ISAI Communication No. 15
Please see below ISAI Communication No. 15 regarding the Irish National Figure Skating Championships 2026.
National Team Selection Criteria Pool 2026/2027 (Figure Skating)
ISU Fan Survey 2026
Irish skating fans – here is your opportunity to have your voices heard to shape the future of the ice skating disciplines!
The ISU Fan Survey 2026 is now open – inviting fans and audiences worldwide to share their views on how ice skating sports are experienced and enjoyed. Conducted in partnership with Two Circles, the survey forms a core part of the ISU’s commitment under ISU Vision 2030 to place fans at the heart of the sport’s development. It covers four key themes: fan interest and engagement, how audiences watch and follow ISU events, digital and media consumption habits, and perceptions of the sports and areas for development. The survey is available in seven languages – English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin – and is open from 20 March to 17 April 2026.
Participants who submit their email address will be entered into a draw to win signed memorabilia from Olympic champions including Laurence Fournier-Beaudry & Guillaume Cizeron, Nathan Chen, and Xandra Velzeboer.
You can take the survey here!
McAnuff Rounds Out Season With Highest Worlds Placement
Sean McAnuff (28) has concluded his fourth appearance at the ISU Short Track Speed Skating World Championships this weekend in Montreal, Canada with his best ever finish for an individual distance.
McAnuff got things under way on Friday with the qualifications rounds. In the 1500 metres quarterfinals, he drew Heat 5 and finished in seventh place with a time of 2:26.406. Next up were the 500 metres preliminaries and he raced in Heat 12. He did not quite have enough pace in the end and had to settle for fourth in a time of 42.362. Last for the opening day of racing were the 1000 metres preliminaries. In Heat 3, McAnuff was in the lead with three laps remaining, but he got squeezed out by the field over the rest of the race and dropped to fifth with a time of 1:30.898.
Saturday saw McAnuff face into repechage rounds over two distances. He commenced in Heat 1 of the 1500 metres repechage quarterfinals and posted his second fastest time of the season with a 2:24.067 clocking to finish fourth. He raced very positively in Heat 6 of the 500 metres repechage quarterfinals to place third in a season best time of 42.303.
McAnuff’s final day of racing in the 1000 metres repechage session was eventful to say the least. He got his tactics spot on in Heat 5 of the repechage quarterfinals and was installed in second place going into the final corner when another athlete impeded him causing a crash. McAnuff was advanced to the repechage semifinals. With five laps to go in Heat 2, calamity struck when he tripped and fell. Nevertheless he managed to get up and cross the line in second place. He came 23rd in the distance which is the highest he has ever ranked at Worlds.
Soucisse And Firus Call Time On Competitive Career
Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus have announced their decision to retire from competition.
Soucisse and Firus teamed up in 2016 and took the first of their three Irish national titles in 2023. It was only the beginning of many milestones for Irish ice skating. Later that same year they became the first senior ice dance team to represent Ireland internationally. In January 2024, they made the first of their three appearances at the European Figure Skating Championships and were the first Irish ice dancers to compete at an ISU Championships. In 2024, they qualified and were selected for the World Figure Skating Championships making them the first Irish athletes to do so since 2012. They were also the first Irish figure skaters to qualify for the free segment of their event at an ISU Championship which they did three times at Europeans and once at Worlds. In addition, they collected three international medals for Ireland since 2024. Their achievements and the attention they have brought to ice dance will act as an inspiration for the next generation of Irish ice skaters.
“The early morning practices and competitions have completely shaped who we are today. We could never have reached our goals without our amazing coaches teammates, friends, family and the ISAI,” Firus said. “To the fans and the entire skating community: your constant support means the absolute world to us. We are leaving competitive skating behind, but Caro and I are taking all the memories and lifelong friendships with us. Thank you for everything.”
“Carolane and Shane have been wonderful ambassadors for Irish ice skating,” Ice Skating Association of Ireland President Seán Gillis said. “It is always a difficult decision for any athlete to know when the time is right to call it a day. They can both be very proud of their legacy and hopefully they know how much it has meant to all us in Ireland to see them represent us. I wish them every success for the next stage of their lives together.”
Steele Sets Four Bests At Viking Race
Thomas Steele (Co. Dublin) posted four personal bests and national junior records at Viking Race in Heerenveen, The Netherlands this weekend.
On Day One, he tackled two distances. First up was the 500 metres where he broke 45 seconds for the first time with a 44.68 clocking to finish in 26th place. Next was the 3000 metres in which he took over 16 seconds off his previous best to come 28th in a time of 5:03.63.
Day Two began with the 1000 metres. He lopped over two seconds off his personal record to finish 28th with a time of 1:31.25. He concluded his competition with a 27th place the 1500 metres and with a time of 2:19.14 shaved three seconds off his previous best.
McAnuff To Close Out Season At Montreal Worlds
Sean McAnuff (28) will make his fourth appearance at an ISU Short Track Speed Skating World Championships when he takes to the ice this weekend (13-15 March) in Montreal, Canada.
It has been a long season for McAnuff who started out back in October at the Maurice Richard Arena in the ISU Short Track World Tour so he will get to close out 2025/2026 at the same venue.. Short Track Worlds were first held back in 1976. Ireland has been represented at every edition since 2017.
McAnuff starts racing on Friday, 13 March with the qualification rounds of the 500, 1000 and 1500 metre distances. Subsequent rounds, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will take place on Saturday, 14 March and Sunday, 15 March.
“It’s special to finish the season here in Montreal,” McAnuff said. “I’m excited for the opportunity to give it everything this weekend as I close out my 10th season representing Ireland. It’s also great to share moments like this with the athletes around me, supporting each other and celebrating the hard work everyone has put in to get here.”
The ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships will be broadcast online on the Skating ISU YouTube channel. Geographical restrictions may apply. The results of the championships can be followed on the event results page and on social media via the #WorldShortTrack and #ShortTrackSkating hashtags.
ISAI Communication #14 – Test Score Revision
Test Score Revision
The Ice Skating Association of Ireland announces an update to test passing requirements for Advanced Novice, Junior and Senior in Singles, Pairs, and Ice Dance.
From 1 July 2026, skaters must achieve a minimum Combined Total Elements Score (CTES) from both programme segments (SP/RD + FS/FD) to pass a test.
Transition period:
• Now – 30 June 2026: Skaters may test under the existing system or the CTES structure
• From 1 July 2026: CTES will be required to pass all tests
To pass a test, skaters must submit competition protocols from both segments (current or preceding season) along with the relevant fee.
Full CTES requirements are detailed in ISAI Communication #14.
Judge 11th At Skate Berlin International
Dillon Judge has finished in 11th place in the Senior Men’s event at this weekend’s Skate Berlin International in Berlin. Germany.
Judge opened his competition with his short programme where he scored 40.65 points putting him in 12th place overnight.
In the free skating, he racked up 90.38 points for his routine giving him a final total of 131.03 points.
Ice Skating Association of Ireland Confirms Official Endorsement of Prime Arena Holdings’ Cherrywood Ice Facility
The Ice Skating Association of Ireland (ISAI) confirms its full endorsement of the proposed Olympic-standard ice facility at Cherrywood, Co. Dublin, being developed by Prime Arena Holdings. The project represents a necessary opportunity to address Ireland’s long-standing deficit in permanent, high-quality ice infrastructure and to deliver a national multisport facility aligned with Government objectives across sport, health, tourism and regional development.
For many years, the Ice Skating Association of Ireland has sought permanent Olympic-standard ice facilities for skaters and athletes in Ireland. Despite consistent international participation and explosive grassroots demand, Irish skaters have been required to accept a start-stop approach to their physical activity or train and compete abroad due to the absence of suitable domestic infrastructure. It is an embarrassment to Ireland that the Irish National Championships have to be held outside of the island of Ireland.
The Cherrywood proposal directly addresses this gap by delivering:
● Olympic-standard ice provision capable of supporting elite performance, international competition and athlete development;
● Dedicated training capacity for figure skating, speed skating and short track disciplines;
● A permanent national base for coaching, officiating, talent pathways and programme development.
The ISAI believes the scale, quality and configuration of the Cherrywood facility are essential to ensuring Ireland can sustainably support ice skating and winter sports over the long term.
The ISAI confirms that the project aligns strongly with national and regional policy priorities, including, but not limited to:
● National Sports Policy, by expanding access to high-quality indoor sporting infrastructure;
● High Performance Sport objectives, by enabling Irish athletes to train and prepare at home rather than overseas; develop grassroots participation with multiple diverse groups
● Health and wellbeing goals, through year-round, inclusive access to indoor sport for communities, retain women in sport, particularly teenagers, encourage physical activity at all ages
● Regional and urban development strategies, supporting the planned growth of Cherrywood as a Strategic Development Zone;
● Tourism and international engagement, through the ability to host international championships, competitions, conferences and training workshops and camps.
The ISAI further recognises that facilities of this scale and complexity are delivered internationally through public-private partnership models, combining State investment with private capital, delivery expertise and operational sustainability. This reflects established global best practice in the delivery of national sports and event infrastructure.
Statement from Karen O’Sullivan, CEO, Ice Skating Association of Ireland
“This project represents a transformational step for ice skating and winter sports in Ireland. For the first time, Irish athletes would have access to a permanent, Olympic-standard home facility in Ireland. The Cherrywood development directly addresses a long-standing infrastructure gap and aligns strongly with Government objectives around sport, health, regional development and international engagement. We fully support the project and welcome the proposed public-private partnership approach as the appropriate and proven model to deliver a lasting national legacy for Irish sport.”
The ISAI strongly supports the proposed Cherrywood ice facility and views it as a critical national sports infrastructure. The ISAI encourages continued constructive engagement between Government and Prime Arena Holdings to progress the project and realise its full sporting, social and economic benefits for Ireland.
Judge Fourth At Edge Cup
Dillon Judge has placed in fourth at this weekend’s Edge Cup in Katowice, Poland.
Judge began the event yesterday’s short programme. A fall on his opening triple Lutz jump combination had him in fourth place place overnight on 45.90 points. He started his free skating with a triple flip and cleanly landed a triple Lutz-double toe loop jump combination. The rest of his routine was a mixed bag scoring him 84.54 points for a total of 130.44 points.