Bronze For Soucisse/Firus Among Highlights For Team Ireland At Edusport Trophy

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A total of four figure skaters represented Ireland at this weekend’s Edusport Trophy in Otopeni, Romania competing in three different categories.

In the Senior Ice dance rhythm dance, Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus (Co. Wexford) commenced their James Brown routine with a midline step sequence garnering Level 3 and Level 2 respectively. Soucisse had a wobble on the sequential which led to Level 1 for her on the element and Level 4 for Firus. Their pattern type step sequence was awarded Level 2. They closed out with a choreographic rhythm step sequence and a Level 4 rotational lift. They sat in fourth place on 57.06 points after the segment.

The two-time Irish champions had their eyes on the podium as started their “When Harry Met Sally” free dance. They produced a Level 4 stationary and rotational lift combination to open and continued with Level 2 one foot turns. They next included a choreographic step sequence and a Level 4 dance spin. Their serpentine steps were Level 3 for Soucisse and Level 2 for Firus, while there were no issues with their Level 4 synchronised twizzles. They ended with a choreographic assisted jump, a Level 4 straight line lift and a choreographic dance lift. A free score of 93.51 was enough to move them up to third overall with a total of 150.57.

This marked the third competition for Dillon Judge (Co. Down) this season appearing in the Senior Men’s event. In the short programme, he began with a triple Lutz. He then landed a triple flip-double toe loop jump combination. A change foot camel spin was graded Level 2 as was a Level 2 change foot combination spin. He went on to nail a double Axel and a Level 4 flying sit spin before closing with a Level 2 step sequence to score 49.08 points. He was in fourth place overnight.

Judge opened his free skating with a triple flip. He then performed a solo triple Lutz, but singled a consecutive triple Lutz attempt. He cleanly executed a Level 4 flying sit spin and a triple Salchow-double toe loop. A change foot camel spin received a Level 1 and a second triple Salchow proved troublesome. He came unstuck on the second part of a double Lutz-double Axel combination and rounded off his routine with a Level 3 step sequence, a double loop and a change foot combination spin. With a score of 80.81 points for his free he was left with a total of 129.89 points and 5th place overall.

Sophia Tkacheva (Co. Wexford) was the first Irish team member in action when she participated in the Junior Women’s event. In her short programme, she double footed the landing of a double Axel and fell on a planned triple Salchow jump combination. She was awarded a Level 4 for a layback spin and got Level 2 for a flying camel spin. She also fell on a double flip and earned Level 3 for her step sequence. She ended with a Level 3 change foot combination spin. Her score of 29.00 points put her in 33rd after the opening segment.

Tkacheva made an inauspicious start to her free and fell on her opening double Axel and triple Salchow. She also had difficulty with the landing of a double Lutz. She performed a Level 3 flying change foot sit spin, a double loop and a double loop-Euler-double Salchow. She rounded out her programme with a Level 4 layback spin and a Level 3 change foot combination spin. With a score of 53.o4 points she took 32nd place in the free and overall with a total of 82.04 points.

Irish Wolfhounds Wrap Up Asian Leg Of World Tour

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The Irish Wolfhounds ended their racing for 2024 at the  stage fourth stage of this season’s ISU Short Track World Tour in Seoul, South Korea this weekend.

As always Sean McAnuff (Co. Antrim) and Liam O’Brien (Co. Cavan) began on the opening day with qualification rounds in all three distances. The Wolfhounds were drawn in back-to-back heats in the 1500m heats. O’Brien came home fifth in Heat 6 with a time of 2:27.019, while McAnuff was also fifth in Heat 7 in a time of 2:23.526.

In the 500m preliminaries, McAnuff raced superbly in Heat 4 to clinch second place in a time of 42.555 and advance to the heats later in the day. O’Brien contested Heat 7 and was fourth in a time of 42.984. For the 500m heats, McAnuff found himself in a swift Heat 4 and finished fifth with a time of 42.232.

Last up were the 1000m preliminaries and O’Brien was first of the Irish up in Heat 2. He closed out his account for the qualifiers with a fourth place and a time of 1:30.259. McAnuff showed up in Heat 10 and narrowly missed out on advancing again as he came third in a time of 1:32.518.

The Irish Wolfhounds took on the 1500m and 500m repechages on the second day of the event. In Heat 4 of the 1500m repechage quarterfinals, O’Brien was positive from the start as he vied for the lead on the first seven laps. After contact with another skater, O’Brien lost momentum and initially crossed the line at the end in seventh with a time of 2:32.141. The skater who had made contact with O’Brien was penalised and O’Brien advanced to the 1500m repechage semifinals. McAnuff came 5th in a time of 2:29.495 in Heat 6. O’Brien wound up in a cagey affair in 1500m repechages semifinals Heat 2 and finished sixth with a time of 2:44.018.

It was then on to the 500m repechage quarterfinals for the Irish Wolfhounds. McAnuff smashed the Irish record in Heat 2 lowering it to 42.126 and earning him second place. O’Brien was fifth in Heat 6 with a time of 43.160.

The Irish Wolfhounds were back on the last day of competition for the 1000m repechages. In repechage quarterfinal Heat 1, McAnuff rounded out his competition with a fifth place in a time of 1:29.624. O’Brien tied things up for Team Ireland with a third place in Heat 7 clocking a time of 1:27.844.

“This was the final competition of 2024 and I am happy with my results,” McAnuff said. “I broke my personal best time as I skated to a new Irish record in the 500m distance. I felt very motivated by how competitive I was able to be in my races. Going into 2025, I am going to be focusing on improving my ability to defend my position while racing.”

“I felt a lot better this weekend about my racing overall,” O’Brien said. “Unfortunately, I didn’t have a great first day and that makes it harder going through the repechages. But I am happy with the way I batted through the races. I’ll take this approach to racing into the new calendar year and build on my confidence alongside it.

The ISU Short Track World Tour takes a pause until February when it concludes with stops in Tilburg, The Netherlands (7-9 February) and Milan, Italy (14-16 February).

Irish Wolfhound Line Up For Seoul World Tour Event

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After their exploits last weekend in China, the Irish Wolfhounds have moved on this weekend (13-15 December) to the next stop of the ISU Short Track World Tour in Seoul, South Korea.

Sean McAnuff (Co. Antrim) and Liam O’Brien (Co. Cavan) will race against the best skaters in the world in the 500, 1000 and 1500 metre distances over three days inside the Mokdong Ice Rink to round competing in 2024. They will be aiming to end the year on a positive note.

The ISU Short Track World Tour can be followed live on the Skating ISU YouTube channel and via the #ShortTrackWorldTour and #ShortTrackSkating hashtags on social media.

Competition Schedule (Seoul, South Korea)

Friday, 13 December – Qualification Rounds

Saturday, 14 December – 500m/1500m

Sunday, 15 December – 1000m

Mixed Fortunes For Irish Wolfhounds At Beijing World Tour

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The Irish Wolfhounds had a mixed bag of results at the third stage of this season’s ISU Short Track World Tour in Beijing, China this weekend.

In the qualification rounds on the opening day of the event, Sean McAnuff (Co. Antrim) and Liam O’Brien (Co. Cavan) raced in all three distances. O’Brien was first of the Irish skaters on the track in Heat 3 of the 1500m. He managed to stay ahead of a pile up that took a number of skaters out, but on the third last lap he collided with another skater and crashed into the barriers. He got back to complete the race in a time of  3:07.018 for fourth place. McAnuff was also right in contention in Heat 5 when going into the third last lap he slipped off course. He returned home in a time of 2:51.713 to come fifth.

The Irish were drawn in back to back heats of the 500m preliminaries. McAnuff got the ball rolling in Heat 4. In a swift race, he finished fifth in a new personal best of 42.183. O’Brien arrived on the ice immediately after in Heat 5 and was fourth in a time of 43.464.

The Wolfhounds faced the 1000m preliminaries to end qualification day and O’Brien found himself in Heat 2. He finished in fourth place with a time of 1:27.337. McAnuff lined up in Heat 4 and came fourth with a time of 1:26.505.

The Irish skaters took on the 1500m and 500m repechages on the second day of the event. In Heat 3 of the 1500m repechage quarterfinals, O’Brien narrowly missed out on advancing when crossed the line in third place with a time of 2:25.159. McAnuff was up right after in Heat 4 and he finished fourth in a time of 2:21.095. It was then on to the 500m repechage quarterfinals for O’Brien. He was on the back foot from the start in Heat 6 and never got into contention. He had to settle for fourth in a time of 44.715.

McAnuff and O’Brien were back on the last day of competition for the 1000m repechage quarterfinals. In Heat 4, McAnuff took fifth place with a time of 1:28.592. O’Brien followed in Heat 5 and he wrapped up Ireland’s account with a fourth place in a time of 1:28.620.

“The racing didn’t go as I had planned and there’s still a lot of work to go,” O’Brien said. “I am happy with the experience I gained this week and am ready to use it all to get a better result next week.”

“I was very proud to achieve my goal of a new personal best time, which ended up being in the 500m,” McAnuff said. “I had some races I was proud of and also some that revealed areas I need to improve, primarily in my racing strategy. I am holding my head high and am very excited to head to Seoul, South Korea for the fourth stop of the World Tour this week.”

Irish Wolfhounds Ready For The Chase In Beijing

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The Irish Wolfhounds are back racing this weekend (6-8 December) as the ISU Short Track World Tour rolls into Beijing, China for the third stop of the global circuit.

Sean McAnuff (Co. Antrim) and Liam O’Brien (Co. Cavan) will contest the 500, 1000 and 1500 metre distances over three days inside the Capital Indoor Stadium applying lessons learned from the first two World Tour events in Montreal, Canada.

“My goal for this weekend is to break a personal best time,” McAnuff said. “I have put in so much work leading up to this competition and, according to my times in practice, it has really paid off. I would love to see myself feeling relaxed on the track, demonstrating confidence and the ability to harness each race with intentional decisions and determination.”

“I’m excited to get back into racing again this weekend,” O’Brien said. “This is the closest competition to home outside of home (South Korea) for me and I hope to be able to take full advantage of it. I’m hoping to show what I’ve been working on since the first leg of the World Tour events and push my ranking up towards the Top 20 mark.”

The ISU Short Track World Tour can be followed live on the Skating ISU YouTube channel and via the #ShortTrackWorldTour and #ShortTrackSkating hashtags on social media.

Competition Schedule (Beijing, China)

Friday, 6 December – Qualification Rounds

Saturday, 7 December – 500m/1500m

Sunday, 8 December – 1000m

Judge Third At Lounakeskus Trophy

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Dillon Judge has won a bronze medal at the Lounakeskus Trophy in Tartu, Estonia this weekend.

In the short programme, his attempt at a triple Lutz resulted in a fall. He just about held on to the landing of a triple Salchow. Both his change foot camel spin and change foot combination spin were graded Level 2. After those elements, he fell on a double Axel. He closed with a Level 4 flying sit spin and a Level 2 step sequence to score 40.79 points putting himself in third place overnight.

Judge opened his free skating with a triple flip, a new jump for him to include in his routine. He then landed a double Lutz before falling on a triple Lutz. He got back up to perform a Level 3 flying sit spin, but had to step out of a triple Salchow. A change foot camel spin was recorded as Level 1 and he fell on a second triple Salchow. He recovered with a double Lutz and a Level 2 step sequence. A double loop-double Axel jump sequence resulted in another fall. He rounded his competition out with a Level 3 chang foot combination spin. His free skating score of 69.24 points gave him a total of 110.03 points and 3rd place overall.

 

Nominations Open For 2024 Volunteers In Sport Awards

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Nominations are now being accepted for the 2024 Volunteers in Sport Awards, a national celebration of the extraordinary individuals who contribute to the vibrant fabric of Irish sports.

Hosted by the Federation of Irish Sport and supported by the National Network of 29 Local Sports Partnerships these prestigious awards recognise the selfless volunteers who dedicate their time, skills, and passion to support sports clubs and community organisations across Ireland.

The 2024 Volunteers in Sport Awards will bring together individuals from all 32 counties to celebrate their commitment to fostering participation and ensuring that sport, including ice skating, is accessible to all. Their contributions not only inspire communities but also enable clubs and organisations to thrive, supporting social cohesion and well-being across Ireland. Without their dedication, many sporting opportunities simply would not exist. The awards celebration will take place in Dublin in February 2025.

Nomination Process
Nominations for the 2024 Volunteers in Sport Awards are open from Tuesday, 12th November 2024, until Tuesday, 17th December 2024. Members of the public are encouraged to nominate deserving volunteers from their club or sporting organisation who have made a significant contribution or impact to their local club or community. For more information and to submit a nomination, visit www.volunteersinsport.ie

Soucisse/Firus Take Tallinn Trophy Seventh

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Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus (Co. Wexford) have finished seventh at this weekend’s Tallinn Trophy, an ISU Challengers Series event, in Tallinn, Estonia.

This was the second of two competition weekend’s in a row for the two-time Irish champions and they began their James Brown themed programme with Level 3 midline step sequence for Soucisse and Level 2 for Firus. They followed with Level 3 sequential twizzles for her and Level 2 for him before clocking up a Level 2 for the pattern type step sequence. They rounded things out with their choreographic rhythm sequence and a Level 4 rotational lift. They garnered 66.26 points to put themselves in ninth place overnight.

Soucisse and Firus embarked on their “When Harry Met Sally” free dance with a Level 4 stationary and rotational lift combination and continued with Level 2 one foot turns. They performed their choreographic step sequence before nailing a Level 4 dance spin. Their serpentine steps were graded Level 3 for Soucisse and Level 2 for Firus, while they both garnered Level 4 for their synchronised twizzles. They closed out the free with a choreographic hydroblading movement, a Level 4 straight line lift and a choreographic dance lift. A score of 102.27 ranked them seventh in the free and overall with a total of 168.53 points.

 

ISAI Communication 12

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The Board of the Directors of the ISAI informs members of changes to Sections 500, 700 and 800 of the ISAI Rules and Regulations as of this season.

Irish Figure Skaters Show Their Best At Denkova-Staviski Cup

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A total of five figure skaters represented Ireland at this weekend’s Denkova-Staviski Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria competing in three different categories.

Dillon Judge (Co. Down) made his season debut at the event. In the short programme, he began with a pristine triple Lutz. He had to step out on the landing of a triple Salchow and lost points by not being able to turn into a combination. He executed a Level 3 change foot camel spin and a Level 2 change foot combination spin before landing a double Axel. He closed with a Level 4 flying sit spin and a Level 2 step sequence to score 52.66 points, the highest score he has ever posted for a short. He was in tenth place overnight.

Judge opened his free skating with a double Axel-double Axel sequence. He then reeled off a solo triple Lutz and a triple Lutz-double toe loop combination in succession before nailing a Level 4 flying sit spin. There followed a triple Salchow-double toe loop. He missed required features in change foot camel spin which resulted in the element receiving only a base level and had a hard fall on a second triple Salchow. Nevertheless he finished his routine with another career best score of 99.07 points which gave him a total of 151.73 points and 11th place overall.

Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus (Co. Wexford) had to withdraw midway through their previous competition last month due to illness and were on the comeback trail in Sofia. They commenced their James Brown routine with a choreographic rhythm sequence and a Level 1 midline step sequence. Level 4 sequential twizzles for Soucisse and Level 3 for Firus ensued with their pattern type step sequence receiving a base level. They closed out with a strong Level 4 rotational lift and sat in seventh place on 60.10 points after the segment.

The two-time Irish champions launched into their “When Harry Met Sally” free dance with intent. They produced an excellent stationary and rotational lift combination to get proceedings under way and continued with Level 3 foot turns for Soucisse and Level 2 for Firus. They next inserted a choreographic step sequence and a Level 4 dance spin. Their serpentine steps were Level 1 for Soucisse and Level 2 for Firus, while they both achieved Level 4 for their synchronised twizzles. They wrapped up with a choreographic hydroblading movement, a Level 4 straight line lift and a choreographic dance lift. A season best score of 104.02 was good enough for third in the free and fourth overall on a total of 164.12.

Two Irish skaters competed in the Junior Women’s event. Saoirse O’Sullivan (Co. Tipperary) was first up and she started positively her short programme with a good double flip. She came undone on a double Axel attempt, but rallied with a Level 4 sit spin. She eked out a double Lutz-double toe loop combination and Level 1 for a flying camel spin. She had an unfortunate fall in her Level 2 step sequence and ended with a Level 2 change foot combination spin. Despite the technical issues, she still managed to wind up with a career best score of 29.99 points for her short and placed 33rd. Due to a cut after the short, she did not advance to the free skating.

Sophia Tkacheva (Co. Wexford) was another Irish team member making her season debut. In her short programme, she stepped out on the landing of a double Axel and put a hand down on the first part of a double Lutz-double toe loop jump combination. She was awarded a Level 4 for a layback spin and got Level 1 for a flying camel spin. She landed a double flip and earned Level 2 for her step sequence. She had an untimely ending to the routine when she fell out of a Level 3 change foot combination spin. Nevertheless, her score of 34.82 points was enough for 29th and a place in the free skating.

Tkacheva was second to skate in the free and fell on her opening double Axel and also had difficulties with her triple Salchow attempt. She settled down with a double Lutz-double toe loop combination before performing a Level 4 flying change foot sit spin, a double loop and a double loop-Euler-double Salchow. She had another fall on a double flip-double toe loop combination and rounded out her programme with a Level 3 layback spin and a Level 2 change foot combination spin. With a score of 57.73 points she took 27th place in the free and moved up to 28th with a total of 92.55 points.