A broken foot, a sprained knee, heart surgery and a smashed knee – it’s fair to say Nick Buckland and Penny Coomes have endured their fair share of injury and illness over their careers.

But with the pair set to compete at their third Olympic Games in February, Olympic gold medallists Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean are backing Nottingham’s Buckland, 28, to put on a show in PyeongChang.

Buckland and Coomes’ place at the Games was only secured last month, when the pair won the Nebelhorn Trophy, in Germany – their last opportunity to qualify for the Olympics.

Their previous hopes had been dashed by the knee injury Coomes suffered in June of 2016 – smashing her knee into eight pieces when she fell from Buckland’s shoulders in a training accident.

But after a year of rehabilitation, Dean was particularly impressed by how the pair set a new personal best when it mattered most in Germany to top the standings and book their ticket to the Olympic.

“Nick and Penny have come back from an incredible injury, but they’re coming back stronger, mentally stronger,” said the Sarajevo 1984 Olympic ice dance champion.

“They’re so hungry to get back into the sport and to be competitive again. I think PyeongChang will be a great event for them, I’ve got my fingers crossed for them.

“I’ve worked with them this year on a short dance and they’re excited about what they’re doing.

“They’re a great force together. Their combined desire is so strong that each helps the other one through it.

“It’s not a case of them being fractured, it’s actually brought them together to be stronger.”

Buckland’s own career was in doubt shortly before the 2014 Olympics in Vancouver, when he was forced into heart surgery to cauterize a nerve.

With a heart rate racing up to 280 beats per minute, Buckland had no choice but to go under the knife just three months before the Games – remarkably recovering to finish tenth alongside Coomes at Sochi 2014.

And Torvill believes it is all they have been through in their careers to date, that has meant the training accident that left Coomes fearing for her career, has not torn them apart.

“I think that Penny has been really brave throughout the whole thing, because it was a nasty injury and she has been very disciplined in her rehab and physio,” said the four-time world champion.

“That is why they are able to be back competing again.

“I know they still want it. From messages I could see how excited they were to do their first competition again.

“Christopher went to watch them in Germany and they did really, really, well.”

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