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Soucisse and Firus 18th at European Championships

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Carolane Soucisse (29) and Shane Firus (30) have finished in 18th place for Ireland at the ISU European Figure Skating Championships in Tallinn, Estonia this afternoon.

In the rhythm dance, the pressure was on for the two-time Irish national champions and they faced a battle in a deep field to secure one of precious berths in the final round. There was a dicey moment when it looked like their advancement was in question.

Soucisse and Firus began their routine to music by James Brown and Betty Davis with a confident Level 2 midline step sequence. However, in the sequential twizzle sequence that followed Soucisse put a foot down to steady herself and the duo received a negative grade of execution for the element. To their credit, they did not let the error affect the rest of their programme and earned a Level 1 for their pattern type step sequence, strong grade of execution scores for their choreographic rhythmic sequence and a powerful Level 4 rotational lift to close. Their score of 61.56 points was well down on their season best, but they were philosophical about it after they ended.

“There were definitely some highs and some lows,” Firus said. “There was a mistake on the twizzles so that was disappointing. We’re happy that we didn’t let it affect the rest of the programme and made it through to the free so that was good.”

“I think everything else went great,” Soucisse said. “If there is something to be happy about, it’s that we didn’t let go and we got in all the points that we could. That saved us to go through to the free.”

Soucisse and Firus skated second in the free dance portion of the event out of the twenty teams that qualified from the rhythm dance. Performing to music from the “When Harry Met Sally” soundtrack, the husband and wife duo produced a Level 4 stationary and rotational lift combination to open and continued with Level 2 one foot turns for Soucisse and Level 1 for Firus. They next included a choreographic step sequence and a Level 4 dance spin. Their serpentine steps were Level 2 and they next reeled off Level 4 synchronised twizzles. They ended with a choreographic assisted jump, a Level 4 straight line lift and a choreographic dance lift. Their score of 100.20 was the 17th highest score of the event and it gave them a final total of 161.76 points.

“It felt very good,” Soucisse said of their performance. “Overall, we’re really happy with how the programme turned out. It’s been really solid for us this season so we just kind of wanted to keep that train going and get a bit more feedback on certain elements that we changed. It was a little bit tough out there. It was a bit dry, but other than that it was good.

“We had a lot of fun,” Firus added. “The crowd really got behind us and there were lots of Irish flags. We really felt the support and that was great.”

Soucisse And Firus Set For Second Euros Appearance

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Carolane Soucisse (29) and Shane Firus (30) fly the flag for Ireland again this year at the ISU European Figure Skating Championships which are being held this week (29 January to 2 February) in Tallinn, Estonia.

This will be the second outing for the ice dance duo at Europeans. Last year in Kaunas, Lithuania, they finished 13th and will be looking to maintain or improve on that ranking this time round. The husband and wife team have had a busy season with this being their fifth competition on European ice. The two-time Irish national champions train in Toronto, Canada with their coaches Carol Lane, Jon Lane, Juris Rasgulajevs and Marc-Andre Servant.

Soucisse and Firus get their journey at this Europeans under way in the rhythm dance which begins at 10:30 (Irish time) on Friday, 31 January. Thirty teams from 23 nations will fight for the 20 spots available in the free dance on Saturday, 1 February.

“We really want to showcase all the hard work and improvements we have to the programmes, especially compared to the first half of the season,” Firus said.

“We want to show two strong and confident performances and get off the ice feeling accomplished,” Soucisse added. “In terms of results, the field is very strong, but we hope to be able to place in the top 15.”

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 the 2023 Europeans. Last year Soucisse and Firus became the first ice dance team from Ireland to compete at Europeans. Ireland has had entries each of the previous two times (2010 and 2022) Europeans has been hosted in Tallinn.

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

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.

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.

McAllister 28th At Maiden Europeans

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Sam McAllister (24) has finished 28th on his debut at the 2023 ISU European Figure Skating Championships which are currently taking place in Espoo, Finland.

The three-time senior Irish champion embarked on his short programme with a triple Lutz which he had to step out of on landing. He then attempted a triple toe loop-triple toe loop jump combination, but put a hand down on the first jump and fell on the second. He settled himself with a Level 3 change foot camel spin and got the Finnish audience clapping along to an energetic Level 2 step sequence. Unfortunately, the double Axel jump that followed was not executed cleanly. He completed his performance to “Good News” by Apashe with a Level 4 flying sit spin and a Level 3 change foot combination spin. He scored 48.07 points for his routine.

Even though he was disappointed with how some of the elements today, McAllister relished finally getting to compete at Europeans on his third try.

“It was great to skate her today and I really enjoyed every second of it,” McAllister said. “Obviously the jumps didn’t go to plan. I’ve training really hard in the build up to this event and the jumps have been working, but sometimes you can’t prepare for everything. I decided to just enjoy the programme and skating in front of the amazing crowd.”

As only the Top 24 skaters after the short programme advance, McAllister will not be competing in Friday night’s free skating.

Third Time Lucky For McAllister As Euros Debut Beckons

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This week Sam McAllister (24) becomes only the third skater from Ireland to compete at a European Figure Skating Championships when he takes to the ice at the Metro Areena in Espoo, Finland on Wednesday evening.

McAllister’s European debut has been a long time coming. He was selected in 2021, but the championships were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He was all set to compete in 2022 again when he tested positive for Covid-19 in a pre-departure test and had to miss out a second time. It makes this time round all the more special.

“I’m over the moon and it’s incredible to be here at this venue,” McAllister said. “I wouldn’t let myself get excited until the pass was in my hand and then I knew it was finally happening.  There’s too many emotions right now that I can’t describe. It’s amazing to be here.

“To be only the third person from Ireland to make it to Europeans shows how impressive it is to be at this event.”

McAllister will initially participate in the men’s short programme on Wednesday evening (25 January) with only the top 24 advancing Friday night’s free skating (27 January). He has drawn to skate third in Warm-Up Group 1.

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

Irish Ice Skating Thrived In 2022 Reaching New Heights

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Irish ice skating broke new ground in 2022 as activities largely resumed after pandemic restrictions were lifted.

The year began dramatically when Conor Stakelum stepped in at the last moment to compete in Tallinn, Estonia at his fourth European Figure Championships in January. He placed 3oth which was his highest placement ever at the event.

February saw figure skating national team members Adare Condon, Dracy Condon, Robyn Foster, Elizabeth Golding and Sam McAllister participate at international competitions across Europe.

In March, Elizabeth Golding became the first skater to represent Ireland at the European Youth Olympic Festival when the postponed edition in Vuokatti, Finland finally was held. She placed 26th.

Sean McAnuff and Liam O’Brien became the first skaters from Ireland to compete in the same category at an ISU World Championships when they raced at Short Track Speed Skating Worlds in Montreal, Canada in April. They finished 35th and 37th respectively. The same month Dillon Judge, Robyn Foster and Sophia Tkacheva all placed inside the top ten at the Kurbada Cup in Riga, Latvia, while Sam McAllister claimed a silver medal at the Triglav Trophy in Jesenice, Slovenia. Amidst all of that, the Irish Winter Sports National Governing Bodies, including the Ice Skating Association of Ireland, together with the Olympic Federation of Ireland launched the Irish Winter Sports Strategy.

The 2021/2022 season concluded with the Irish Figure Skating Championships held for the first time since 2020. The Dundee Ice Arena hosted the competition over two days with Laura Hegarty and Kevin Hegarty crowned the first ever champions in the Junior Ice Dance event. Sam McAllister and Dillon Judge both won third national titles in their respective categories, while Robyn Foster picked up her first national title.

In July, Conor Stakelum announced his retirement following a career where among other achievements he made history by becoming the first Irish male skater to participate at a European Figure Skating Championships. Among the 2022/2023 figure skating national team members selected were Laura Hegarty and Kevin Hegarty, another first for Irish ice dance.

Ireland fielded its largest ever team at an ISU Junior Grand Prix with Dillon Judge (Men), Robyn Foster (Women) and Laura Hegarty and Kevin Hegarty (Ice Dance) taking to the ice in Courchevel, France at the end of August. The Hegartys also became the first ever ice dance team to represent Ireland at an ISU event. The same weekend Sam McAllister took a bronze medal at the Britannia Figure Cup in Sheffield.

Sophia Tkacheva joined Dillon Judge and Laura Hegarty and Kevin Hegarty in Gdansk, Poland for Team Ireland’s second designated ISU Junior Grand Prix of the season in late September.

In October, Sam McAllister, Dillon Judge and Sophia Tkacheva were back at the Dundee Ice Arena for Tayside Trophy. Both Judge and Tkacheva posted a new set of season bests, while McAllister collected valuable ISU World Ranking points in coming fifth in his event.

Emerald Skate Learn To Skate lessons returned in November with courses held at Dundrum On Ice. Dillon Judge and Sophia Tkacheva rounded out 2022 by competing at the NRW Trophy in Dortmund, Germany. The ISAI Annual General Meeting was held virtually on 30 November and a new Board of Directors was elected.

The final month of 2022 began in spectacular style with an Ice Parade of Nations held at Dundrum On Ice to celebrate the inaugural World Ice Skating Day on 4 December. Liam O’Brien participated in back to back World Cups in Almaty, Kazakhstan setting a new national record in the 1000 metres and also becoming the first Irish short track speed skater to qualify for a World Cup semi-final.

2022 has been a landmark year for Irish ice skating with new heights achieved across a range of disciplines. The ISAI looks forward to making 2023 an even better year with the continued cooperation of all our stakeholders.

2023 Short Track And Figure Euros Teams Named

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January 2023 will be a busy month with Ireland represented at both Short Track Speed Skating and Figure Skating European Championships.

Sean McAnuff and Liam O’Brien will race at Short Track Europeans between 13-15 January at the Hala Olivia in Gdansk, Poland. McAnuff finished 35th at the World Championships in Montreal, Canada back in April. It will be his fourth appearance at Europeans.

“I am really excited to compete the upcoming European Championships as it will be my first time in Poland,” McAnuff said. “I took most of this past year off to relax and reflect on why I would like to continue to pursue a career in speed skating. I came to the conclusion going into this competition I find it rewarding to achieve goals I set out for myself. I want to strive to race to the best of my ability and encourage other to do the same while strengthening friendships to be more involved in the skating community.”

O’Brien has had a great season so far. In back to back outings at World Cups in Almaty, Kazakhstan, he set a new national record in the 1000 metres and also became the first Irish skater to race in a World Cup semi-final at any distance.

“I’m excited to get the opportunity to race at Europeans,” O’Brien said. “I can’t wait to head back to Poland where I skated my first competition and previous European Championships for Ireland. I hope to build on the performance from World Cup 4 and aim towards the championship main event.”

After missing out on the previous two editions through cancellation and illness respectively, Sam McAllister makes his European debut at the Metro Areena in Espoo, Finland with the championships taking place 23-29 January. He will become only the third skater to represent Ireland at the event since it began back in 1891.

“I am beyond excited and ready for Europeans,” McAllister said. “I have never travelled to Finland before so I’m looking forward to also visiting a new country. I am planning to go and enjoy this event and gain more experience.”

ISU European Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2023 – Gdansk, Poland (13-15 January)

Men: Sean McAnuff, Liam O’Brien

ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2023 – Espoo, Finland (23-29 January)

Men: Sam McAllister

Stakelum Skates To Top 30 Finish At Euros

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In his fourth appearance at the ISU European Figure Skating Championships, Conor Stakelum (28) has finished 30th in the men’s short programme which concluded earlier today in Tallinn, Estonia. Although he did not advance to the free skating on Friday, this is his highest placement ever at the event.

Skating to “Soulseeker” by Thomas Bergersen, Stakelum began his routine with a triple Salchow and followed that with a triple toe loop-triple toe loop jump combination and a double Axel. He also earned a Level 4 for a flying sit spin and six out of seven of the elements he performed received positive grades of execution from the judging panel. He was awarded a new ISU personal best score of 56.00 points.

The Dubliner was a last-minute replacement for Sam McAllister who had to withdraw from Europeans last Friday due to a positive Covid-19 test result. Stakelum had three days notice that he would be travelling to Estonia as a substitute.

“On Friday afternoon, I came out of work and I had so many notifications on my phone,” Stakelum said. “I wondered what I had done!”

Stakelum currently works in the NHS in Scotland and plans to keep competing after this season.

“I am going to stick around for another year competing because we lost a year to Covid. In Dundee, I am able to skate around my career and I still enjoy it.”

Unexpected Fourth Euros Appearance Beckons For Stakelum

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Conor Stakelum (28) participates in his fourth ISU European Figure Skating Championships which begins tomorrow in Tallinn Estonia.

Stakelum was a last-minute substitute for Sam McAllister who was originally selected to represent Ireland in the men’s event at the Tondiraba Ice Hall but had to withdraw after a positive Covid-19 test result last Friday (7 January).

The Dubliner will be in the first group of skaters to take to the ice tomorrow morning (12 January) in the men’s short programme which starts at 10:05 Irish time. The top 24 athletes after the short will proceed to the free skating on Friday (14 January).

“It’s nice to be back at Europeans even if it was a bit of a surprise and a bit of a whirlwind to see if I could get here,” Stakelum said. “This time last week I didn’t even know I was going so it’s kind of a bonus.”

You can follow Stakelum’s progress live on Eurosport or the ISU’s YouTube channel and on social media via the #EuroFigure and #UpAgain hashtags.

 

McAllister Withdraws From Europeans

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Sam McAllister (23) has withdrawn from the men’s event at next week’s ISU European Figure Skating Championships in Tallinn, Estonia (10-16 January) due to a positive pre-departure Covid-19 PCR test.

McAllister had also been selected for the 2021 Europeans in Zagreb, Croatia which were subsequently cancelled due to the pandemic.

“I am completely devastated that my second Europeans has been stopped in its tracks due to the Covid-19 pandemic – first being cancelled and second being unable to travel after contracting the virus two days before I fly,” McAllister said.

“I will come back from this fighting harder and will aim for the World Championships now. A huge thank you to everyone that has been kind to take time out of their busy day to wish me well. I appreciate you all and good luck to Conor in Tallinn.”

McAllister will be replaced by substitute Conor Stakelum who will be competing at his fourth Europeans.

“I feel very bad for Sam, as no one wants to be unable to compete,” Stakelum said. “I wish him a speedy recovery.

“It is not how I expected it to happen, but I am excited to go to Europeans nonetheless.”