Irish Wolfhound Complete Montreal World Tour Double Header

Sean McAnuff (Co. Antrim) and Liam O’Brien (Co. Cavan) have rounded out the second of two ISU Short Track World Tour events in Montreal, Canada this weekend.

On the opening day of the competition, the Irish Wolfhounds took on the 500 and 1500 metre distances. In Heat 8 of the 500 metre preliminaries O’Brien was drawn in starting position three and maintained third place from the gun to the line in a time of 42.841. Next up was McAnuff in Heat 9 who found himself in what turned out to be the fastest winning time of the preliminaries. He came home in 42.791 for second place.

In Heat 5 of the 1500 metre heats O’Brien took the lead with seven laps to go and was in contention the whole way through until the final lap where he was pipped into third in a time of 2:24.167. Immediately after in Heat 6 McAnuff kept himself in touch with the lead until he got dropped with two laps to go. He finished in sixth place with a time of 2:24.467.

The Irish Wolfhounds were back for the 500 metre repechage heats at the end of Day One. McAnuff appeared in Heat 4 and was racing well until the penultimate lap when a skater in front of him crashed out almost taking McAnuff with him and causing him to lose speed. He still managed to come second in a time of 42.311 which was unfortunately not enough to take him any further. In Heat 9 O’Brien slotted into fourth on the opening lap and held that position all the way to the end with a time of 42.498.

The second day of this World Tour event focused on the 1000 metres. McAnuff raced in Heat 3 of the preliminaries and kept in contact with the leader from the start until the final lap before he had to settle for second place in a time of 1:27.613. In Heat 4 O’Brien began to make moves with two laps to go and just missed out on making the top two as he placed third with a time of 1:34.991.

Both Irish Wolfhounds were drawn in Heat 1 of the 1000 metre repechage heats. McAnuff and O’Brien kept things in close quarters at the start of the race before both found they did not have the pace to end up in the top spots. McAnuff was third in a time of 1:28.549 with O’Brien fourth in 1:29.596.

The final throw of the dice for Team Ireland was the 1500 metre repechage quarterfinals. McAnuff lined up in Heat 5 in what proved to be a thrilling race with two skaters crashing out midway. McAnuff dropped off on the penultimate lap and finished fourth with a time of 2:25.797. In Heat 8 O’Brien darted to the front with seven laps to go and was in pole position when contact with another skater bumped him off course slightly. He never recovered and wound up in fifth place in a time of 2:30.025.

The Irish Wolfhounds will next compete at third ISU Short Track World Tour event in Gdansk, Poland (20-23 November).

Take Two For Irish Wolfhounds At Montreal Short Track World Tour

Sean McAnuff (Co Antrim) and Liam O’Brien (Co Cavan) resume the chase for quota places at the Milano-Cortina Olympic Games when they return to the Maurice-Richard Arena ice for the second ISU Short Track World Tour event of the season in Montreal, Canada (16-19 October).

The second consecutive week of racing in Montreal will once again witness the Irish Wolfhounds pit themselves against the best skaters in the world over the 500, 1000 and 1500 metre distances. There will be a further two legs next month in Gdansk, Poland (20-23 November) and Dordrecht, The Netherlands (27-30 November) where skaters can amass ranking points to secure spots for their nations in Milan.

“The first competition was a good start to the season,” O’Brien said. “There were lots of positives to build on in the 1500 and 1000 that I will take into World Tour Two and aim for a better result.”

“Last weekend was a great way to assess how I am progressing amongst my competitors,” McAnuff said. “In my last race, I lined up against four individuals ranked top 20 which was an incredible challenge. To come away with my highest result at an Olympic qualifying event shows that I’m continuing to close the gap.”

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 (Montreal, Canada)

Thursday, 16 October – Qualification Rounds

Friday, 17 October – Qualification Rounds

Saturday, 18 October – 500m/1500m

Sunday, 19 October – 1000m

Annual General Meeting 2025

The Ice Skating Association of Ireland (ISAI) will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 5 November 2025 in person in Dublin. Current members will have received a notice via e-mail with the AGM Agenda attached.

Judge 11th At Tayside Trophy

Dillon Judge has finished 11th in the Senior Men’s event at this weekend’s Tayside Trophy in Dundee, Scotland.

The two-time Irish champion got his short programme off to a positive start with a nice triple Lutz-double toe loop combination. However, he popped a subsequent triple flip into a double and then fell on the entry to a change foot camel spin. He received no credit for either element. He also fell on a double Axel. A change foot combination spin registered as Level 3 while both a step sequence and a flying sit spin were graded Level 2. A score of 37.27 points had him in 11th place overnight.

Judge got his free skating under way inauspiciuusly with a fall on a triple flip. He bounced back with a cleanly landed solo triple Lutz with a double Lutz-double toe loop and a Level 2 flying sit spin to follow. He stumbled out of a triple toe loop and was given a Level 1 for change foot camel spin. He nailed a triple Salchow, but slipped to the ice during a step sequence. He closed out his performance with a Level 3 change foot combination spin. He scored 74.16 points which gave him a total of 111.43 points.

 

Irish Wolfhounds Wrap Up Opening World Tour Leg

Sean McAnuff and Liam O’Brien duked it out with best skaters in the world as they got their campaign for Milano Cortina under way at the first ISU Short Track World Tour event of the season in Montreal, Canada.

The opening day saw qualification races in the 500 and 1500 metre distances. O’Brien lined up in Heat 2 of the 500 metre preliminaries and when the gun went off, he got jostled causing him to lose momentum. He was never in the hunt to advance after that and came home in fourth place with a time of 42.930. McAnuff appeared in Heat 7 and by contrast was in the mix throughout his race. After making a nice pass to move up from third to second on the penultimate lap, he did not quite have enough to claim an automatic spot in the next round. Unfortunately, his second-place time of 42.830 was not enough to progress.

O’Brien found himself drawn again in Heat 2 of the 1500 metre heats. Always in contention he bided his time and made his move just before the penultimate lap to move into second. He finished in second with a time of 2:17.324 which took him to the quarterfinals as the fastest non-automatic qualifier. McAnuff was back out on the ice in Heat 10. While he maintained contact throughout the race, a sudden injection of pace on the third last lap saw him drop back and cross the line in fifth place in 2:27.530 ending his participation in the day’s races. O’Brien returned in Heat 4 of the 1500 metre quarterfinals. In a hard-fought race, he just could not get into his groove and placed sixth albeit with a slightly swifter time of 2:17.170 than what he recorded in the previous round.

All that remained after a long day of racing were the 500 metre repechage heats. In Heat 3, McAnuff was fourth after the opening corner and was playing catch up throughout the race. He finished in third place with a time of 43.137. O’Brien rounded out his opening salvo of races in Heat 12. A few moments of contact on the opening lap sapped his speed from which it proved difficult to recover. He came fourth in a time of 45.949.

The second day of qualification consisted of just the 1000 metres. In Heat 3 of the preliminaries O’Brien contested the lead at the start of his race, but got bumped at the start of lap four and struggled to recover his position. He wound up in fifth place in a time of 1:28.853. McAnuff drew Heat 8 and was there or thereabouts until two laps to go when he got nudged as he was attempting to move into second. He finished in fourth with a time of 1:30.549.

The Wolfhounds returned later in the day for the repechage heats. McAnuff was involved in a thrilling Heat 9 maintaining contact with leaders. He managed to side step a crash on the final lap that took out a number of his competitors and crossed the line in second. His time of 1:28.076 was good enough to see him advance to the 1000 metre repechage quarterfinals two days later. Immediately after in Heat 10 O’Brien was holding his own. However, as he went into the lead with five laps to go he was bounced off course and ultimately finished third with a time of 1:32.718.

On the third day of the event the Wolfhounds were focused on the 1500 metre repechage quarterfinals. Another Heat 2 draw for O’Brien and he took the race out at a leisurely pace. He fronted the affair for a number of laps before he was passed by others in the field. He came home in a time of 2:29.692 for fifth place. McAnuff was in the thick of things throughout Heat 9. However, he did not have enough on the final lap and wound up in sixth with a time of 2:24.977.

McAnuff was the last Wolfhound standing on the fourth day of competition taking on the 1000 repechage quarterfinals in Heat 2. He wrapped up the season opener for Team Ireland with a fifth place and a time of 1:28.615.

The ISU Short Track World Tour remains in Montreal, Canada for the second leg from 16-19 October.

Irish Wolfhounds Ready To Start Hunt For Olympic Quota Places In Montreal

Sean McAnuff (Co. Antrim) and Liam O’Brien (Co. Cavan) embark on their quest to secure Ireland a spot at the Milano-Cortina Olympic Games when the Irish Wolfhounds line up for the first ISU Short Track World Tour event of the season in Montreal, Canada this week (9-12 October).

The two Irish skaters race across three distances (500, 1000 and 1500 metres) on the four stops of this season’s tour. There is a second round in Montreal next week (16-19 October) before the final two legs in Gdansk, Poland (20-23 November) and Dordrecht, The Netherlands (27-30 November). The goal for McAnuff and O’Brien will be to advance as far through the rounds as they can accumulating ranking points that count towards the standings in each of the three distances. There are 32 individual Olympic quota places available in the 500 and 1000 and 36 in the 1500.

“I’m excited to race again after not racing since the Olympic test event last season,” O’Brien said. “I’ve made a big change over the off-season to train in China and hope to show off everything I’ve learnt and been working on during this time. The ultimate goal is to help towards qualifying Ireland a quota spot for Milan 2026.”

“This season isn’t just about chasing my Olympic dream,” McAnuff said. “It’s about continuing the story my family started with short track speed skating in Ireland. After a decade of pursuing growth in the sport, I get the chance to honour where this dream began and who I skate for.”

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 (Montreal, Canada)

Thursday, 9 October – Qualification Rounds

 Friday, 10 October – Qualification Rounds

 Saturday, 11 October – 500m/1500m

 Sunday, 12 October – 1000m

Farrell 32nd At Solidarity Cup

Julianna Farrell (18) has finished in 32nd place in the women’s event at the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Solidarity Cup in Gdansk, Poland earlier today.

The Irish Junior Women’s champion got her first Junior Grand Prix event off to a start yesterday in the Short Programme. The beginning of her routine proved to be challenging with falls on a triple Lutz combination and a solo triple loop. She regained her composure following those errors to produce a Level 3 camel spin, a double Axel and a Level two step sequence. She garnered Level 4 for both a change foot combination spin and a flying sit spin to close out her short. A season best score of 34.99 points put her in 33rd place overnight.

In contrast to her short, Farrell’s Free Skating got off to a perfect opening as she reeled off a double Axel and a triple Salchow. She next landed a triple loop and then a triple Salchow-double toe loop combination. Unfortunately, she fell on an intended triple loop combination and a triple toe loop. She wrapped up her free with a double Axel-double toe loop-single loop combination, a choreographic sequence, a Level 4 change foot combination spin and a Level 3 flying sit spin. She amassed a free score of 68.98 points giving her a combined total of 103.97 points.

“I had an amazing time and it was such an amazing experience,” Farrell said. “It was so fun to interact with different athletes from different countries. Thank you so much to the ISAI for this opportunity.”

Videos

Julianna Farrell – Short Programme / Free Skating

Farrell Set For Junior Grand Prix Debut

Julianna Farrell (18) makes her first appearance on the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating at the Solidarity Cup in Gdansk, Poland this week (2-4 October 2025).

The 2025 Irish Junior champion made her international debut at Cranberry Cup in Norwood, United States of America where she finished 18th. She becomes the 10th athlete to represent Ireland in the women’s category since Irish skaters began competing on the Junior Grand Prix in 2008. Her competition begins on Thursday, 2 October with the Junior Women’s Short Programme and concludes with the Women’s Free Skating on Friday, 3 October.

“I’m really excited to represent Ireland at the Junior Grand Prix in Poland,” Farrell said. “My main goal is to skate with confidence, show the progress I’ve made in training, and enjoy the experience of competing at this level.”

ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Solidarity Cup 2025 will be streamed live on the Skating ISU YouTube channel.

Team Ireland Competition Schedule (Irish Time)

Thursday, 2 October

08:45-14:00 Women Short Programme

Friday, 3 October

15:30-21:30 Women Free Skating

Olympic Hopes Dashed For Team Ireland In Beijing

Team Ireland’s figure skaters have concluded their competition earlier today at the ISU Skate to Milano Figure Skating Olympic Qualifier 2025 in Beijing, China missing out on securing  a quota place at next February’s Winter Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina, Italy.

Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus laid down a solid performance on the opening day in the Ice Dance Rhythm Dance putting themselves in eighth place midway through their event and less than five points off a coveted Olympic quota place. Their hopes rested on putting down the skate of their lives in the Free Dance. After a positive start to their “Riverdance” routine, Firus wobbled on the duo’s Synchronised Twizzle Sequence and even though they skated well after that it was not enough to recover from the mistake. The three-time Irish champion dropped down one place to finish in ninth overall. Lithuania, Australia, Spain and China took the final four Olympic quota places.

“It was not the best day at the office, but I’m very proud of how far we have come this season,” Firus said. “We came very well trained for this event and, although it was not the result we wanted, it’s always an honour to represent Ireland at such a high level.”

“I am happy about how we handled ourselves out here,” Soucisse said. “We worked extremely hard to be ready for this event and, although there was a mistake in the Free Dance, we have no regrets. We are leaving Beijing extremely proud of ourselves and thank you to everyone who’s been supporting us.”

For Dillon Judge in the men’s event, it was always going to be a very tough ask to bag one of only five quota places in his category. He increased the technical difficulty in his Short Programme by adding in a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination which he fully rotated albeit with a hand down to save the landing. In the Free Skating, he began positively with a triple flip and two triple Lutz jumps  (one in combination and one on its own) landed early on in his programme. Some errors did creep in as his four minutes on the ice progressed. Nevertheless, he still managed to post an ISU personal best for the Free (83.53 points) to add to the ISU personal best from the Short (50.20 points) in his debut event of the 2025/2026 season. The Men’s Olympic quota places went to an Individual Neutral Athlete, Mexico, South Korea, Ukraine and Chinese Taipei.

“I felt the competition went pretty well from a jumping perspective,” Judge said. “There were too many errors on spins which will obviously now be worked on for future competitions. I really enjoyed the experience and I handled the pressure well being in such a big venue. I was happy I landed the triple-triple for the first time trying it even though not with perfect GOE (Grade of Execution). It leaves us with space to work from and improve in the season.”

Judge’s goal over the coming months will be to attain the Combined Technical Minimum Score required to be eligible for selection to the ISU European Figure Skating Championships in Sheffield, United Kingdom in January. Soucisse and Firus already possess the scores necessary for that event, as well as for the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, Czech Republic this coming March.

Videos

Carolane Soucisse/Shane Firus – Rhythm Dance / Free Dance

Dillon Judge – Short Programme / Free Skating

 

Irish Figure Skaters Seeking First Ever Olympic Quota Place

Dillon Judge (Men’s Singles – Co. Down) and Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus (Ice Dance – Co. Wexford) have arrived in Beijing, China ahead of this weekend’s ISU Skate to Milano Figure Skating Qualifier 2025, the final opportunity for figure skaters to secure quota places for their nations at next February’s Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

Soucisse and Firus are the first of the Irish in action when they take to the ice on Friday, 19 September for the Rhythm Dance and again on Sunday, 21 September for the Free Dance along with teams from 18 other countries vying for the four quota places on offer at Milano-Cortina. The three-time Irish champions made a promising start to the season last month at the International Ice Dance Dordrecht event in The Netherlands where they picked up a silver medal. They train with Carol Lane and Juris Razgulajevs in Toronto, Canada.

“We are feeling the most prepared we’ve ever been at this time of the season,” Soucisse said. “We have worked very hard and are proud of the training we’ve put in. We’re really looking forward to showing our new programmes!”

“We are super excited for this event and fully prepared,” Firus said. “We look forward to performing both programmes to the best of our abilities and to making history!”

Judge is making his season debut at China’s National Indoor Stadium on Saturday, 20 September in the Short Programme with the Free Skating on 21 September. The two-time Senior Irish champion is going up against 26 other athletes who will all be competing for one of the remaining five quota places for their countries. He is coached by Barbara Luoni in Bergamo, Italy.

“My goal is just to learn and take in the environment,” Judge said. “I go into this event with no pressure as it is my first competition of the season. I know if I’m calm and collected, I will do my best and that’s all I can hope for. I’ve trained better than ever and found a new level of motivation so I’m ready for this season to start.”

ISU Skate to Milano Figure Skating Qualifier 2025 will be streamed live on the Skating ISU YouTube channel.

Team Ireland Competition Schedule (Irish Time)

Friday, 19 September

05:15-07:55 Ice Dance Rhythm Dance

 Saturday, 20 September

03:00-06:55 Men Short Programme

 Sunday, 21 September

03:00-06:10 Ice Dance Free Dance

06:45-11:20 Men Free Skating