A GROUP of break-dancing, hip-hop inspired ice skaters have won a place in the final of a national competition.

The Ice Star competition is part of hit ITV1 show Dancing On Ice, and the Oxford Freestylers, above, who train at Oxford Ice Rink, have beaten hundreds of applicants to make it to the final four. They impressed the judges with an audition routine to hip-hop classic Freestyler by the Bomfunk MCs.

The group of six skaters, aged between 14 and 22, will skate to Stronger, by Kanye West, on Sunday’s Dancing on Ice results show, which will be broadcast at 9.15pm.

The winners will then perform live at the Dancing on Ice final the following week, and go on tour with Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean and past and present stars of the show, including former England rugby player Kyran Bracken and ex-EastEnders and The Bill star Todd Carty.

One of the Freestylers, Andrew Hastings, 21, from Littlemore, said the group had got together a year ago just for the contest.

He said: “We’re hyped up and energetic about performing on Sunday. We have all been skating for a long time, ranging from 15 years to two years and we watched other people do stuff we liked, then learned that and taught ourselves new stuff.”