Irish Wolfhounds Wrap Up World Tour At Olympic Test Event

After six events in five different countries across three continents, this weekend the Irish Wolfhounds closed out the ISU Short Track World Tour in Milan, Italy at the Unipol Forum, the short track speed skating and figure skating venue for next year’s Winter Olympic Games.

As always. the Wolfhounds got things under way with qualification day where they raced across three distances. Liam O’Brien was first up in Heat 6 where he was deemed by the referee to have impeded another skater and received a penalty. Sean McAnuff raced immediately after in Heat 7 crossing the line in fourth place with a time of 2:26.259.

The 500m preliminaries were next. The Wolfhounds were again drawn in back to back heats with O’Brien once again the first to take to the track in Heat 8 where he came fourth in a time of 42.363. McAnuff has been on fire in the 500 this season and was looking on course to another swift result when there was contact from another skater on the final lap. He took second place with a time of 42.525 and was eventually advanced to the Heats later on in the afternoon.

Last up for the first morning session were the 1000m preliminaries. McAnuff came third in Heat 4 with a time of 1:28.004. O’Brien was having an unlucky day as he and another skater collided in Heat 9 sending him crashing into the barriers. He got back up and came home in fourth in 1:51.916.

McAnuff returned for the opening afternoon session lining up in Heat 8. It was a swift and competitive race and he had to be content with sixth, but he did improve on his time from the morning recording 42.142.

The Wolfhounds were back on the second day for the 500m repechage quarterfinals. O’Brien was in Heat 5 where he wound up finishing in fifth place in a time of 42.633. In Heat 7, McAnuff lowered his time from the previous day to 42.043, but it placed him in fourth and was not enough to advance any further. He did rank 33rd in the final World Tour standing for the distance.

The final day of competition had McAnuff representing the Wolfhounds in the 1000m repechage quarterfinals. Drawn in Heat 3, he was in contention from the start and it was just the final lap where he lost ground to his competitors finishing in fourth. Nevertheless, his time of 1:26.283 was a new personal best and it closed out the Short Track World Tour for the Wolfhounds on a high note.

“It’s been a great season with the new identity and it definitely supports a bigger fanbase,” O’Brien said. “It’s great representing Ireland as always and the Irish Wolfhounds so I really enjoyed on the World Tour.

“It’s been great here,” O’Brien said about trying out the ice for the Olympic test event. “The venue is brilliant and the volunteers have been very helpful along the whole event. Hopefully I’ll be back here in a year’s time and competing for Ireland once again.”

“It went by super quick all the way to here in Milan,” McAnuff said reflecting on the World Tour. “We started out in Montreal, Canada and it has been a whirlwind. I would say personally I am very happy with my progression over the World Tours. Also with the new team identities it’s been really exciting for friends and family to follow along and cheer on the Irish Wolfhounds specifically. Honestly, it’s been a really quick, but great season and I’m excited to finish it here in Milan on World Tour Six.

“I hope to be back here in twelve months,” McAnuff continued. “I’m going to be working really hard over this off season and I want to be back here representing the Irish Wolfhounds and representing Ireland on the Olympic stage in under twelve months now, I guess.”