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Irish Wolfhounds Conclude North American Leg Of World Tour

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The Irish Wolfhounds rounded out the second stage of this season’s ISU Short Track World Tour in Montreal, Canada this weekend.

In the qualification rounds on the opening day of the event, Sean McAnuff (Co. Antrim) and Liam O’Brien (Co. Cavan) were put through their paces in all three distances. The Wolfhounds were drawn in back-to-back heats in the 1500m heats. McAnuff came home sixth in Heat 7 with a time of 2:30.801, while O’Brien clinched 2nd place in Heat 8 in a time of 2:23.307 to earn himself a big Q and advance to the afternoon’s quarterfinals. O’Brien lined up in Heat 7 which turned into a pacey affair and he ultimately finished fifth in a time of 2:20.392.

There was Irish interest right from the off in the 500m preliminaries with McAnuff in Heat 1. In a swift race, he crashed into the barriers, but managed to get up and cross the line in fifth. O’Brien contested Heat 7 and was fourth in a time of 43.042.

Last up were the 1000m preliminaries and as with the 500m McAnuff found himself in Heat 1. He closed out his account for the qualifiers with a fourth place and a time of 1:30.222. O’Brien showed up in Heat 3 and came fifth with a time of 1:32.221.

O’Brien was the sole Irish Wolfhound to race in the 1500m and 500m repechages on the second day of the event. In Heat 1 of the 1500m repechage quarterfinals, he posted a time of 2:20.769 to come fourth. It was then on to the 500m repechage quarterfinals for O’Brien. He was right in the mix in Heat 6 for most of the race, but just did not quite have enough at the end and had to settle for fourth in a time of 42.972.

“I’m happy with my racing over the last two weeks,” O’Brien said. “It’s been a week of racing with injury, but I am confident I can bounce back before the Asian leg of the World Tour events. I know I need to improve my strength and endurance if I want to be able to compete with the top and will continue to build on that through the remainder of the season.”

McAnuff was back on the last day of competition for the 1000m repechages. In the repechage quarterfinal Heat 7, he raced positively to secure fourth place with a time of 1:29.251.

“The first two World Tour events were very exciting,” McAnuff said. “I was able to skate competitively in the racing pool and I see the areas that need more focus and improvement. I wasn’t able to break any personal best times, but I do see this on the horizon for me. I will be working very hard over the next weeks in preparation for the next World Tour events!”

The ISU Short Track World Tour moves on to Asia next month with stops in Beijing, China (6-8 December) and Seoul, South Korea (13-15 December).

Take Two For Irish Wolfhounds In Montreal

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Two Irish Wolfhounds get another opportunity to race at the second stop of the ISU Short Track World Tour in Montreal, Canada this weekend (1-3 November).

Sean McAnuff (Co. Antrim) and Liam O’Brien (Co. Cavan) return to the Maurice Richard Arena to contest the 500, 1000 and 1500 metre distances over three days. McAnuff is on the come back trail after being forced to sit out last season due to injury. O’Brien had a fall in the 1500 heats that took him out of the subsequent racing last weekend and will be aiming to have a fuller event this time round.

The ISU Short Track World Tour can be followed live on the Skating ISU YouTube channel and via the #ShortTrackWorldTour and #ShortTrackSkating hashtags on social media.

Competition Schedule (Montreal, Canada)

Friday, 1 November – Qualification Rounds

Saturday, 2 November – 500m/1500m

Sunday, 3 November – 1000m

Irish Wolfhounds Wrap Up First Ever Short Track World Tour Event

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The Irish Wolfhounds had their first foray of the season this weekend at the ISU Short Track World Tour in Montreal, Canada.

Qualification day saw all three skaters compete over the three distances. Liam O’Brien was first out of the gate in Heat 2 of the 1500m heats. In a messy race, he came in fifth place in a time of 2:55.697 due to being impeded by another skater and he was advanced to the next round. Ryan McAnuff was next up in Heat 5 placing 6th. Sean McAnuff raced in Heat 6 immediately after and came home in 5th place with a time of 2:23.373. O’Brien was the sole Wolfhound to return for the 1500m quarterfinals. Unfortunately, things did not go his way and he finished in fifth in Heat in a time of 3:13.585.

The 500m preliminaries were next on the agenda for the Wolfhounds. Ryan McAnuff posted a time of 44.658 to come fifth in Heat 5. O’Brien ended up recording the swiftest time of the trio with 42.558 for fourth place in Heat 8. Sean McAnuff also came fourth in Heat 9 in a time of 42.873.

The Wolfhounds closed out Day One with the 1000m preliminaries. O’Brien incurred a rule infringement in Heat 7 that meant he was penalised. Sean McAnuff just narrowly missed out on advancing when he came second in Heat 8 with a time of 1:30.993. Ryan McAnuff came fifth in Heat 10 in a time of 1:34.004.

Sean McAnuff was the only Wolfhound to contest the 1500m and 500m repechages rounds on Day Two. He came 6th in Heat 2 of the 1500m repechage quarterfinals in a time of 2:31.552 and 4th in Heat 4 of the 500m repechage quarterfinals with a time of 47.565.

Sean McAnuff was back again on the final day of competition for the 1000m repechages. He was up in Heat 7 where he finished 4th in a time of 1:29.812.

“It was a good start to the World Tour,” Sean McAnuff said. “I felt big improvements in my strength and technique. My goal for next weekend is to focus on my racing strategy and I believe focusing on this will help me advance further on in the rounds.”

“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to skate the repechage following a fall in the 1500m heats, but I felt like there were promising signs in the lead up to that event,” O’Brien said. “I will build on the racing experience this weekend and push towards better results next week.”

“It was a privilege to once again represent Team Ireland and race alongside my teammates, Sean and Liam,” Ryan McAnuff said. “I enjoyed racing, skated hard and loved being challenged physically and mentally as I raced the top skaters in the world. I’m looking forward to racing again on the World Tour and representing the Irish Wolfhounds!”

The Irish Wolfhounds will be in action again next weekend for the second stage of the ISU Short Track World Tour which will be held once more in Montreal.

 

 

Irish Wolfhounds Ready To Be Unleashed On Short Track World Tour

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A trio of Irish skaters line up to race this weekend as the inaugural ISU Short Track World Tour gets under way in Montreal, Canada (25-27 October).

Ryan McAnuff (Co. Antrim), Sean McAnuff (Co. Antrim) and Liam O’Brien (Co. Cavan) will also be sporting racing suits that incorporate a new identity for the World Tour. As part of the rebranding of what was the ISU Short Track Speed Skating World Cup series, in conjunction with the International Skating Union (ISU) and top designers, each national federation was tasked with choosing an identity that conveyed the competitive drive of their athletes and encapsulated the passion they bring to the ice in representing their countries on the international stage. The Irish Wolfhound, with its imposing stature, bold and fearless nature and legendary status in our national folklore, was deemed to embody Team Ireland to perfection.

The Irish Wolfhounds will be part of the journey that sees the World Tour traverse three continents over the coming months racing over the 500, 1000 and 1500 metre distances. As well as Montreal, there will also be stops in Salt Lake City, USA (1-3 November), Beijing, China (6-8 December), Seoul, South Korea (13-December), Tilburg, The Netherlands (7-9 February) and Milan, Italy (14-16 February). While this season’s World Tour will have no bearing on qualification for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, the final stage in Milan will serve as a test event for those swiftly approaching Games.

In addition to the striking new team identities, the Short Track World Tour will feature enhanced broadcasts that will immerse longtime and new fans of this thrilling sport in every aspect of the competitions both on and off the ice.

“This is an exciting World Tour competition here in Montreal,” Sean McAnuff said. “This area holds a big place in my heart as I went to university and got married a short drive from here. This is the debut of the Irish Wolfhounds and we have a lot of friends and family who are coming to cheer us on! We may look sweet and calm…but by definition we have a strong prey drive!”

“It’s very exciting not only for the new season, but also to see what the World Tour has to offer,” O’Brien said. “Looking around the venue, there’s definitely a new fresh look and it will be great to get out there and race on Friday. I can’t wait to pull on the Wolfhounds suit and leave it all out on the ice.”

“The new World Tour racing circuit should bring even more excitement to the racing calendar and I look to enjoy racing and continue to skate hard and fast,” Ryan McAnuff said.

The ISU Short Track World Tour can be followed live on the Skating ISU YouTube channel and via the #ShortTrackWorldTour and #ShortTrackSkating hashtags on social media.

Competition Schedule (Montreal, Canada)

Friday, 25 October – Qualification Rounds

Saturday, 26 October – 500m/1500m

Sunday, 27 October – 1000m

Introducing The Irish Wolfhounds

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The Ice Skating Association of Ireland is pleased to introduce the Irish Wolfhounds, our new Team Ireland identity for this season’s inaugural ISU Short Track World Tour.

In collaboration with the International Skating Union and a team of designers, each national federation competing on the tour was charged with the task of coming up with a symbol that encapsulates the spirit of their nation’s skaters. Steeped in our ancient history and mythology, the bold and brave Irish Wolfhound is a perfect embodiment of the ambition and drive our short trackers bring to the ice in competition.

“We are thrilled to be a part of this striking and innovative initiative by the ISU and our colleagues worldwide for this year’s ISU Short Track World Tour,” ISAI President  Seán Gillis said. “We look forward to the new team identities bringing even stronger engagement with the public and attracting new fans to our incredibly exciting sport.”

This season’s ISU Short Track World Tour launces in Montreal, Canada and will stop in the United States of America, China, Republic of Korea and the Netherlands before culminating in Milan, Italy for the test event of the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games.

To keep up to date with the ISU Short Track World Tour visit https://short-track.com/

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.

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.

Trio of Speed Skaters for 2022/2023 Irish Team

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Three speed skaters have been selected to represent Ireland in international competitions for the 2022/2023 season.

Ryan McAnuff has been listed to the National Team for the seventh consecutive season. During the past season while training and competing, he also graduated from medical school at the University of Limerick.

“I am very excited to once again be named to the Irish National Short Track Speed Skating Team,” Ryan McAnuff said. “This off-season has allowed me to reset mentally and physically, while still training very hard. I will proudly represent Ireland this season with a major goal being to continue to close the gap between myself and the top skaters in world. Another goal of mine is to work on my race tactics and try new track patterns and strategies during practice and racing.”

Like his brother Ryan, Sean McAnuff is on the National Team again for the seventh time in a row. He placed 35th at the 2022 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Montreal, Canada. Since December 2020, he has been training in Budapest, Hungary.

“I have really enjoyed an extended rest for my body since the World Championships this past April,” Sean McAnuff said. “I am looking forward to getting back to training and continuing to develop my technique, endurance and confidence in racing. I will strive to make a positive impact on the athletes and other I connect with in the sport world, encouraging them along their journey. I have really enjoyed this aspect of skating over the past few years, as I notice that is a huge motivational component for so many speed skaters!”

Liam O’Brien has been selected for the National Team for the fourth time. Earlier this year, he finished 37th at the 2022 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Gdansk, Poland and just missed out an 2022 Beijing Olympic quota spot in the 1500 metres. He currently trains in Seongnam, Republic of Korea.

“Last season unfortunately did not go as planned and I had to deal with many ups and downs with injuries and with COVID,” O’Brien said. “In the coming season I hope to be challenging the top skaters in all events and pushing into the main round at World Cup and Championship events.”

National Team Members (Short Track Speed Skating):

Senior Men – Ryan McAnuff (County Antrim/County Derry/County Fermanagh), Sean McAnuff (County Antrim/County Derry/County Fermanagh), Liam O’Brien (County Cavan/County Leitrim/County Mayo)

You can learn more about our national team members here.

McAnuff and O’Brien Wrap Up At Final Short Track World Cup

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Ryan McAnuff and Liam O’Brien brought this season’s World Cup odyssey for Ireland’s short track speed skaters across two continents and four events to a close at this weekend’s competition in Dordrecht, Netherlands.

Day One (25 November) began with the 1500m heats. McAnuff lined up in Heat 2 where he finished 6th in a time of 2:22.991. He was ranked 71st for the distance at this World Cup. There was plenty of drama in Heat 10 where there was a restart after a crash involving a number of skaters and in the rerun O’Brien was infringed upon by another athlete and promoted to third with a time 2:29.875. For the quarterfinals, O’Brien was drawn in Heat 4 where he came in 6th in a time of 2:17.135.

The 500m preliminaries were on the agenda for the afternoon of Day One and McAnuff raced in Heat 5 where he posted a time of 44.136 coming in fifth for a distance ranking of 76th. O’Brien rounded out the first day for Team Ireland by ending up third in a time of 43.128 in Heat 15. He was ranked 51st in the distance at this World Cup.

The Irish skaters were back on ice for Day Two (26 November) where they contested the 1000m preliminaries. Heat 12 saw McAnuff race to a fifth place finish in a time of 1:28.916 and placed 73rd for the distance. O’Brien crossed the line in Heat 15 with a time of 1:29.370 and was advanced to the next round. He finished fifth in Heat 5 of the 1000m heats in a time of 1:27.993.

O’Brien returned on Day Three (27 November) for the 1500m ranking finals. He raced in Heat 5 where he recorded a time of 2:17.322 for fifth place and five World Cup points. He was ranked in 40th place for the distance in Dordrecht.

O’Brien took to the ice for the last time on Day Four (28 November) for the 1000m ranking finals where he skated in Heat 2. He finished third in a time of 1:31.880 and placed 33rd for the distance which gave him 12 World Cup points and an overall classification of 57th.

“I’m really happy and thankful to be back racing this week,” McAnuff said. “Racing the top athletes in the world and competing at another international event and Olympic qualifier has been a great experience. I enjoyed myself and was proud of my performance. Balancing my final year of medical school and training is difficult, but worth it.”

“It’s been a long two months of racing between the Asian and European World Cups,” O’Brien said. “I am happy with my performance at my first World Cup series competing for Ireland and I hope to build on this base. This week I am happy that I was able to better my 1000m performance from the previous World Cups, but there is still a lot of work to be done.”

The final World Cup classification for the Irish short track speed skaters is as follows:

Ryan McAnuff – 500m (98th), 1000m (102nd), 1500m (101st)

Sean McAnuff – 500m (93rd), 1000m (99th), 1500m (86th)

Liam O’Brien – 500m (66th), 1000m (57th), 1500m (43rd)

The four World Cups served as qualifying events for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. The Special Olympic Qualification Classification quotas will be allocated by 13 December 2021. Full rules of the Olympic qualifying procedures can be viewed here.

 

McAnuff and O’Brien Set For Final World Cup

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Ryan McAnuff (27) and Liam O’Brien (23) line up this weekend at the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating in Dordrecht, Netherlands (25-28 November), the final stage of four qualifying events for the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Both McAnuff and O’Brien will be racing from tomorrow (25 November) inside the Optisport SportBoulevard. First up will be the 1500m heats and quarterfinals which will be followed later in the day by 500m preliminaries and heats. On Friday (26 November) the 1000m preliminaries and heats will take place. Subsequent rounds and finals will be held on Saturday (27 November) and Sunday (28 November).

For both skaters, the goal again will be to progress as far as they can in each distance to accumulate ranking points. There are 32 Olympic quota places in the 500m and 1000m distances and 36 in the 1500m on offer. Full rules of the Olympic qualifying procedures can be viewed here.

This will be McAnuff’s season debut. After the first three World Cup events, the current World Cup Classification for O’Brien in each distance is as follows:

500m (60th), 1000m (69th), 1500m (42nd)

“I’m really excited to be back skating, especially here in the Netherlands,” McAnuff said. “I hope to make Ireland proud!”

“I was really pleased with how I raced last weekend in Hungary,” O’Brien said. “I am hoping to repeat that performance this weekend in the Netherlands.”

The ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating will be streamed live on the ISU Skating YouTube channel. The event can also be followed on social media via the #ShortTrackSkating hashtag.

Schedule (Irish time)

25 November

09:21 1500m Heats
11:46 1500m Quarterfinals
14:04 500m Preliminaries
15:34 500m Heats

26 November

10:56 1000m Preliminaries
13:04 1000m Heats

27 November

09:31 1500m Ranking Finals
10:12 500m Ranking Finals
12:33 1500m Semifinals
13:26 1500m Finals
14:15 500m Quarterfinals
14:53 500m Semifinals
15:30 500m Finals

28 November

09:27 1000m Ranking Finals
12:37 1000m Quarterfinals
13:18 1000m Semifinals
13:58 1000m Finals