Dundee-based skater Jenna McCorkell was left bloodied but unbowed after skating her short programme for Britain in the team event in Sochi’s Iceberg Palace on Saturday.
Despite cutting herself on her skates, McCorkell smashed her season’s best by 11 points, scoring 50.09 and placing 10th.
“That’s a big step up from the European Championships,” she said, referring to her modest 39.59 in Budapest last month, where she finished a lowly 24th in the ladies singles.
“And I’m just proud to finally put a performance down at the Olympic Games.
McCorkell, an 11-time national champion and the most successful women’s skater in British history, was 29th at the Vancouver Games in 2010.
“I did my absolute best and I was really relieved after what happened in Vancouver,” she said.
“But I came in here knowing my practices have been going very well and I felt more confident. I knew I could do it and I’m over the moon.”
Like Matthew Parr, who skated the men’s equivalent on Thursday, McCorkell trains with coaches Simon and Debi Briggs, the Olympic level-husband and wife training team who relocated to Dundee Ice Arena 13 years ago.
Both Olympians have paid tribute to the Dundee duo and praised the pre-games support they received at the arena.
She added that she had received terrific support from Dundee, as well as from her original home in Northern Ireland and from Belgium. Her husband is Belgian and she splits her time between there and Dundee.
“It’s been fantastic,” she said. “I’ve had loads of support from Dundee and before I left they baked a big cake for me!
“I’ve got all their cards with me and I took a look at them before I left and I knew that everybody was behind me.”
Team GB finished the team figure skating competition in 10th, with hosts Russia taking their first gold of the games.