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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.

Milestones And Memories Abundant For Irish Ice Skating In 2024

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2024 started with a bang back in January when Ireland was represented at not one, but two European Championships early on in the month. Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus become the first ice dancers to compete on behalf of Ireland in the history the European Figure Skating Championships in Kaunas, Lithuania. They finished in 13th place, the best ever finish for Irish skaters at the event. In addition, Margery Hilko became the first Irish judge to officiate at a European Figure Skating Championships. She was also a judge at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Shanghai, China a few weeks later. Liam O’Brien lined up for his third European Short Track Speed Skating Championships, all of which have taken place in Gdansk, Poland. The highlight of the weekend of racing was advancing to the 1000m quarterfinals. Outside of the month’s championships, Dillon Judge got the year off to a start with a seventh place at the Volvo Open Cup in Riga, Latvia.

After their successful debut at Europeans, Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus kept the momentum up in February by winning Irish ice dance’s first international medal, a bronze at the Egna Trophy in Italy. Dillon Judge had a hectic month competing at both the Dragon Trophy in Ljublana, Slovenia and Challenge Cup in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

March is always a special month for the Irish and this year was no exception. Dillon Judge and Sophia Tkacheva flew the flag at the inaugural Sonia Henie Trophy in Oslo, Norway. Liam O’Brien closed his season on a positive note at the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Rotterdam, The Netherlands where he notched up new Irish records in both the 500m and 1000m distances, the latter appropriately enough on St Patrick’s Day. Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus made history once again as they became the first ice dancers to represent Ireland at the World Figure Skating Championships when this year’s edition was held in Montreal, Canada. They qualified for the free dance and claimed 20th place in the final standings.

In April, Deirdre Costello was appointed the ISAI National Child Officer. Dillon Judge rounded out his international season at Triglav Trophy in Jesenice, Slovenia where he picked up a bronze medal.

June signalled the end of the 2023/2024 season. ISAI delegates were involved in the important work of the 59th ISU Congress in Las Vegas, United Stated of America. The Irish Figure Skating Championships were held at the Dundee Ice Arena for the third consecutive year with titles decided in three categories.

2024 Irish Junior Women’s champion Allie Peterson had a busy August making her international debut at the Cranberry Cup in Norwood, United States of America, before participating in her first ISU Junior Grand Prix event in Riga, Latvia.

Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus got the 2024/2025 season off to a cracking start with a fifth place at Lombardia Trophy in Bergamo, Italy. The ISAI’s Annual General Meeting took place on 25 September in Dublin where members were informed of a new club affiliation process and a realignment of the membership year among other topics. Saoirse O’Sullivan made her ISU Junior Grand Prix debut in Gdansk, Poland.

October was mostly all about short track! Sean McAnuff and Liam O’Brien got their seasons under way respectively at the Dutch Open in Heerenveen, The Netherlands and Shanghai Trophy in Shanghai, China. Ryan McAnuff joined the aforementioned two skaters in Montreal, Canada at the end of the month for the inaugural ISU Short Track World Tour and the first racing under the exciting new Irish Wolfhounds team identity. Saoirse O’Sullivan was the sole figure skating national team member in action over the course of month when she competed at Tayside Trophy in Dundee, United Kingdom.

The Irish Wolfhounds completed a second ISU Short Track World Tour event in Montreal, Canada on the first weekend of November, while at home the Emerald Skate Learn to Skate lessons began at Dundrum On Ice. Dillon Judge, Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus, Saoirse O’Sullivan and Sophia Tkacheva formed the Irish contingent at the Denkova-Staviski Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria. Soucisse and Firus were in action a second week in a row at Tallinn Trophy in Tallinn, Estonia. Judge garnered a bronze medal at the Lounakeskus Trophy in Tartu, Estonia.

Sean McAnuff and Liam O’Brien began the Asian leg of the ISU Short Track World Tour in Beijing, China before moving onto Seoul, South Korea the following weekend where McAnuff set a new Irish 500m record. At the Edusport Trophy in Otopeni, Romania, Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus wrapped up 2024 with a bronze medal, fittingly enough on World Ice Skating Day.

We look forward to an even brighter year in 2025 for Irish ice skating!

 

Bronze For Soucisse/Firus Among Highlights For Team Ireland At Edusport Trophy

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A total of four figure skaters represented Ireland at this weekend’s Edusport Trophy in Otopeni, Romania competing in three different categories.

In the Senior Ice dance rhythm dance, Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus (Co. Wexford) commenced their James Brown routine with a midline step sequence garnering Level 3 and Level 2 respectively. Soucisse had a wobble on the sequential which led to Level 1 for her on the element and Level 4 for Firus. Their pattern type step sequence was awarded Level 2. They closed out with a choreographic rhythm step sequence and a Level 4 rotational lift. They sat in fourth place on 57.06 points after the segment.

The two-time Irish champions had their eyes on the podium as started their “When Harry Met Sally” free dance. They produced a Level 4 stationary and rotational lift combination to open and continued with Level 2 one foot turns. They next included a choreographic step sequence and a Level 4 dance spin. Their serpentine steps were Level 3 for Soucisse and Level 2 for Firus, while there were no issues with their Level 4 synchronised twizzles. They ended with a choreographic assisted jump, a Level 4 straight line lift and a choreographic dance lift. A free score of 93.51 was enough to move them up to third overall with a total of 150.57.

This marked the third competition for Dillon Judge (Co. Down) this season appearing in the Senior Men’s event. In the short programme, he began with a triple Lutz. He then landed a triple flip-double toe loop jump combination. A change foot camel spin was graded Level 2 as was a Level 2 change foot combination spin. He went on to nail a double Axel and a Level 4 flying sit spin before closing with a Level 2 step sequence to score 49.08 points. He was in fourth place overnight.

Judge opened his free skating with a triple flip. He then performed a solo triple Lutz, but singled a consecutive triple Lutz attempt. He cleanly executed a Level 4 flying sit spin and a triple Salchow-double toe loop. A change foot camel spin received a Level 1 and a second triple Salchow proved troublesome. He came unstuck on the second part of a double Lutz-double Axel combination and rounded off his routine with a Level 3 step sequence, a double loop and a change foot combination spin. With a score of 80.81 points for his free he was left with a total of 129.89 points and 5th place overall.

Sophia Tkacheva (Co. Wexford) was the first Irish team member in action when she participated in the Junior Women’s event. In her short programme, she double footed the landing of a double Axel and fell on a planned triple Salchow jump combination. She was awarded a Level 4 for a layback spin and got Level 2 for a flying camel spin. She also fell on a double flip and earned Level 3 for her step sequence. She ended with a Level 3 change foot combination spin. Her score of 29.00 points put her in 33rd after the opening segment.

Tkacheva made an inauspicious start to her free and fell on her opening double Axel and triple Salchow. She also had difficulty with the landing of a double Lutz. She performed a Level 3 flying change foot sit spin, a double loop and a double loop-Euler-double Salchow. She rounded out her programme with a Level 4 layback spin and a Level 3 change foot combination spin. With a score of 53.o4 points she took 32nd place in the free and overall with a total of 82.04 points.

Soucisse/Firus Take Tallinn Trophy Seventh

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Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus (Co. Wexford) have finished seventh at this weekend’s Tallinn Trophy, an ISU Challengers Series event, in Tallinn, Estonia.

This was the second of two competition weekend’s in a row for the two-time Irish champions and they began their James Brown themed programme with Level 3 midline step sequence for Soucisse and Level 2 for Firus. They followed with Level 3 sequential twizzles for her and Level 2 for him before clocking up a Level 2 for the pattern type step sequence. They rounded things out with their choreographic rhythm sequence and a Level 4 rotational lift. They garnered 66.26 points to put themselves in ninth place overnight.

Soucisse and Firus embarked on their “When Harry Met Sally” free dance with a Level 4 stationary and rotational lift combination and continued with Level 2 one foot turns. They performed their choreographic step sequence before nailing a Level 4 dance spin. Their serpentine steps were graded Level 3 for Soucisse and Level 2 for Firus, while they both garnered Level 4 for their synchronised twizzles. They closed out the free with a choreographic hydroblading movement, a Level 4 straight line lift and a choreographic dance lift. A score of 102.27 ranked them seventh in the free and overall with a total of 168.53 points.

 

Irish Figure Skaters Show Their Best At Denkova-Staviski Cup

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A total of five figure skaters represented Ireland at this weekend’s Denkova-Staviski Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria competing in three different categories.

Dillon Judge (Co. Down) made his season debut at the event. In the short programme, he began with a pristine triple Lutz. He had to step out on the landing of a triple Salchow and lost points by not being able to turn into a combination. He executed a Level 3 change foot camel spin and a Level 2 change foot combination spin before landing a double Axel. He closed with a Level 4 flying sit spin and a Level 2 step sequence to score 52.66 points, the highest score he has ever posted for a short. He was in tenth place overnight.

Judge opened his free skating with a double Axel-double Axel sequence. He then reeled off a solo triple Lutz and a triple Lutz-double toe loop combination in succession before nailing a Level 4 flying sit spin. There followed a triple Salchow-double toe loop. He missed required features in change foot camel spin which resulted in the element receiving only a base level and had a hard fall on a second triple Salchow. Nevertheless he finished his routine with another career best score of 99.07 points which gave him a total of 151.73 points and 11th place overall.

Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus (Co. Wexford) had to withdraw midway through their previous competition last month due to illness and were on the comeback trail in Sofia. They commenced their James Brown routine with a choreographic rhythm sequence and a Level 1 midline step sequence. Level 4 sequential twizzles for Soucisse and Level 3 for Firus ensued with their pattern type step sequence receiving a base level. They closed out with a strong Level 4 rotational lift and sat in seventh place on 60.10 points after the segment.

The two-time Irish champions launched into their “When Harry Met Sally” free dance with intent. They produced an excellent stationary and rotational lift combination to get proceedings under way and continued with Level 3 foot turns for Soucisse and Level 2 for Firus. They next inserted a choreographic step sequence and a Level 4 dance spin. Their serpentine steps were Level 1 for Soucisse and Level 2 for Firus, while they both achieved Level 4 for their synchronised twizzles. They wrapped up with a choreographic hydroblading movement, a Level 4 straight line lift and a choreographic dance lift. A season best score of 104.02 was good enough for third in the free and fourth overall on a total of 164.12.

Two Irish skaters competed in the Junior Women’s event. Saoirse O’Sullivan (Co. Tipperary) was first up and she started positively her short programme with a good double flip. She came undone on a double Axel attempt, but rallied with a Level 4 sit spin. She eked out a double Lutz-double toe loop combination and Level 1 for a flying camel spin. She had an unfortunate fall in her Level 2 step sequence and ended with a Level 2 change foot combination spin. Despite the technical issues, she still managed to wind up with a career best score of 29.99 points for her short and placed 33rd. Due to a cut after the short, she did not advance to the free skating.

Sophia Tkacheva (Co. Wexford) was another Irish team member making her season debut. In her short programme, she stepped out on the landing of a double Axel and put a hand down on the first part of a double Lutz-double toe loop jump combination. She was awarded a Level 4 for a layback spin and got Level 1 for a flying camel spin. She landed a double flip and earned Level 2 for her step sequence. She had an untimely ending to the routine when she fell out of a Level 3 change foot combination spin. Nevertheless, her score of 34.82 points was enough for 29th and a place in the free skating.

Tkacheva was second to skate in the free and fell on her opening double Axel and also had difficulties with her triple Salchow attempt. She settled down with a double Lutz-double toe loop combination before performing a Level 4 flying change foot sit spin, a double loop and a double loop-Euler-double Salchow. She had another fall on a double flip-double toe loop combination and rounded out her programme with a Level 3 layback spin and a Level 2 change foot combination spin. With a score of 57.73 points she took 27th place in the free and moved up to 28th with a total of 92.55 points.

Soucisse And Firus 5th At Lombardia Trophy

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Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus (Co. Wexford) have finished fifth at Lombardia Trophy, an ISU Challenger Series event, in Bergamo, Italy.

The two-time Irish ice dance champions made a superb start to their season yesterday when they debuted their new James Brown medley rhythm dance. They opened with a Level 2 midline step sequence and followed with Level 4 sequential twizzles. They garnered Level 2 for their pattern step sequence and next included a choreographic rhythm sequence. They closed with a Level 4 rotational lift and earned 69.52 points to put themselves in fourth place overnight.

On the second day of competition Soucisse and Firus performed their new “When Harry Met Sally” free dance for the first time internationally. They began with a Level 4 stationary lift and rotational lift combination quickly racking up technical element points. For the one foot turns sequence Soucisse was graded Level 1, while Firus received a Level 2. A choreographic step sequence ensued before the duo reeled off a Level 4 dance spin. Their serpentine step sequence merited a Level 1 before achieving Level 4 with their synchronised twizzles. They executed a choreographic hydroblading movement, a Level 4 straightline lift and a choreographic lift to wrap things up. They posted a free score of 101.82 points which combined to give them a total of 171.34 points.

“We were quite tired, but I think everybody felt the dance was long,” Soucisse said. “We had a practice in the morning and eight hours in between so I think it is something we are going to have to take into consideration in our preparations. Overall, for our first competition of the season I think it went quite well. We still have a few things to work on, but I guess we’ll wait to see the protocol sheets.”

“I thought it was a great start, so onwards and upwards from here,” Firus added.

2024/2025 National Team Members Named

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The Ice Skating Association of Ireland has selected the following athletes to represent Ireland in international competitions during the 2024/2025 season:

Figure Skating

Senior Men – Dillon Judge* (County Armagh)

Senior Ice Dance – Carolane Soucisse/Shane Firus (County Wexford)

Junior Women – Saoirse O’Sullivan (County Tipperary), Allie Peterson (County Galway), Sophia Tkacheva* (County Wexford)

*Selected under Section 800 Paragraph 801.6

Short Track Speed Skating

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

Irish Figure Skaters Ready To Take The Ice At Nationals

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The cream of Irish figure skating talent assembles in Dundee, Scotland this weekend (8-9 June) for the Irish National Figure Skating Championships which take place over the course of two days at the Dundee Ice Arena. A total of seven skaters compete at the championships with four separate categories being held.

Dillon Judge (Co. Antrim) won his first Senior Men’s title last year. 2023/2024 was his first complete season in the senior ranks and he concluded his international events with a bronze medal at Triglav Trophy in Jesenice, Slovenia back in April. He is coached by Barbara Luoni at Ice Lab in Bergamo, Italy, an ISU Centre of Excellence.

Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus (Co. Wexford) have had a busy and rewarding 2024. The 2023 Irish ice dance champions became the first ice dancers to represent Ireland at both the ISU European Figure Skating Championships in January and the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in March of this year. The recently married duo train in Toronto, Canada with Carol Lane, Jon Lane, Juris Razgulajevs and Marc Andre Servant.

Saoirse O’Sullivan (Co. Tipperary) was crowned Advanced Novice Girls champion at last year’s Nationals. This time round she competes in the Junior Women’s event. She is coached by Margaret O’Neill in Nottingham, England.

Allie Peterson (Co. Galway) makes her Irish Nationals debut this year in the Junior Women’s category. She trains under the tutelage of Tammy Gambill and her team in Colorado Springs, United States of America.

Sophia Tkacheva (Co. Wexford) is the reigning and two-time Junior Women’s champion and will compete again in the Junior Women’s event this weekend in Dundee. Her coaches are two-time European medallist Kevin van der Perren and eleven-time British champion Jenna McCorkell.

Caoilfhionn Kavanagh (Co. Louth) skates in the Advanced Novice Girls event in her first ever Nationals. She works with coach Fabrice Masachs in Riihimäki, Finland.

Regular updates from the Irish National Figure Skating Championships will be posted on the Ice Skating Association of Ireland’s social media accounts.

Starting Order/Results Page

Soucisse And Firus 20th At World Championships

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Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus have finished 20th in the ice dance event at ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal, Canada.
Soucisse and Firus skated 21st of the 36 couples in the ice dance event with only the top 20 teams advancing to the free. Performing to a medley of Rick James songs for the 1980s themed rhythm dance, they opened with a Midline Step Sequence and followed that with a Level 4 Synchronised Twizzle Sequence. They next nailed a Pattern Type Step Sequence and a Choreographic Rhythm Sequence. They closed out strongly with a difficult Level 4 Rotational Lift. They earned 68.04 points, a new season best, for 19th place in the rhythm and qualified for the following day’s free dance.
In the free, the Irish national champions skated third out of all the competitors in the event. Performing to “Hier Encore” by Charles Aznavour and an instrumental version of “La Bohème”, they opened with a Choreographic Character Step Sequence to set the tone for the routine. They followed that with a lift combination comprising a Straight Line Lift and a Rotational Lift and a Diagonal Step Sequence and One Foot Turns Sequence. Their Synchronised Twizzle Sequence was graded a Level 4 by the technical panel, the highest possible, as was their Dance Spin. They closed with a Choreographic Slide, a Choreographic Spin and a Level 4 Stationary Lift earning 103.63 points, a new Season Best and 18th place for their free. Their combined total score of 171.67 points was also a new Season Best.
“The rhythm dance was pretty stressful because the field is really strong and large and we knew there was no room for mistakes,” Soucisse said. “Being able to present our free dance was truly a gift for us and we took it as such and made the most of it.”

“We wanted to be very patient and calm and enjoy the experience,” Firus said. “It was great to skate here in Montreal.”