ISU

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series 2021/22 continues this week with the Gran Premio d’Italia in Turin (ITA). ISU World Champion Anna Shcherbakova (RUS), four-time Ice Dance World Champions Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron (FRA) and two-time ISU World Champions Wenjing Sui/Cong Han (CHN) headline the event.

“It’s likely to be my last Speed Skating winter,” says Sven Kramer (NED), but the Dutchman doesn’t want to think about hanging up the blades just yet. “My focus is on the ice at the moment. I have to be at the top of my game in three months’ time, and I hope to finish on a high note at the Winter Olympics.” Coming fifth at the Dutch national championships last weekend, Kramer qualified for the first four ISU World Cup events this season but, for the 35-year-old, it’s all about the Dutch Olympic trials in December.

The second session of this season’s ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating ended with thrilling races in the Men’s Finals on Sunday, as the circuit checked off Asia on their road to the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. 

The second session of this season’s ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating ended with thrilling races in the Women’s Finals on Sunday, as the circuit checked off Asia on their road to the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Kristen Santos (USA) claimed her maiden World Cup win following a fascinating final in the Women’s 1000m event at the Nippon Gaishi Arena in Nagoya. 

Kamila Valieva of Russia stormed to gold at the ISU Grand Prix Skate Canada International setting new record scores. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva in second and Alena Kostornaia in third completed a Russian sweep of the Women’s podium in Vancouver on Saturday.

Canadians Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier triumphed on home ice, claiming their second Skate Canada title of their career. Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri of Italy danced to the silver medal while Spain’s Olivia Smart/Adrian Diaz secured the bronze, their first ISU Grand Prix medal.

Nathan Chen (USA) crushed the competition at the ISU Grand Prix Skate Canada International, winning with almost 50 points advantage over teammate Jason Brown and Russia’s Evgeni Semenenko.

Two-time ISU World Champions Wenjing Sui/Cong Han of China scored a runaway victory at the ISU Grand Prix Skate Canada International Saturday in Vancouver, winning with 31 points to spare. Russia’s Daria Pavliuchenko/Denis Khodykin claimed the silver medal while Ashley Cain/Timothy Leduc (USA) rose from sixth to take the bronze.

Yuri Confortola (ITA) delivered a moment of high drama with a stunning surprise on the opening day of Men’s Finals at the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating session in Nagoya. The 35-year-old skater pulled off an impressive coup at the Nippon Gaishi Arena on Saturday to stun the field and secure his first-ever gold medal in an individual World Cup event. 

Suzanne Schulting (NED) executed her gameplan to perfection to win gold in the Women’s 1500m, as the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating series continued in Nagoya (JPN) in the second instalment of an Asian double-header of races. It came on a day that also yielded a gold medal for seven-time overall ISU European Short Track Speed Skating Champion Arianna Fontana (ITA) in the Women’s 500m at the Nippon Gaishi Arena.

It will be a homecoming like no other for local hero Kazuki Yoshinaga (JPN) as the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating series makes its second stop of the season in Nagoya, Japan this week. 

Kamila Valieva of Russia took the lead in a battle of triple Axels in the Women’s Short Program at the ISU Grand Prix Skate Canada International in Vancouver on Friday. Valieva’s teammates Elizaveta Tuktamysheva and Alena Kostornaia came second and third on the first day of competition. 

To the delight of the home crowd, Canadians Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier danced to a confident lead in the Rhythm Dance at Skate Canada International Friday in Vancouver. Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri of Italy finished second and Spain’s Olivia Smart/Adrian Diaz are sitting in third.

Nathan Chen (USA) skated to a strong lead in the Short Program with 12 points to spare, redeeming himself from the subpar performance at Skate America the week before. Teammate Jason Brown came second ahead of Canada’s Keegan Messing.

Two-time ISU World Champions Wenjing Sui/Cong Han (CHN) ruled in the Pairs Short Program as the ISU Grand Prix Skate Canada International opened Friday in Vancouver.  Russia’s Daria Pavliuchenko/Denis Khodykin sit in second followed by Minerva Fabienne Hase/Nolan Seegert of Germany.