in the idea, but they said it would take time,” Aalto says.
The process took almost a year. Eventually, the union changed its rules so that same-sex couples could also compete at the SM level. However, Aalto and Colling have no matter for international competitions.
Still, the dream of international racing lives.
“We can’t predict the future, but we don’t see the reason why it wouldn’t be possible,” Colling says.
– Ice dance is a very traditional sport and is part of the beauty of ice dance. But the fact that people’s images can change, it takes time, he continues.
Aalto and Colling practice five days a week. In addition to ice training, the program includes ballet and other side training. Tuuli Syrjälä
Where do you add boys?
According to coach Neil Brown, the situation in the ice dance is very complicated, not just in Finland.
“Our sport needs to be renewed and its image must be modified to attract more young male skaters and offer them great opportunities to have fun while developing their skills,” Brown says.
Brown calls that the union and clubs should do a better job to get more visibility in figure skating. The sport also needs more role models of successful male skaters.
– I think clubs should definitely arrange hours for boys, not just for mixed groups. A lonely boy in a girls’ group is unlikely to be long in this sport unless he becomes friends with other boys of the same age.
In the end, many things must be right for cooperation between a couple of ice dance couples.
– Chemistry, length, physical lines, mindset, age, financial situation, location, Brown list.
When you follow Aalto and Colling’s training at the Oulunkylä Ice Hall, you may find that many of these things are all about. Gender does not matter in this case.
During the training, a race program was refined, which the duo can play ice dance in 1st selection competition in October. Tuuli Syrjälä