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Peterson 23rd At Maiden Junior Grand Prix

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Allie Peterson (Co. Galway) has finished 23rd at the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Riga Cup in Riga, Latvia.

Peterson, in her Junior Grand Prix debut, first performed in yesterday’s Junior Women’s short programme. Skating to “Right Now” by The Pussycat Dolls (NBA Version), the current Irish Junior champion began with a triple Salchow-double toe loop attempt, but she could only tack on a single toe loop on the end of the triple. A subsequent double Axel was landed, although deemed a quarter short by the technical panel. A Level 3 sit spin, a Level 2 step sequence and a double flip followed. She closed out her routine with a Level 2 flying camel spin and a Level 2 change foot combination spin. A score of 37.16 points left her in 23rd place overnight.

This evening Peterson competed in Warm-Up Group 3 of the Junior Women’s Free Skating. This season she has chosen “Ange et demon” by Maxime Rodriguez and “Pie Jesu” by Saara Alto and Esko Grundstrom for her free. She struggled at the start of today’s performance with a step out of a downgraded triple toe loop, a fall on a triple Salchow and a hand down on a double Axel. She got back on track with a Level 3 change foot combination spin before reeling off a clean triple Salchow-double toe loop jump combination. She then executed a double Lutz-Euler-double Salchow jump sequence, a Level 3 flying sit spin and a choreographic step sequence. She concluded with a double flip-double toe loop combination and a Level 2 flying change foot combination spin. She earned a free score of 69.45 points which gave her a combined total of 106.61 points.

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Short Programme

Free Skating

Peterson Prepared For First Junior Grand Prix

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Allie Peterson (Co.Galway) is all set to make her ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating debut this week when she performs at the Riga Cup in Latvia (29-31 August), the opening event of this season’s series.

The current Irish Junior Women’s champion competes in the Short Programme on Thursday, 29 August and will return to the ice on Friday, 30 August for the Free Skating.

“I am so excited and honoured to be representing the Irish team at my first JGP,” Peterson said. “I am hoping to skate my very best here in Latvia and to improve from my previous competitions. I am looking forward to a great experience.”

The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series features young skaters from all over the world. The 2024/2025 season marks the 27th edition of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating which was introduced in 1997. This season more than 300 skaters from over 50 different nations are expected to compete in the series.

This week’s Junior Grand Prix in Riga, Latvia will be broadcast live on the Skating ISU YouTube channel. Direct links for each of the segments Peterson will skate in are as follows:

Junior Women Short Programme (29 August)

Junior Women Free Skating (30 August)

The conversation about the series can also be followed by using the #JGPFigure and #FigureSkating hashtags on social media.

Turner-Frick 32nd At Yerevan Junior Grand Prix

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In her first outing on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit, Ciera Turner-Frick has finished 32nd at the Armenian Cup in Yerevan, Armenia.

Turner-Frick opened the entire competition when she took to the ice for the Junior Women’s short programme. Skating to “Prima Vera” and “Divenire” by Ludovico Einaudi, she began with a cleanly landed double Axel and a double Lutz to follow. She also included a double flip-double toe loop combination and she closed with a change foot combination spin which garnered Level 4. A score of 32.97 points left her in 31st place overnight.

In her free skating routine to “Victory Battle Cry” by Two Steps from Hell, Turner-Frick had a nervy start and unfortunately fell on the same double Axel she had successfully landed in the short. She gradually settled down got full value for a double Lutz-single Axel jump sequence and positive grades execution for a double loop and a Level 3 sit spin. A change foot combination spin once again received Level 4 from the technical panel. She earned 50.10 points for the free to give her a total of 83.07 to end up in 32nd overall.

“Thank you so much to the Ice Skating Association of Ireland for selecting me for my first competition representing Ireland,” Turner-Frick said. “I was delighted to have a good solid start with my short programme, Being the opening skater at my first international and this showed in my spins and steps. I lost confidence in my free when I fell on my double Axel combo jump at the start which I’d been landing well all week. I then struggled to centre my jumps though I managed to achieve 50.10 in my free despite losing careless points. Scoring over 83 as a debut skate is a good start, but I hope to be able to rapidly improve that total for Ireland at my next competition.”

Short Programme

Free Skating

Turner-Frick Making Her Junior Grand Prix Debut For Ireland

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This week Ciera Turner-Frick represents Ireland for the first time at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Armenian Cup in Yerevan, Armenia (5-7 October) which is the final stop of this season’s seven stage series.Turner-Frick competes in the Junior Women’s Short Programme on the afternoon of Thursday, 5 October and will return to the ice on the evening of Friday, 6 October for the Free Skating.“I am very proud to be representing Ireland at my first Junior Grand Prix,” Turner-Frick said. “I hope to achieve two clean skates and to be able to fully appreciate my first opportunity on the circuit.”The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series features skaters aged 13 to 19 (21 for male Ice Dance and Pair Skating partners) from all over the world. The 2023/2024 season marks the 26th edition of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating that was introduced in 1997. This season more than 300 skaters from over 50 different nations are expected to compete in the series.This week’s Junior Grand Prix in Yerevan, Armenia will be broadcast live on the ISU’s dedicated YouTube channel. Direct links for each of the segments Turner-Frick will skate in are as follows:Junior Women Short Programme (5 October)Junior Women Free Skating (6 October)The conversation about the series can also be followed by using the #JGPFigure hashtag on social media.

Tkacheva Finishes 32nd at Istanbul Junior Grand Prix

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Sophia Tkacheva has made her 2023/2024 season debut at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Istanbul, Türkiye and placed 32nd in the Junior Women’s event.

The two-time Irish junior champion skated on the first day of competition in the short programme. Performing to “Bust Your Knee Caps (Johnny Don’t Leave Me)” by Pomplamoose, she attempted a double Axel and a triple Salchow to begin, but unfortunately fell on both elements. She next completed a Level 2 flying sit spin and a Level 1 layback spin. She singled a planned double Lutz jump which meant that she received no points for that elements. She closed out with a Level 1 step sequence and a Level 3 change foot combination spin. Her score for the short was 21.88 which put her in 33rd place overnight.

The following afternoon the County Wexford skater was back at the Silivrikapi Ice Rink for the free skating. She was unveiling her new free, a Romeo and Juliet choreographed by her coach and two-time European bronze medallist Kevin van der Perren. Initially, she valiantly attempted the double Axel and triple Salchow that had not come off in the short. Although they did not come off again this time, she rallied with a double Lutz-double toe loop jump that received full value from the judging panel. She also received positive grades of execution for her Level 2 layback spin and choreographic sequence. She earned a free score of 49.35 points which is a new ISU personal best and placed her 30th in the free. Her total score was 71.23 points.

You can catch Tkacheva’s performances below:

Short Programme

Free Skating

Tkacheva Glides Into New Season At Istanbul Junior Grand Prix

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Sophia Tkacheva (County Wexford) is the first Irish figure skater to compete this season as she takes to the ice this week in the Junior Women’s event at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Istanbul, Türkiye (6-9 September).

Tkacheva will first skate in the short programme, which opens proceeding at the event on the morning of Thursday, 7 September. She will be back on the ice the following afternoon (Friday, 8 September) for the free skating.

“Over the summer, I got a new free programme, choreographed by my coach Kevin van der Perren,” Tkacheva said. “This will be my first time skating it at a competition, so my main goals for the JGP in Istanbul will be show this new programme and all the skills and elements that come with it to the best of my ability. I am aiming to be expressive and show emotion through my skating while also concentrating on the technical aspect of my skating.”

The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series features skaters aged 13 to 19 (21 for male Ice Dance and Pair Skating partners) from all over the world. The 2023/2024 season marks the 26th edition of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating that was introduced in 1997. This season more than 300 skaters from over 50 different nations are expected to compete in the series.

This week’s Junior Grand Prix in Istanbul, Türkiye will be broadcast live on the ISU’s dedicated YouTube channel. Direct links for each of the segments Tkacheva will skate in are as follows:

Junior Women Short Programme (7 September)

Junior Women Free Skating (8 September)

The conversation about the series can also be followed by using the #JGPFigure hashtag on social media.

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.

Irish Figure Skaters Round Out JGP Campaign In Poland

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Ireland’s figure skaters concluded this season’s ISU Junior Grand Prix assignments when a team of four athletes competed at the Solidarity Cup this weekend in Gdansk, Poland.

First out of the gate was Sophia Tkacheva (17) in the women’s short programme on Day One of the competition. Skating to “Bust Your Knee Caps (Johnny Don’t Leave Me)” by Pomplamoose, she attempted a double Axel and landed a double Lutz-double toe loop combination and a double loop. She closed out with a Level 4 change foot combination spin that earned a positive grade of execution from the judging panel. She scored 30.13 points to sit in 41st place halfway through the event.

Tkacheva was back the following afternoon to participate in the free skating. In her routine to “Voila” by Barbara Pravi, she tried a triple Salchow to start and also attempted to include a double Axel later on in her performance. She once again executed a Level 4 change foot combination spin and received a free skating score of 43.21 to give her a total of 73.34 points and 46th place overall.

“Honestly, I think that the competition didn’t go well for me,” Tkacheva said. “I think i didn’t put my best foot forward especially in the free skate and I didn’t get to showcase what I’ve worked on over the summer. This is definitely something that I will focus on improving in the future. Nonetheless, this competition was a really big event that I’m really glad I had the opportunity to attend and talk a lot to incredible people like Javier Fernandez, Mark Hanretty and Ted Barton. The atmosphere was nothing like any other competition and I got to learn a lot about myself there too.

“For my next competition I will work on handling any nerves before my skate and my expressiveness during programmes. I will also focus on new spin combinations to get higher levels and better components.”

Dillon Judge (18) landed a triple Salchow-double toe loop combination to begin with in his short programme to “Englishman in New York” by Sting and Charl du Plessis. He also attempted a triple loop and a double Axel to follow. He garnered 33.28 points to occupy 26th place after the first portion of the competition.

Judge opened his free skating routine with attempts at triple Salchow and double Axel. He was awarded positive grades of execution for a Level 3 change foot combination spin as well as a double Axel-double toe loop combination later on in the programme. He scored season bests for his free (59.74) and total (93.02) which saw him finish in 26th place.

“My thoughts on the competition are that the free programme spins showed improvement since my last competition and there is room to improve and up the GOEs,” Judge said. “I will work on the jump GOEs to marginally gain on the TES and the spin consistency to gain better GOE and better levels for the next competition.”

After making history in August by becoming the first ice dance team from Ireland to compete internationally, Laura Hegarty (16) and Kevin Hegarty (19) were back on competitive ice to build on their performance at their first Junior Grand Prix assignment. In the rhythm dance, they skated to “Sombrero Blanco” by Mala Rumba from “The Mask of Zorro” film soundtrack and to “Assassin’s Tango” by John Powell from the “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” film soundrack and negotiated the five required elements. They achieved Level 3 for a rotational lift and earned a season best score of 22.39 points to place 24th in the segment.

The Hegarty siblings were first up in the free dance earlier today and commenced with synchronised twizzles which were their highest scoring element in their programme to “Harem” by Sarah Brightman. The routine also comprised a dance spin, one foot turns sequence, a straightline lift, choreographic steps and slides, a rotational lift and a diagonal step sequence. They post another season best of 34.33 to bring them a total of 56.72 which kept them in 24th place.

“The people were very nice and the event was well organised,” Laura Hegarty said.

“This competition has allowed us to review what elements need to be improved,” Kevin Hegarty said. “We will try to maintain our physical fitness so that we will be in suitable condition when returning to the ice.”

All of Team Ireland’s performances at the Junior Grand Prix in Gdansk can be viewed on the ISU Junior Grand Prix YouTube channel.

Dillon Judge – SP/FS

Sophia Tkacheva – SP/FS

Laura Hegarty/Kevin Hegarty – RD/FD

Irish Figure Skaters Poland Bound For ISU Junior Grand Prix

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Dillon Judge (Men), Sophia Tkacheva (Women) and Laura Hegarty and Kevin Hegarty (Ice Dance) take to competitive ice this weekend (29 September – 1 October) as they line up for the Solidarity Cup in Gdansk, Poland, a part of this season’s ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating.Last month Judge participated in the Junior Grand Prix held in Courchevel, France where he finished in 19th place. He is aiming to build on his performance there.“Since my last competition, I have been working on improving my spin consistency as it was an area that required work,” Judge said. “My goal for this competition is to improve the average spin levels and Grades of Execution.”Tkacheva returns to the Junior Grand Prix circuit after making her debut last season. She finished 7th at last month’s Britannia Cup in Sheffield, United Kingdom. She is currently coached by two-time European medallist Kevin van der Perren and eleven-time British champion Jenna McCorkell.“From my last competition, I’ve been working on consistency of jumps in my program and trying out new spins,” Tkacheva said. “Since the regulations changed this season, I’ve tried various combinations through trial and error, and I was able to find the right spins for both my programmes in time for the JGP in Gdansk.

“My goals for this competition are to skate my programmes to my fullest abilities and to present what I’ve been working on. This will be my second time skating my new short programme in competition, so I’m really looking forward to that and my free as well.”The Hegarty siblings made history for Irish skating when they became the first ice dance team to represent Ireland in an international competition at the Junior Grand Prix in Courchevel, France last month. They have set their sights on skating even better this weekend in Poland.“Our main initiative was to improve our stamina and our elements,” Laura Hegarty said. “We hope to achieve cleaner elements.”“We have been working on polishing our elements, endurance and overall performance,” Kevin Hegarty said. “Our goal is to do as well as we can.”The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series features skaters aged 13 to 19 (21 for male Ice Dance and Pair Skating partners) from all over the world. The 2022/2023 season marks the 25th edition of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating that was introduced in 1997. This season more than 300 skaters from over 50 different nations are expected to compete in the series. Ireland has been represented on the series since 2008.This week’s Solidarity Cup Junior Grand Prix in Gdansk, Poland will be broadcast live on the ISU’s dedicated YouTube channel. Direct links for each of the segments are as follows:Women’s Short Programme (29 September)Men’s Short Programme (29 September)Ice Dance Rhythm Dance (30 September)Women Free Skating (30 September)Men Free Skating (1 October)Ice Dance Free Dance (1 October)The conversation about the series can also be followed by using the #JGPFigure hashtag on social media.

Team Ireland Figure Skaters Kick Off Season At Courchevel Junior Grand Prix

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The first ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Courchevel, France this weekend provided a showcase for Ireland’s largest ever team to be fielded in this series.

Robyn Foster (18) was the first member of Team Ireland to take to ice at the Patinoire du Forum on the opening day of competition in the Junior Women’s short programme. The Irish Junior national champion attempted a double Axel to start and also included a double flip-double toe loop combination and a double loop in her routine to “A Time For Us” by Nino Rota. She scored 33.03 points to sit in 24th place overnight.

The following evening Foster was back for the free skating. Once more she attempted a double Axel to start and followed that up with a cleanly landed double Axel-double toe loop combination. A flying sit spin received a Level 4 from the technical panel and she earned a segment score of  58.75 points. Her combined total of 91.78 points saw her move up to finish in 23rd place.

“I’m happy that I didn’t give up and I persevered to land my double Axel, but I now know I definitely need to work on my spins and continue to make my triples strong enough to put in my programme,” Foster said. “The event itself was very well organised and I enjoyed being a part of it, especially getting to represent Ireland.”

Dillon Judge (18) was the veteran of the team as this was his second season on the Junior Grand Prix circuit. He performed in the Junior Men’s short programme on the first evening of competition and debuted his new routine to “Englishman In New York” by Sting. He nailed a triple Salchow-double toe loop combination to begin with and then attempted a triple loop, a new element for him this season. He also went for a double Axel and secured a new ISU personal best score of 35.10 to place 19th at the midway point of the competition.

Judge had a day’s break between the short and the free skating which took place earlier this morning. He attempted two triple Salchows (one on its own and one in combination) and two double Axels in his routine. Even though he had to fight for some of his elements, he worked as hard as he could right to the end. He posted a free skating score of 48.43 points which gave him a total of 83.53. He remained in 19th place.

There were lots of mistakes in the programmes which is to be expected at the start of the season, especially with a new programme,” Judge said. “However, during the short the jumps were good considering it was my first time attempting two triples in it increasing the technical difficulty.

“For the next Junior Grand Prix, I am going to work on my spin consistency within the programme as that was the main place I lost points.”

Laura Hegarty (16) and Kevin Hegarty (19) made history in Courchevel as they became the first ice dance team to represent Ireland at an international event. On the second day of competition, the siblings from Dublin skated in the rhythm dance to Sombrero Blanco (Flamenco) and Assassin’s Tango and included a diagonal step sequence, sequential twizzles and two sections of the Argentine Tango pattern in their routine. They scored 20.36 points which put them in 11th place at the end of the first segment of their category.

This afternoon Hegarty and Hegarty were back on the ice for the free dance. Skating to “Harem” by Sarah Brightman, they garnered Level 3 and Level 4 for their synchronised twizzles and also achieved Level 2 for a rotational lift later on in the programme. Their free dance score of 34.25 points improved on their personal best from the national championships in May and they kept 11th place with a total of 54.61.

“Although it was difficult to skate in such a high level competition, we performed to the best of our abilities,” Laura Hegarty said.

“Our main problem was endurance and stamina,” Kevin Hegarty said. “We plan to work on our cardio and overall strength for our Junior Grand Prix in Gdansk, Poland. We will try to improve our edges and general performance as well.”

All of Team Ireland’s performances at the Junior Grand Prix in Courchevel can be viewed on the ISU Junior Grand Prix YouTube channel.

Dillon Judge – SP/FS

Robyn Foster – SP/FS

Laura Hegarty/Kevin Hegarty – RD/FD