Sean McAnuff Retires From Competition

/in /by

Short track speed skater Sean McAnuff (29) has taken the decision to end his competitive career.

With his brother Ryan, McAnuff has been a pioneer for Irish short track speed skating. He began representing Ireland internationally in August 2016 and made his debut on the then ISU World Cup circuit that autumn. He was the first skater from Ireland to compete at the ISU World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships which he did in 2017. In subsequent seasons, he went on to race at six ISU European Short Track Speed Skating Championships and four ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships. His last Worlds earlier this year was in Canada where he was born, grew up and learned his craft. Fittingly, he also posted his highest ever placement at Worlds finishing 23rd in the 1000 metre distance in what would be his final competitive race. He was a member of the original Irish Wolfhounds pack that suited up for the inaugural ISU Short Track World Tour in October 2024. He remains the Irish record holder for the 500 metre distance.

“After many years representing Ireland, this is not a decision I make lightly,” McAnuff said. “It has been a great honour to wear the Irish uniform at ISU Championships and international competitions and to have played a part in building the sport in Ireland from its earliest days. I am grateful for the opportunities and support I’ve received from the ISAI over the past decade.

“Looking back over my career, I’m proud of how much I’ve grown and improved as an athlete, and I’ve valued every connection I’ve made along the way. The short track community has been a huge part of my life for the past ten years, and the relationships I’ve built with teammates, coaches and competitors are something I’ll carry with me long after the racing ends. This journey has shaped me and helped me grow in many ways that I’m excited to carry into the next part of our life.”

“On behalf of the Ice Skating Association of Ireland, I want to congratulate Sean on a wonderful career and express gratitude for all he has done for short track in Ireland since the very beginning,” ISAI President Seán Gillis said. “He has dedicated himself so totally to training and competing, but what has been equally impressive is how he has conducted himself both on and off the ice as an ambassador for Irish ice skating. There will be many people in the short track community who will miss his kind and gentle spirit at events this season. Wishing Sean, his wife Jess, MVP Maple and new edition Syrup a happy and fulfilling next stage of their life together.”

2026/2027 Speed Skating National Team Selection

/in /by

The Ice Skating Association of Ireland has selected the following athletes to represent Ireland in international speed skating competitions during the 2026/2027 season:

Speed Skating

Junior Men – Thomas Steele (County Dublin)

Anna Waugh and Matthew Jacoby at Lake Placid Ice Dance International (Photo by Robin Ritoss)

Waugh And Jacoby 16th On International Debut

/in /by

In their international debut, Anna Waugh and Matthew Jacoby have finished 16th in the Junior event at the Lake Placid Ice Dance International in Lake Placid, United States of America.

Waugh and Jacoby were drawn in Warm-Up Group 4 of the Rhythm Dance and were the penultimate team to take to the ice on the opening day of competition in their event. They posted a new Irish Junior record of 40.07 points to put themselves in 14th place overnight.

Third to skate in Warm-Up Group 1 of the Free Dance, Waugh and Jacoby earned a score of 59.88 points, another Irish best, to place 15th in the segment. They ended the competition with a total of 99.95.

Reigning World Junior champions Hana Maria Aboian and Daniil Veselukhin (USA) won the event with Aneta Vaclavikova and William Lissauer (USA) and Jane Calhoun and Mark Zheltyshev (USA) rounding out the podium respectively for a host nation clean sweep.

2026/2027 Figure Skating National Team Members Named

/in , /by

The Ice Skating Association of Ireland has selected the following athletes to represent Ireland in international figure skating competitions during the 2026/2027 season:

Figure Skating

Senior Men – Dillon Judge (County Antrim)

Senior Women – Sophia Tracey (County Wexford)

Junior Women – Saoirse O’Sullivan (County Tipperary), Catherine Pinkerton

Junior Ice Dance – Anna Waugh/Matthew Jacoby

ISAI Communication

ISAI Communication No. 16

/in , , /by

New Membership Type

Following feedback from members, the Board of the Ice Skating Association of Ireland have re-introduced the Emerald Membership as of 1 July 2026.

This membership is an annual membership for skaters ordinarily resident in Ireland who participate in the Emerald Skate Test programme and have not passed the highest test level of either Figure or Speed Emerald. Annual membership will include one test session at the Emerald Skate levels 1-6 or one Freestyle Test level.

ISAI Communication

ISAI Communication No. 15

/in , /by

Please see below ISAI Communication No. 15 regarding the Irish National Figure Skating Championships 2026.

ISAI Communication No. 15

National Team Selection Criteria Pool 2026/2027 (Figure Skating)

ISU Fan Survey 2026

/in , , /by

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

/in , /by

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

/in , /by

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

/in , /by

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.