After more than 20 years teaching in the United States of America, ice skating coach and technical specialist Christian Newberry will be coming to London to join the coaching team at Lee Valley Ice Rink in Leyton.

Newberry trained at Lee Valley in the 1980s and quickly saw success as the 1988 British men’s figure skating champion.

Now, more than 25 years since that victory, Newberry is returning to England with prestigious teaching qualifications and several international competition entries under his belt.

He said: "I am thrilled to be returning to Lee Valley as a coach, bringing the knowledge of 25 years of training and coaching in the USA to all the local skaters."

Hilary Selby, performance director of National Ice Skating Association, added: "The addition of Christian as a coach at Lee Valley will further establish the coaching team as one of the strongest in the country.

"I believe Christian will be able to call on his experience both from the US and also from his time spent training in Lee Valley in his youth to create a successful coaching programme."

Newberry will be joined by his two sons Graham (15) and Jack (18) Newberry, two of Great Britain’s most successful junior skaters. They will train and skate at Lee Valley from June as part of the elite and apprentice programmes.

Newberry added: "To have my two sons now skate for and train at Lee Valley as I did will bring back great memories and a chance to make new ones."