Team GB’s speedster Niall Treacy talks about staying cool under pressure

Each time Team GB skater Niall Treacy steps on the ice he needs a cool head. This February, he's competing in his second Winter Olympics – stepping up from Beijing 2022 with even greater ambitions. He’s out there on his own, racing solo. And racing against the clock. Sprinting against the swiftest skaters in the world - on ice!

‘Speed Skating’ is a niche event that some say is the fastest unassisted sport. Racers wear helmets, because with speed comes jeopardy and crashes happen. And the skaters wear extra-long blades, so it’s hardly surprising to find out they wear cut-proof skate suits. Beyond that minimal gear, Niall needs to rely on keeping a cool head.

Yet Niall’s used to staying cool. He’s the youngest of four Treacy brothers, two of whom skated to elite level in this same sport. So, Niall’s waited his turn, racing against bigger, faster brothers, and others, until it was his time to shine.

The start
Fast starts are a key part to success in speed skating. But Niall’s journey to represent Team GB at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics in 2026 has been long and steady.

“I did all my club sessions at Solihull ice rink. It was twice a week. And then you would race in domestic competitions. Then as you get a bit older, you start doing what's called ‘the Star Class Series.’ You race against Western Europe and then the top eight from Western and Eastern Europe do a competition. So that was the progression.”

Loads of kids get on the ice yet not many get to wear the Team GB tracksuit. How has Niall done it?

“When I got selected for the 2017 European Youth Olympic Festival, then I was like ‘oh, maybe I can do this’. I'd seen Farrell (Niall’s brother) go to the national team and Ethan (another brother) was starting to go, so I thought this could be a route for me.”

Sports careers have all kinds of challenges – training, competition, injuries, and funding ups and downs. Niall’s journey is no different.

“The coaches and team behind-the-scenes worked hard to set up the Speed Skate Performance Programme in 2019,”said Niall – helped off the ground by a £100k National Lottery grant from Sport England. Niall reflects, “It hasn't been easy for the past eight years to get to the level that we're at now.”

Building on Beijing
After competing at Beijing 2022, where he finished 27th in the men's 1,000m, Niall has shown remarkable progress. In 2024, he took silver in the men's 1,000m at the European Short Track Championships and won bronze in the same event on the World Tour. His fourth-place finish at the 2025 European Championships and multiple top ten World Tour positions this season demonstrate he's returning to Milano-Cortina with genuine medal ambitions.

Looking ahead
In such a niche event as short track speed skating even slight changes in funding can make big differences. Niall agrees, “ In the past four years, you can see the success that British ice skating has had. Things have been a little bit easier – like sending a physio out to a competition or something like that.” Ahead of Milano-Cortina, £1.4m from UK Sport boosted British Ice skating. It benefitted figure skating and to a lesser extent the long track (not short track) speed skating event.

Going Dutch
Short track speed skating is a close-knit international family with everyone supporting one another. Niall, for instance, airs the fact that he enjoys priceless ice time with the Dutch team – a superpower in speed skating.

“I go out to The Netherlands for training camps with their team – they've got brand new bikes; their facility is next level incredible.”

Doubtless the Dutch appreciate Niall’s cool head. And the benefits are mutual.

“It's an individual sport but you can't train by yourself,” Niall explains. “You need the others, everyone around you, 'cause you need to be able to race in a pack. And I think the better the training group that you skate with, the greater the benefit. They're happy for me to come there, and I get tips from them.”

No doubt Niall’s cool-headed approach will help him through the Winter Olympics and long after.

As Team GB’s only short track speed skater at the Milano-Cortina Olympics, Niall might seem to be solo. Yet just as the speed skating can look deceptively slow, there’s a lot more to Niall’s story. He is now, never was, alone: there’s his elite-level siblings, the Treacy brothers, and the support of his family. Plus, key people in his corner like Team GB Speed Skating Coach Richard Shoebridge. There are even the world class Dutch athletes, and others from speed skating’s close-knit family.

And let’s not forget the background support in the UK over the years: Sport England and UK Sport as distributors of National Lottery money have helped Niall and speed skating. And never forget the UK public, raising that money for good causes by playing The National Lottery.