Short Track Season Kicks Off In Montreal

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Ryan McAnuff and Liam O’Brien got their season under way at this weekend’s ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating in Montreal, Canada.

They both opened their racing in the 1500m quarterfinals on the first day of competition. O’Brien raced in Heat 5 clocking 2:22.282 in 6th place. McAnuff was up right after in Heat 6 and he also placed 6th in a time 2:26.517.

Next up for McAnuff was Heat 1 of the 500m preliminaries where he finished 5th in a time of 43.490. O’Brien was back out on the ice for Heat 8 the 1000m (2)  heats and posted a time of  1:27.305 to finish 3rd missing out on advancing by one place.

Both skaters were back on Day Two for the 1500m repechage quarterfinals. McAnuff ended up 4th in Heat 3 in a time of 2:27.525. He ranked 41st for the distance. O’Brien was next up in Heat 4 and raced to 3rd clocking 2:21.782 which was good enough to advance to the repechage semifinals in the same session. O’Brien was drawn in Heat 1 and placed 4th in a time of 2:31.394. His ranking for the distance was 28th.

The final day of competition began with Heat 2 of the 500m repechage quarterfinals for McAnuff. He closed his racing at this World Cup with a 5th place finish in a time of 43.871. He placed 47th overall in the distance.

“I really enjoyed racing against the top skaters in the world,” McAnuff said. “As always, it was challenging racing but this provided great learning opportunities. It is a privilege to be here and I am proud of how I did!”

O’Brien lined up in Heat 2 of the 1000m (2) repechage quarterfinals. Unfortunately, he slipped during the race crashing into the barriers. He got back up coming home in 6th with a time of 2:13.757.

“Unfortunately I let the nerves of the first competition of the season get to me and was not aware of what was going on around me during the races on the first day,” O’Brien said. “On the second day in the 1500m repechage I was happy as I showed glimpses of my training results throughout the off season. Going into next week I just need to build on my confidence throughout the training week and not doubt myself when a chance opens up.”

Irish Short Track Team Raring To Go At Montreal World Cup

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The  ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series gets under way this weekend (20-22 October) in Montreal, Canada with Ryan McAnuff and Liam O’Brien representing Team Ireland at the event.McAnuff returns to the World Cup circuit for the first time since 2021. Along with younger brother Sean, he was the first Irish skater to compete at a World Cup event back in 2016. This will be his eighth time suiting up for Ireland at a World Cup. He is the current Irish 1500m record holder.

“I’m looking forward to kicking the season in a familiar place with World Cup 1 in Montreal,” McAnuff said. “I’m expecting some great racing from everyone and I hope to enjoy myself as well!”This is the third consecutive season that O’Brien will compete on the World Cup series. Last season he set an Irish 1000m record in Almaty, Kazakhstan when the World Cup was held there and is excited to get back to racing for the first time in seven months.

“I’ve worked hard on developing my skating and strength over the off season and I’m excited to race to see where I am at now,” O’Brien said. “Ice training has been going smoothly and it should be a strong weekend of racing amongst all skaters”Each World Cup features races over the 500m, 1000m and 1500m distances with Day 1 solely assigned for qualification rounds. Day 2 and Day 3 combine subsequent qualification rounds and World Cup sessions. This weekend’s World Cup is the first of two back-to-back held in Montreal. Further World Cups will take place in China, Republic of Korea, Germany and Poland later this season. In Ireland, the action can be viewed live on the Skating ISU YouTube channel and followed on social media via the #ShortTrackSkating hashtag.

2023/2024 Speed Skating National Team Announced

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Three speed skaters have been named by the Ice Skating Association of Ireland (ISAI) to represent Ireland during the 2023/2024 season.

Ryan McAnuff has been a National Team member since 2016 when, along with his brother Sean, they became the first speed skaters to compete for Ireland in international competition. He is a University of Limerick medical school graduate and is currently a resident physician in Hamilton, Canada.

“It is again an honour to represent Ireland for this upcoming short track speed skating season,” Ryan McAnuff said. “I am looking forward to competing alongside my teammates against the fastest skaters in the world. This season I look to continue to be competitive on the global stage as well as continue to enjoy racing, travelling, connecting with fellow racers and representing Ireland.”

This is the eighth consecutive season Sean McAnuff has been selected for the National Team. He made it to the quarterfinals in the 500 metres at the 2023 European Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Gdansk, Poland and placed 19th in the distance, his best ever result at Europeans. Since December 2020, he has been training in Budapest, Hungary.

“I feel privileged to represent Ireland again this year,” Sean McAnuff said. “It has been a long journey of now eight years representing the country and I am excited to have another year to improve and bring more awareness to the sport in Ireland. This season I have the goal of training smarter and more effectively. I plan to skate new record times and work hard in order to achieve my maximum potential through focusing on technique improvement and racing with confidence!”

Liam O’Brien has been a National Team member since 2019. At the 2023 European Short Track Speed Skating Championships, he advanced to the semi-finals of the 1500 metres for the first time. He also represented Ireland at the 2023 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Seoul, Republic of Korea. He currently trains in Seongnam, Republic of Korea.

“As always, I am delighted to be selected and given the chance to represent Ireland,” O’Brien said. “Last season had an unfortunate ending and I have gone away and worked hard to improve my abilities over the off-season. My goals for this season are to not only improve on personal bests, but to gain higher field ranking and to be competitive against the best in the world.

National Team Members (Short Track Speed Skating):

Senior Men – Ryan McAnuff (County Antrim), Sean McAnuff (County Antrim), Liam O’Brien (County Cavan)

You can learn more about our national team members here.

Stephen Judge Appointed ISAI Privacy Officer

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The Ice Skating Association of Ireland (ISAI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen Judge as ISAI Data Privacy Officer (DPO).

The role of the ISAI’s DPO involves overseeing how the ISAI handles and protects
individuals’ personal information. This position is responsible for ensuring compliance with data
protection laws, particularly the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and maintaining a strong
focus on safeguarding people’s privacy rights.

“I am happy to be coming on board to help the ISAI in this important role,” Judge said. “Having been impressed with the support the volunteers in this organisation provide to skaters, I thought it would be good to get involved and hopefully reduce some of the pressures placed on them. I am looking forward to meeting everyone.”

“The ISAI is thrilled that Stephen has agreed to become the ISAI’s DPO,” ISAI President Seán Gillis said. “Given his professional background and his involvement with volunteering in ice skating, I cannot think of  anyone more suited to the position.”

Conor Stakelum Appointed ISAI Anti-Doping Officer

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The Ice Skating Association is pleased to announce that Conor Stakelum has been appointed as ISAI Anti-Doping Officer.

Stakelum has represented Ireland in multiple international competitions, including four European Figure Skating Championships. He graduated from University College Dublin with a degree in microbiology and has previously worked in medical science.

“I am confident that Conor will make a valuable contribution to the ISAI’s efforts to promote clean sport and protect the health and well-being of our athletes,” ISAI President Seán Gillis said.

O’Brien Awarded OFI Make A Difference Funding

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The Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) has announced that Irish short track speed skater Liam O’Brien is to receive OFI Make A Difference Funding in his pursuit of qualifying for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olynpics.

O’Brien is just one of six winter sport athletes to be awarded funding under the scheme which he will be able to use to access world class training facilities and coaching in pursuit of Olympic qualification.

“While it’s only been a year since the Beijing Olympics, qualification for the 2026 Winter Olympics are only just around the corner,” O’Brien said. The continual support of the ISAI and the grant from the OFI are greatly appreciated and will aid training costs.”

“I am delighted that Liam has been awarded the OFI Make A Difference funding,” ISAI President Sean Gillis said. “Liam was tantalisingly close to qualifying a history making spot for Ireland in the Olympic qualification events last time round and hopefully this award will give him the extra edge he needs to go one step further next time.”

O’Brien Closes Out Season Of Highs And Lows At Worlds

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Earlier today Liam O’Brien (24) brought the curtain down on his season of racing at the KB ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Seoul, South Korea.

O’Brien began his campaign with the qualification rounds on Day One of the championships. He opened with a new personal best time of 2:15.543 in the 1500 metres quarterfinals coming fourth in Heat 5. He next lined up in Heat 3 of the 500 metres preliminaries where he finished fifth in a time of 42.872. He wrapped things up with the 1000 metres preliminaries coming fifth place clocking 1:27.569 in Heat 3.

Day Two saw O’Brien race in two repechage distances. In the 1500 metres repechage quarterfinals, he was contending for a qualifying spot throughout a very tactical Heat 3 and was unfortunate not to advance as he placed third in a slow time of 2:33.614. He was also third in Heat 6 of the 500 metres repechage quarterfinals with a time of 43.516.

There was just one distance for O’Brien to contest on the final day of the championships. He crossed the line in a time of 1:31.859 for third again in Heat 5 of the 1000 metres repechage quarterfinals.

“The season has come to an end now for me,” O’Brien said. “Just like all the other competitions this season it was another learning curve and I will take it all into the off-season.”

Women In Sport Week: Active Participation

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To mark Women In Sport Week (6-12 March), the Ice Skating Association of Ireland asked the women who make ice skating happen in Ireland a series of questions to hear about the challenges and unique culture of the sport within the country.

The theme for today is Active Participation. The ISAI’s Emerald Skate Learn To Skate programme is the great success story of Irish skating with demand continuing to grow year on year for the courses. It is a programme that also happens to be administered, taught and participated in almost entirely by women. ISAI CEO Karen O’Sullivan shares her thoughts on why women are so instrumental in ice skating in Ireland.

You have been involved in the Emerald Skate programme since its inception and it has always had very high percentage of female participation. What is it about ice skating that appeals to women so much as a sport?

O’Sullivan: Gosh, the Emerald Skate programme has to be my highlight of skating in Ireland. Yes, it is  predominantly women, but we encourage the boys too. I think it’s the challenge, the sense of accomplishment on a medium so outside our comfort zone that allows women to realise our freedom and self-reliance. Skating is all you. When the skater stands on the ice and pushes forward, she is in control. It’s a space for women to express themselves and discover their inner strengths. When a women puts on a pair of skates she becomes a skater. There is no gender divide.

Women in sport have historically faced barriers to participation and recognition. Have you experienced any challenges or obstacles in ice skating in Ireland because of your gender?

O’Sullivan: I am sure there have been, but with the perseverance that skating has taught me I have ignored them. We don’t use the #UpAgain hashtag in ice skating for no reason! Our sport develops a strong inner core to face and overcome any obstacle life puts in front of us.

What do you feel are the positive aspects of being a woman involved in ice skating in Ireland?

O’Sullivan: Respect. Respect from and for each other. We know the mental and physical demands the sport requires from putting on your first pair of skates to stepping onto World Championship ice, and everything in between. We admire and support each other. Even though we might not get the respect, understanding and recognition from those not directly involved in our sport, it is empowering to see women supporting women at all ages, celebrating each other’s accomplishments. Some of my best moments have been when a younger skater lands her first axel jump and her faces lights up with the realisation she ian do It. Sometimes it’s the child that lets go of the penguin and moves freely to the centre ice. The parent’s face as they realise their child can cope with any adversary.

Representation and visibility are important issues in all areas of life, including sport. What would you like to see happen in the world of ice skating to encourage more women to participate and succeed ?

O’Sullivan: Two things.

One: The perception that the sport is “fluffy” changes. There is nothing soft about the falls, the cuts, the blisters, the pain, the heart-breaking frustration waiting for it to click, the cold, the unsocial hours, the isolation, the core strength and fitness that is need, the mental and physical strength for endurance that is necessary. Did I mention the cold? And through all this the skater has to give the appearance that it is easy. It is not. I would like credit to be given for what the skater does to effortlessly glide across the ice on a steel blade no thicker than 4.8mm!

Two: Meaningful support for access, to give the girls and the boys more ice in Ireland.

O’Brien Seoul Competitor For Ireland At Short Track Worlds

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Liam O’Brien (24) is all set to close out the season this weekend (10-12 March) as he represents Ireland at the KB Financial Group ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Seoul, South Korea.

The Irish skater will be among a field of over 80 athletes from 34 countries racing for top honours in the men’s category. The World Short Track Championships were first held back in 1976. Ireland has been represented at every edition held since 2017.

O’Brien will begin the championships in the early hours of the morning Irish time on Friday, 10 March with the qualifications rounds of the 500, 1000 and 1500 metres distances. Subsequent rounds, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will take place on Saturday, 11 March and Sunday, 12 March.

This will be the third consecutive appearance at Worlds for O’Brien.

“I hope to represent Ireland strongly and progress into the main event on Saturday and Sunday.”

As O’Brien trains in South Korea, he will not have to adjust too much in terms of the environment.

“It feels a little different with Worlds being held only an hour away from my training base. I hope to build on my performance throughout the season.”

The KB Financial Group ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships will be broadcast online on the 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.

Women In Sport Week: Leadership & Governance

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To mark Women In Sport Week (6-12 March), the Ice Skating Association of Ireland asked the women who make ice skating happen in Ireland a series of questions to hear about the challenges and unique culture of the sport within the country.

The theme for today is Leadership and Governance. Clara Peters was the first skater to represent Ireland in international competitions and she competed four times at both the European and World Championships. She is currently the Vice-President of the ISAI.

What inspired you to get involved in ice skating, and how has the sport influenced your life?

Peters: I have no fancy story, I wasn’t at a birthday party, I didn’t grown up watching ice skating movies, I just knew I was always going to spend my life in the skating world. To say skating has influenced my life is an understatement. I have participated in many roles, I have been a competitor, a coach, a technical specialist, a board member, and now I am the Vice-President of the National Governing Body. I have travelled the world, met many interesting people, learnt how to be strong and resilient. In short, ice skating has made me into the person I am today.

Women in sport have historically faced barriers to participation and recognition. Have you experienced any challenges or obstacles in ice skating in Ireland because of your gender?

Peters: I have faced all the possible barriers that there are, including gender. In the very early days I was only seen as a girl in a sparkly dress doing a novelty activity. At that time few even recognised ice skating as a sport in Ireland. In the early days of my competitive career ice skating was treated as a lifestyle segment. It took time to make the sport pages as I continued to write ice skating history for Ireland. For me just to be featured on the sport page was a massive win. Even though Figure Skating is perceived as a female dominated sport, even in Ireland, I find it is still hard for our voice to be heard, and our skills to shine.

What do you feel are the positive aspects of being a woman involved in ice skating in Ireland?

Peters: The unexpected positive I have found is the great sense of community that exists in Irish ice skating. I have gotten to play many roles in ice skating in Ireland and the common trend has been the wonderful ice skating family we have built. From the skaters I’ve coached, their moms with cups of tea at the ready, the volunteers making sure every event runs smoothly, the coaches I’ve gotten to work alongside – these friendships now go beyond the skating world. I have gotten to know girls who watched me compete become my students. I have gotten to help skaters grow from their first days on the ice to the next generation of coaches.

Ice Skating has empowered me to persevere. I quickly learnt that success comes with hard work. Ice Skating allowed me to achieve my childhood dreams. I set out to be the first skater for Ireland, I have won National titles, International medals, and been to European and World Championships. I received recognition in the form of Sport Awards and IOC Scholarships, sectors I never expected to support me.

Representation and visibility are important issues in all areas of life, including sport. What would you like to see happen in the world of ice skating to encourage more women to participate and succeed ?

Peters: The women in Irish ice skating are a creative and resourceful group. We are determined to be on the ice, even when many would have given up. Without question an ice rink that is open for more than 12 weeks is critical to give women in Ireland greater representation in their chosen sport and physical activity. As we continue to develop ice sports in Ireland I fear the start-stop nature of seasonal rinks will hinder a lot of girls and young women staying in the sport. If ice skating was perceived by the government as a serious sport and physical actively we would have hundreds of women and girls involved on a weekly basis throughout the country; it’s time our government gets behind the women of Ireland and commits to providing facilities and opportunity.