Robin Cousins column

By Robin Cousins Winter Olympic gold medallist and BBC expert

There is no doubting the popular television show Dancing on Ice has been a godsend for the sport of figure skating.

Ice rinks up and down the land have seen a huge influx of young people wanting to come in and skate and learn about the sport.

EUROPEAN FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS BBC coverage Saturday 26 January - 1200-1630, BBCi and BBC Sport website Sunday 27 January - 1330-1430, BBC TWO and BBC Sport website

And we need it as the state of competitive ice skating in Britain at the moment is not that great, I have to say.

We went into this week's European Figure Skating Championships in Zagreb with very slim hopes of a medal.

We have a lot of committed skaters, but other than John and Sinead Kerr and Jenna McCorkell, we are dealing with very good junior level skaters that are competing at senior level.

And off the rink there have been ructions at the National Ice Skating Association (Nisa).

There have been complaints from coaches, parents and officials about the way Nisa is running the sport, which concerns me.

However, at the same time skaters have to realise if you are good at what you do and you are pushing yourself with a good coach, you will be successful.

It is very easy to pass the buck and blame others.

I think our sporting culture has become such that people are used to having things given to them and I think personal fight is missing.

When I was training, we had to do our Olympic run through at 5.45 in the morning. If we didn't do it then you didn't get another chance. That was it.

Just deal with what you've got to deal with.

Robin Cousins won gold at the 1980 Winter Olympics

It's almost a culture of celebrity in sport, it's not about the sport it's about what comes with it.

Admittedly, unfortunately we don't have the resources other countries have, but we didn't 30 years ago when the likes of me, Jayne Torvill, Christopher Dean and John Curry were doing it.

The more somebody said you can't afford to do it, the more I was determined to do it.

Thirty years later we shouldn't be in the same position, but I don't really see why we don't have people who can jump triples in senior ladies apart from one girl, Jenna McCorkell.

Adding to the concern is that our best skaters are basing themselves abroad.

The Kerr siblings are in America, McCorkell is in Belgium and Stacey Kemp and David King are in Poland.

We have some very strong coaches here, but maybe they don't have the international clout or experience.

Unfortunately this is a Catch 22 situation for coaches - if your student isn't competing internationally you won't make it to the events to watch the competition.

Coaches are self-employed, so any time they go abroad to watch an event they are losing revenue.

Many of you might be approaching these championships after getting hooked on skating after Dancing on Ice, but don't know who to look out for.

Brian Joubert is a phenomenal athlete with great presentation Robin Cousins

Any of the medallists at these championships will give you a very true indication of what this sport is about, whether it's the paired skaters, the ice dancers or the soloists.

Reigning world and European champion Brian Joubert is a phenomenal athlete with great presentation.

He is so consistent but he is up against Stephane Lambiel, who is more flamboyant and much more of a 'for the moment' performer.

In the pairs, Germans Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy are miles ahead of anyone else, while in the ice dancing watch out for a fascinating battle between France and Russia.

John and Sinead Kerr should have been pushing for a bronze this year, but it doesn't look like it is going to happen.

And as for Dancing on Ice, I haven't got a clue who is going to win - there are too many dark horses!

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European Figure Skating Championships
Saturday 26 January, live, 1200-1630, BBCi and BBC Sport website
Sunday 27 January, highlights, 1330-1430, BBC Two and BBC Sport website

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Robin Cousins was talking to Paul Birch