Skating to Success

Albie Barlow is a student at Godalming College, studying Sport Coaching and Development BTEC Extended Diploma, which is equivalent to 3 A Levels. He’s also a highly competitive GB junior athlete, competing in international speed staking competitions, with his sights firmly set on the 2030 Winter Olympics in France. We managed to catch up with him and find out more about his busy and fascinating sporting life! 

How did you get into speed skating?
I started ice skating when I was three with my sister. As I got older, I wanted to do something a bit more fun so I tried ice hockey which was a bit too dangerous, and then I tried speed skating when I was seven. I didn’t enjoy it so much because I got blisters with the boots, but then when I was eight, I went back and ever since then I stuck with it.

What courses do you do study? And what made you choose Godalming College?
I do the triple BTEC in Sports Coaching and Development. It’s good and really interesting. It’s definitely going to help me because it’s about sport, so I can take everything I learn here with me and that will give me options for when I leave to focus on the sport environment.
When it came to choosing a college, I made sure to check that they would be happy for me to take time off for competitions. Godalming College is very supportive, and because it’s a BTEC, the assessments are based on coursework, which gives me flexibility.

How does the sport fit in around college commitment and studies?
It’s quite hard to make both work. When I’m away it can be difficult to complete college work, because I’m either on the ice or I’m resting. Also, the time zone differences mean that I’m always trying to catch up on sleep. It’s quite difficult when I’m away, but when I’m back in England I find it easier to keep on top of the work. Fortunately, the department is really supportive. 

How much time in a year do competitions take?
In a year, it takes probably three to four months. There are three competitions for the Junior World Cups, and one competition for the Junior World Championships, which you have to qualify for. The standard is really high. The age groups are 15 to 19, which makes it quite a lot harder, because you’re racing people who are a lot bigger and stronger and have been racing for longer. 
The first competition for Junior World cup is in November, which is only two weeks, but I go up to Nottingham to train with the GB Team to get some extra ice before we go, so that turns into four weeks travel. We then have a break until after Christmas which is when we have our trial to see who gets into the GB Team. I’ll take another two weeks off; one week to train and one week of competition. Then, coming to the end of the season, we have the last two competitions which happen over February and March; another two weeks of competition.  I went back to Nottingham for two weeks beforehand to train; so, it’s about a month off every time I have a competition.

How do you deal with the pressure involved in competing?
I’m trying to reduce the pressure I put on myself. When I went away recently for my first Olympic event, it didn’t go as well as I wanted. I try to skate for fun, whilst also trying my hardest. Also, I make sure I give myself as much downtime as possible, so when I’m back in England and I’m not at College, I try to do something that helps me relax. 

What are the next steps once you finish College?
I want to do a little world tour in between the competitions, and go to different countries to train: Netherlands, Korea, China, Japan. I want to see what makes some countries stronger than others. And then, I’m hoping to make the 2030 Olympics. I would like to make the 2026, but it’s only one year away and I’m still the youngest on the squad. It’s hard, because you have to get times which make it acceptable for you to go. I only have two more competitions to make the times I need, so I’m not worried about not making it, because 2030 is the goal. Apart from that, I’m going to move up to Nottingham, as that’s where the GBT trains, and really focus on 2030.

What’s your greatest achievement to date?
Probably going to the European Youth Olympics. My last two seasons didn’t go to plan, and I didn’t have my times to be able to go. I only had two competitions to go before the cutoff, so I knew I had to get my time right at that point. And then, at our GB trial, I managed to get my time down by 1.5 seconds, which is really good. Every 0.1 matters, since people win by 0.001 seconds. And although it’s not the biggest Olympic competition you can go to, it still gives you that multi-sport environment. It didn’t quite go to plan, but I still went out, had fun, and got a really good experience. And now, I know what to expect for my next Olympic competition. 

What do you love most about speed skating?
The adrenaline, even just watching it, because you don’t know what will happen in a race. There are two sides to the sport: long track, and short track. Long track is just time based. There are only two people on the rink at a time, and it’s only measured on times, so it hasn’t got as much adrenaline. You’re not racing each other; you’re racing a time. Whereas with short track, you all start on the line together and you’re racing each other. Whoever crosses the line first wins. So, there’s a lot more adrenaline, and when you have big crashes, it gets you excited for the next race. That’s the fun! I always sum up short track in two words: adrenaline rush.