Steele Posts New Bests At European Youth Countrymatch

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Thomas Steele (Co. Dublin) concluded this weekend’s European Youth Countrymatch with two lifetime bests in the Junior B men’s events.

In the 500 metres, he raced to a time of 46.32 improving on his previous personal record by 0.7 seconds to finish 23rd. The 1500 metres saw an even greater advance for Steele when he lowered his best by 12.12 seconds to 2:22.94 and again place 23rd. The latter time was also a new Irish Junior national record. He also lined up for a Mass Start race coming 20th.

The European Youth Countrymatch is an international event organised at the ISU Centre of Excellence in Heerenveen, The Netherlands. The event is open to Junior C and Junior B category skaters of European ISU members by invitation only. There was a mandatory three-day camp in advance of the competition.

Steele Set For Long Track International Debut At European Youth Countrymatch

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This weekend Thomas Steele (Co. Dublin) competes in his first international competition representing Ireland in long track speed skating.

Born and raised in the Netherlands, Steele began skating at a young age just like many of his peers in a country where speed skating is one of the highest profile sports. He cites Dutchman Sven Kramer, a four-time Olympic gold medallist, as an inspiration. Ice is also in his genes with his father Gary from Canada, another country with a long and proud tradition in ice sports, and his mother Susan hailing from Dublin where she learned to skate at Dolphin’s Barn ice rink, a facility that those who grew up locally recall with great fondness.

Steele started training seriously two years ago from the age of 13 with Brenda, Annewil and Rodger from the DKIJV at De Uithof in The Hague to which he commutes from his home city of Delft three days a week for on ice practices.

“On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I train for an hour and 15 minutes on ice, and I also cycle for 30 minutes before and after those training sessions. Sometimes I also do an hour and 30 minutes of cycling training on Tuesdays and Thursdays, though not usually.”

He has gradually seen his times improve to the point where he was selected to the Irish national team this season. This week he will participate in the European Youth Countrymatch, an international event organised at the ISU Centre of Excellence in Heerenveen, The Netherlands in the renowned Thialf ice stadium, which just so happens to be Steele’s favourite track. The event is open to Junior C and Junior B category skaters of European ISU members by invitation only. There will be a mandatory three-day camp in advance of the competition. All racing will take place on Saturday, 20 December. Steele is looking forward to improving his best times and flying the flag for Ireland on an international stage.

“For me, it is a great honour to be allowed to participate in big international competitions representing Ireland.”

Steele is still young in a sport where most athletes reach their prime in their mid to late twenties. His goal this week will be to learn and pick up some tips to aid his development as an athlete and as all speed skaters want to do go as fast as he can in his races. Over the next few seasons, he is aiming to progress to the standards required for entry into the ISU Junior World Cups by refining the technical skills required of elite speed skaters.

“Speed skating technique is quite complicated and takes years to master. There are three different movements: the start, the straightaways and the corners. The start is the simplest: it is similar to running, but the straightaways and the corners are very complicated movements and take a lot of time to learn properly. I think that the hardest part and most important is to not only be able to perform the movements, but also to be able to find pressure in your push.”

Right at the moment, Steele is at the beginning of discovering his potential in the sport and is enjoying the process and the incremental achievements that is bringing him.

“The best thing for me is the feeling of going fast, and how it feels to become faster. Small changes in technique can often make huge differences, and it feels amazing when all of a sudden you can make a lot of speed by changing a small detail.”

You can keep up to date with how Steele gets on at the European Youth Countrymatch here on the Ice Skating Association of Ireland’s website and social media channels.

Irish Wolfhounds Wrap Up World Tour In Dordrecht

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Sean McAnuff (Co. Armagh) and Liam O’Brien (Co. Cavan) have concluded the 2025/2026 ISU Short Track World Tour at the final event in Dordrect, The Netherlands this weekend.

The Irish Wolfhounds took on the opening rounds of the 1500 and 500 metres on Day One. McAnuff was first on the ice in Heat 5 of the 1500 metre heats. The race began sedately and picked up midway with McAnuff taking the lead with seven laps remaining. He held that position for a couple of laps, but when the pace intensified he dropped back ultimately finishing in fifth with a time 2:28.489. O’Brien was next up in Heat 7. He hovered around second place for the opening laps and when the race got going with seven laps to go he was bumped off course after coming into contact with another skater. He came home in a time of 2:28.335 for sixth place.

Next up on the agenda were the 500 metre preliminaries. O’Brien was drawn in Heat 11 where he started third from the inside. He maintained that placement until the final lap where he was passed taking fourth place in a time of 42.464. McAnuff lined up in Heat 14. Coming to the close of third last lap. he was in second when lost his footing and slid off the track. He ranked fourth in the heat with no time recorded. The Wolfhounds returned later in the day for 500 metre repechage heats. In Heat 2 McAnuff was always playing catch up with an outside lane draw and finished fourth in a time of 42.362. Heat 8 was incident packed with O’Brien taking advantage to claim third place with a time of 43.345.

The second day of competition saw the focus on the 1000 metres. In Heat 5 of the preliminaries, O’Brien began positively before losing speed due to contact with other skaters. A crash ahead of him on the final lap saw him take second place in a time of 1:32.028. Heat 7 had to be recalled for a restart. Once under way McAnuff fought hard to keep in touch with the leaders and moved up into second on the final lap to end with a time of 1:29.746. McAnuff was back for Heat 5 of the repechage heats picking up fourth place in a time of 1:28.637. O’Brien drew Heat 10 and finished fourth as well with a time of 1:29.984.

The Wolfhounds returned on the third morning of the event for the 1500 metre repechage quarterfinals. With ten laps to go in Heat 5, O’Brien was taken out in a three skater pile up causing the referee to start the race again. Unfortunately, it was not second time lucky for O’Brien who fell again with ten laps remaining in the rerun bringing his World Tour campaign to an end with a sixth place and a time of 2:50.446. It was a leisurely opening to Heat 7 which featured McAnuff who eventually finished in sixth with a time of 2:36.363.

Photo: Champions Ice Skating

Final Chance For Irish Wolfhounds At Dordrecht World Tour

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Sean McAnuff (Co. Armagh) and Liam O’Brien (Co. Cavan) take on the final ISU Short Track World Tour of the season in Dordrecht, The Netherlands (27-30 November) and will need a supreme effort if they are to secure any quota places for the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games.

The Irish Wolfhounds are currently short of the mark in all three distances with their best ranking being 50th in the 500 metres (Top 32 required), 43rd in the 1000 metres (Top 32 required) and 60th in the 1500 metres (Top 36 required). Progression beyond the qualification and repechage sessions will be key.

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 (Dordrecht, The Netherlands)

Thursday, 27 November – Qualification Rounds

Friday, 28 November – Qualification Rounds

Saturday, 29 November – 500m/1500m

Sunday, 30 November – 1000m

Irish Wolfhounds Complete Third World Tour

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Sean McAnuff (Co. Antrim) and Liam O’Brien (Co. Cavan) have completed the penultimate leg of the ISU Short Track World Tour in Gdansk, Poland this weekend.

The Irish Wolfhounds embarked on the opening day with qualification rounds in the 1500 and 500 metre distances. First up in Heat 4 of the 1500 Heats was O’Brien. An early take off from another skater during the second lap saw the pace increase rapidly and the race was attritional with O’Brien eventually crossing the line in fifth with a time of 2:23.577. In Heat 8 McAnuff took the lead from the start until things picked up with eight laps to go. He came home third in a time of 2:30.080.

The 500 metre Preliminaries were next on the agenda for Team Ireland. O’Brien got tailed off right at the start of Heat 8 and never got back into the race finishing fifth with a time of 43.326. McAnuff was immediately on the ice after in Heat 9 and he was in second place all most of the race before being edged out on the final lap to come third in a time of 42.953.

Later on McAnuff and O’Brien returned for the 500 metre Repechage Heats. O’Brien was drawn in starting position four of Heat 3 and maintained that place from gun to the finish in a time of 43.089. McAnuff appeared in Heat 10 and errors by others enabled him to rise up into second place on Lap 3 and hold until the end. Unfortunately, his time of 43.716 was not enough to advance any further.

McAnuff and O’Brien concentrated on the 1000 metres on the second day of competition. The Preliminaries were first on the agenda. O’Brien raced in Heat 3 and finished in fourth place with a time of 1:29.305. McAnuff was right up after in Heat 4 and the race was a leisurely affair until midway through when the pace began to pick up. McAnuff managed to keep in touch with the leaders until the penultimate lap when he was dropped and finished third in a time of 1:31.547.

Both Irish Wolfhounds were drawn in Heat 4 of the 1000 metre Repechage Heats. The race was eventful to say the least. With just over three laps remaining McAnuff was vying for the lead when his blade clashed with the skater in front of him and they both crashed out. O’Brien managed to stay out of the way and finished in fourth with a time of 1:29.024. McAnuff got back up and took sixth place in a time of 1:56.092. He was subsequently advanced to the Repechage Quarterfinals.

On the third day of the event O’Brien and McAnuff faced the 1500 metre Repechage Quarterfinals. O’Brien lined up in Heat 7 and placed third with a time of 2:28.859. McAnuff took on Heat 8 and finished fifth in a time of 2:25.386.

McAnuff was the last Irish Wolfhound standing on the final day of the event for the 1000 metre Repechage Quarterfinals. He raced in Heat 4 and concluded this World Tour stop with a sixth place with a time of 1:29.945.

Irish Wolfhounds Embark On World Tour European Leg

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After two weekends of racing in Montreal, Canada last month, Sean McAnuff (Co. Antrim) and Liam O’Brien (Co. Cavan) are in Europe for the next and final two ISU Short Track World Tour events of the season. First stop for the Irish Wolfhounds is Gdansk, Poland (20-23 November).

This weekend will be crucial for the Irish short track speed skaters as they seek to earn quota places for the Milano Cortina Olympic Games and will be looking for some big performances to boost their rankings and move to within striking distance for those coveted spots in Italy next February. They will race against the best athletes on the planet over the 500, 1000 and 1500 metre distances.

“We didn’t get the result we were after during World Tours 1 and 2, but we are aware of what needs to be done,” O’Brien said. “I hope to build on the race experience and work towards Olympic qualification.”

“As I skate into the final two Olympic qualifying competitions, my goal is clear: secure Ireland a spot for the 2026 Olympics while celebrating the athletes skating alongside me,” McAnuff said. “Some of my strongest performances and boldest breakthroughs have come from battling it out on the ice and then reflecting on how each race sharpens my skills and refines my strategy and execution. Thus far this journey has been very demanding, but I’m choosing to skate with enjoyment and compete with purpose. My strength, resilience, and peace can’t just come from results – I strive to maintain greater perspective and purpose that drives my desire to succeed.”

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 (Gdansk, Poland)

Thursday, 20 November – Qualification Rounds

Friday, 21 November – Qualification Rounds

Saturday, 22 November – 500m/1500m

Sunday, 23 November – 1000m

Irish Wolfhounds Complete Montreal World Tour Double Header

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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.

“This week was another big learning curve,” O’Brien said. “I’m looking forward to the excitement of the final two Olympic qualification events and hopefully solidifying Ireland a quota spot for Milano.”

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

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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

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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.

Irish Wolfhounds Wrap Up Opening World Tour Leg

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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.