ANDOVER Olympic torchbearer Danielle Harrison looks set for the top of her sport after being promoted to the National Ice Skating Association’s (NISA) performance squad, becoming the youngest member of the squad by three years.

The promotion will give the Basingstoke-based skater, aged 13, access to additional support and funding to help fulfill her potential, as well as the chance of representing Team GB at international competitions and at Grand Prix and ISU Championship level.

Danielle, who is British number one in the junior ladies rankings and number four in the senior ladies rankings, now joins ten-time British Figure Skating Champion Jenna McCorkell, world junior championships skater Karly Robertson and Team GB 2012 Olympic ambition programme skater Katie Powell in NISA’s senior ladies performance squad.

Danielle, who carried the torch along part of Weyhill Road in July 2012, said: “I am really pleased to be invited onto NISA’s performance squad.

“I enjoy challenges and I have been working very hard to try and improve, so it was nice to have achieved the target score I needed to make the performance squad.”

David Hartley, development director at NISA, said: “Danielle is an extremely gifted and talented young skater and she fully deserves her place in the performance squad.

“We’re extremely proud of her development and we hope to see her go from strength to strength in the coming years.

“Danielle started Skate UK lessons when she was six.”