Judge 9th At Challenge Cup

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Dillon Judge has finished ninth at this weekend’s Challenge Cup in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

In the short programme, Judge executed a triple Salchow-double toe loop combination to start. He then attempted a triple Lutz which he over rotated before performing a Level 3 change foot camel spin. A Level 2 change foot combination spin had some missing requirements which reduced its value. He cleanly landed a double Axel and closed out his routine with a Level 3 flying sit spin and a Level 2 step sequence. He scored 47.34 points to put himself in ninth place overnight.

Judge got his free skating off to a flying start with a triple toe loop and a triple Lutz with both jumps garnering positives grades of execution. He went for a double Axel-double Axel jump sequence to follow, but could not hold the landing on the second Axel. A Level 2 flying sit spin preceded a triple Salchow which he fell on. He continued with a Level 2 change foot camel spin and a choreographic step sequence. He attempted triple Salchow again, but the jump was not his friend today and it resulted in another fall. He concluded his free with a double Lutz, a Level 2 step sequence, a double loop and a Level 2 change foot combination spin. His free score of 79.63 points gave him a combined total of 126,97 points.

O’Brien Selected For Short Track Worlds

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Liam O’Brien (25) will fly the flag for Ireland at next month’s ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Rotterdam, The Netherlands (15-17 March).This will be the fourth consecutive time that O’Brien competes at Short Track Worlds. Racing at last month’s European Championships in Gdansk, Poland, he reached the quarterfinals and placed 19th in the 1000 metres.“I am honoured to be able to represent Ireland again at the World Championships for the fourth year running now,” O’Brien said. “I had a good start to 2024 with the European Championships and I am looking forward to finishing the season strongly at Worlds.”The ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships will be streamed live on the Skating ISU YouTube channel.

Soucisse/Firus Bag Bronze At Egna Dance Trophy

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Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus have finished third at the Egna Dance Trophy in Egna, Italy, the first medal for an Irish ice dance team in international competition.

In the rhythm dance, Soucisse and Firus opened with a Level 3 midline step sequence for both skaters. They received Level 4 for their sequential twizzles and Level 2 for their pattern dance type step sequence. They wrapped up their 1980s themed routine with a choreographic rhythm sequence and a Level 4 rotational lift. They scored 68.45 points for the segment, a new season best, placing themselves in second place at the halfway mark of the competition.

Soucisse and Firus commenced their free dance with a choreographic character step sequence. They next launched into a straightline and rotational lift combination before Soucisse and Firus earned Level 3 and Level 2 respectively for their diagonal step sequence. They continued with Level 2 one foot turns and Level 3 synchronised twizzles. A Level 4 dance spin preceded choreographic sliding and spinning movements before rounding out with a Level 4 stationary lift. For the free, they garnered 99.70 points to give them an overall score of 168.15 points and a bronze medal.

Judge Posts Season Best Total At Dragon Trophy

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Dillon Judge has finished seventh at the Dragon Trophy in Ljubljana, Slovenia this weekend notching up his top combined score so far this season.

In the short programme, Judge began with a triple Salchow on which he had to save the landing and was therefore unable to add a jump for a combination as he normally would. He then fell on an attempted triple Lutz. He regained his composure and performed a Level 2 change foot camel spin. He subsequently executed a Level 4 change foot combination spin, a double Axel and a Level 4 flying sit spin in succession all of which garnered positive marks from the judging panel. He concluded with a Level 2 step sequence and received a segment score of 48.09 points which had him in eighth place overnight.

Judge opened the free skating with a triple toe loop and a triple Lutz, the latter on which he had a step out. He went to land a single Axel-double Axel jump sequence and reeled off a Level 4 flying sit spin. As in the short, a planned triple Salchow-double toe loop combination caused him difficulty and this time he was only able to add a single toe loop. Later on in the routine, he landed a clean triple Salchow. His change foot camel spin, step sequence and change foot combination spin all were awarded Level 3. His free score of 90.39 points gave him a season best total of 138.48 points and moved him up one place in the standings.

Judge 7th At Volvo Open Cup

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Dillon Judge has finished seventh at the Volvo Open in Riga, Latvia.

On the first day of competition, Judge performed in the short programme. He opened with a triple Salchow-double toe loop jump combination, although a triple Lutz attempt that followed was not clean. He next included a Level 3 change foot camel spin and a Level 4 change foot combination spin, both receiving positive grades of execution from the judging panel. A double Axel went slightly awry and he just about managed to pull off a Level 3 flying sit spin. He closed out with a Level 2 step sequence to score 49.25 points.

In the free skating, the Irish champion began with a pristine triple toe loop. A triple Lutz and a double Axel-double Axel sequence that ensued were not as successful, but Judge fought hard and came back to execute a Level 4 flying sit spin. Unfortunately, he then fell on an underrotated triple Salchow. However, he rallied with a good Level 3 change foot camel spin and a choreographic step sequence. The triple Salchow again was not his friend as he fell on a second attempt as well as on a double Lutz-Euler-double Salchow jump sequence. He wrapped up his routine with a Level 2 step sequence, a double loop and a Level 2 change foot combination spin. He scored 77.61 points for the free giving him a total of 126.86 points.

O’Brien Rounds Out Euros With Quarterfinals Appearance

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Liam O’Brien made his third appearance at the ISU European Short Track Speed Skating Championships this weekend in Gdansk, Poland as Ireland’s sole participant on this occasion.

On the opening day of the qualification rounds, O’Brien raced over three distances. First up was the 1500 metres where he was drawn in Heat 5 of the quarterfinals. He kept in contention throughout most of the race, but fell just out of contact in the closing laps and finished fourth in a time of 2:30.801. Shortly afterwards he was back for the 500 metres heats lining up in Heat 6. He raced hard to a time of 42.280 and narrowly failed to advance as he came third. He concluded Day One with another third place in Heat 1 of the 1000 metres heats in a time of 1:30.877.

The second day of the championships saw O’Brien compete in the 1500 and 500 metres repechage quarterfinals. He raced in Heat 2 of the 1500 metres and with five laps to go was already out of contention when he crashed out of the race and ended up with no time. He was classified 34th for the distance. In Heat 5 of the 500 metres, he set up himself up to potentially advance by time as a second place finisher, but was overtaken on the penultimate lap. He posted a time of 42.576 and came 29th for the distance.

All that was left for O’Brien on the final day of the championships was the 1000 metres repechage quarterfinals. With seven laps left in Heat 2, he was disrupted by a fellow competitor, veered off track and came home in fourth with a time of 1:51.968. However, he was advanced to the repechage semifinals due to being impeded. During the repechage semifinal, he once again came off worse for wear from contact with another skater with four laps to go and crossed the line in fifth place in 2:04.946. Ultimately, he was advanced to the main session quarterfinals drawing Heat 1. He finished in 5th place in a time of 1:29.018 concluding his participation at this season’s Europeans with a 19th place classification for the distance.

“It was a weekend with a lot of up and downs,” O’Brien said. I was disappointed I couldn’t show more in the 1500m, but relieved the decisions went my way in the 1000m repechage and came out of it with a quarterfinal.”

Soucisse and Firus 13th At Maiden Europeans

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Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus have completed their journey at the 2024 ISU European Figure Skating Championships in Kaunas, Lithuania finishing 13th in the ice dance event. In addition to becoming the first ice dancers to represent Ireland at the championships, they also became the first skaters representing Ireland to advance to the final round of competition in the 133 year history of the championships.
Soucisse and Firus skated 23rd of the 33 competing teams participating at these European Championships in the rhythm dance with only the top 20 teams advancing to the free dance. Performing to a Rick James medley for their 1980s themed routine, they opened with a Midline Step Sequence and followed that with a Synchronised Twizzle Sequence. They next nailed a Pattern Type Step Sequence and a Choreographic Rhythm Sequence. They closed out strongly with a difficult Level 4 Rotational Lift. They earned 66.69 points, a new season best.
Earlier this evening they took to the ice inside the Zalgirio Arena to perform in the free dance. Skating to “Hier Encore” by Charles Aznavour and an instrumental version of La Boheme, the current Irish champions opened with a Choreographic Character Step Sequence to set the tone for the routine. They followed that with a lift combination comprising a Straight Line Lift and a Rotational Lift and a Diagonal Step Sequence and One Foot Turns Sequence. Their Synchronised Twizzle Sequence was graded a Level 4 by the technical panel, the highest possible, as was their Dance Spin. They closed with a Choreographic Slide, a Choreographic Spin and a Level 4 Stationary Lift earning 101.50 points for their free and a combined total score of 168.19 points, both of which were new Season Bests.
“We’re very happy with how we skated,” Firus said. “We wanted to enjoy today, be very patient and really feel the moment as we were doing it.”
“It could have been a little bit intimidating with the crowd, but it was amazing,” Soucisse said. “We really stayed focused. We did just like in training and it went great. We were a bit tired at the end, but we held it up pretty well.”

Soucisse And Firus On The Edge Of History For Euros Debut

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Carolane Soucisse (28) and Shane Firus (29) will carve out their names in the history of Irish figure skating as they will become the first ice dance team to represent Ireland at the ISU European Figure Skating Championships which this year are being held in Kaunas, Lithuania (10-14 January).

Soucisse and Firus became Irish national champions in June 2023 and made their international debut for Ireland at the Bosphorus Cup in Istanbul, Turkey last month. They train in Toronto, Canada with their coaches Carol Lane, Jon Lane, Juris Rasgulajevs and Marc-Andre Servant.

Soucisse and Firus will initially perform at Europeans in the rhythm dance which begins at 10:00 (Irish time) on Friday, 12 January. Thirty-three teams from 21 nations will battle it out for the 20 spots available in the free dance on Saturday, 13 January. The competition will be keenly followed particularly in the Model County as Firus’s maternal grandmother hails from Gorey, County Wexford.

“We can’t wait to perform in such a big event,” Soucisse said. “Even though we’ve never done a European Championships, it really feels like home. We are super excited to see the crowd and meet new fans.”

“We are beyond excited to represent Ireland for the first time at such a prestigious event,” Firus said. “We are really looking forward to experiencing everything Europeans has to offer, as everyone we talked to before has said it was their favourite event of the season.”

Europeans are the oldest ISU championship event having first been contested in 1891. Ireland made its debut at the championships in 2009 when Clara Peters skated in the women’s event. Peters also participated in the 2010, 2011 and 2012 editions. In 2018, Conor Stakelum became the first Irish male figure skater to perform at the championships and he subsequently made appearances in 2019, 2020 and 2022. Sam McAllister represented Ireland at last year’s Europeans in Espoo, Finland.

In order to earn entry to the championships, eligible skaters must attain a minimum technical element score in both of their programmes during the current or preceding season. The championships are held annually and this is the first time they take place in Lithuania.

The ISU European Figure Skating Championships will be broadcast 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 #EuroFigure and #FigureSkating hashtags.

O’Brien Kicks Off 2024 At Short Track Euros

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Liam O’Brien (25) lines up this weekend at the ISU European Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Gdansk, Poland (12-14 January).

The ice at the Hala Olivia is familiar territory for O’Brien with both his two previous appearances in 2021 and 2023 having taken place at the same venue. At last season’s Europeans, he became the first Irish skater to qualify for a semi-final and he will be aiming to do even better this time round. He will be among a field of over 130 athletes from 25 countries racing for top honours at an event that was first held in 1997. Skaters race against each other over 500, 1000 and 1500 metre distances.

“It’s good to be back here in Poland again for the European Championships,” O’Brien said. “I’m looking forward to racing for Ireland this weekend and hope to improve on last year’s semifinal performance and be up there amongst my competitors.”

The ISU European Short Track Speed Skating Championships will be broadcast 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 #ShortTrackSkating hashtag.

2023 Another Remarkable Year For Irish Ice Skating

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2023 witnessed ice skating in Ireland continue its forward progression as more milestones were achieved.

The year began in sensational fashion in January at the ISU European Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Gdansk, Poland. Sean McAnuff became the first athlete from Ireland to nab a place in the main session of the championships when he advanced to the 500 metres quarterfinals. Liam O’Brien then went on to do the same by booking himself a spot in the 1500 metres semifinals. Later in the same month, Sam McAllister finally made his ISU European Figure Skating Championships debut at the third time of asking in Espoo, Finland. He finished in 28th place. At home, the ISAI board announced the appointment of Karen O’Sullivan as Chief Executive Officer and Yvonne Brett as Chief Financial Officer. The first post-Covid Emerald Skate test session was held at Dundrum On Ice.

February saw our short track speed skaters Sean McAnuff and Ryan McAnuff in action at events in Germany and Canada respectively, while figure skaters Dillon Judge and Laura Hegarty and Kevin Hegarty competed in the Netherlands at the Challenge Cup.

Liam O’Brien participated in the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships for the third consecutive time when the event was held in Seoul, South Korea in March. Sam McAllister announced his retirement from competitive skating during the month.

Four-time European competitor Conor Stakelum was appointed ISAI Anti-Doping Officer in May.

Rounding out the 2022/2023 season, the Irish Figure Skating Championships were held for the second at the Dundee Ice Arena in June. Titles were decided in five categories with Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus becoming the first ever Senior Ice Dance champions in the history of the event.

The 2023/2024 season got into full swing in September with two-time Irish Junior Champion Sophia Tkacheva competing at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Istanbul, Türkiye. The appointment of Stephen Judge as ISAI Privacy Officer was announced. Margery Hilko became the first person from Ireland to qualify as an ISU judge when she passed the ISU examination in Oberstdorf, Germany.

Ciera Turner-Frick represented Ireland at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Yerevan, Armenia in October. Dillon Judge made his international senior debut at the Tayside Trophy in Dundee, United Kingdom where he was joined by Sophia Tkacheva who skated in the Junior Women’s event. The season got under way for our short track speed skaters at World Cup 1 in Montreal, Canada where Ryan McAnuff and Liam O’Brien raced. O’Brien also entered World Cup 2 again in Montreal where he not only set a new Irish record in the 1000 metres, but also advanced to the 1000 metres quarterfinals.

In November, the 2023/2024 Emerald Skate learn to skate lessons commenced at Dundrum On Ice. Dillon Judge competed at the Denkova-Staviski Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria where he finished 10th. The ISAI Annual General Meeting was held on 29 November in Dublin. It was the first in-person AGM since 2019.

Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus kicked off December and their season when they participated in the Bosphorus Cup in Istanbul, Türkiye. The second World Ice Skating Day took place on 3 December with bigger and better celebrations than in the previous year here in Ireland. Soucisse and Firus and Dillon Judge took part in the ISU Challenger Golden Spin of Zagreb in Croatia. Liam O’Brien was named as a recipient of a Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Scholarship and wrapped up 2023 with back to back World Cups in China and South Korea.

2024 promises to be an even more exciting year for the ISAI as the pace picks up on the development of Ireland as an ice skating nation both domestically and on the international stage.