ISU

At last Courtney Sarault (CAN) knows what it feels like to win a major ISU title after taking a dominant gold in a high-class women’s 1500m at the Four Continents Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Salt Lake City on Friday.

Roman Sadovsky of Canada literally skated with the lights out, to take the lead in the Men’s Short Program at the ISU Grand Prix in Sheffield on Friday.  Despite the arena lights dimming unexpectedly during his routine, the Canadian continued unfazed - and hisperformance shone. “I didn’t even notice,” he said about it later. Italy’s Daniel Grassl is not far behind in second place, while Latvian Deniss Vasiljevs currently ranks third.

Ragne Wiklund (NOR) did the home crowd proud at the start of the World Cup season in Stavanger on Friday. The Norwegian youngster surprisingly beat Irene Schouten (NED) in the 3000m, the Olympic champion having to settle for silver.

The Team USA men got off the blocks fast at the start of the new international speed skating season at the Sørmarka Arena in Stavanger (NOR) on Friday. At age 18, Jordan Stolz (USA) took his first ISU World Cup win in spectacular fashion, clocking a new track record in 1 minute and 44.89s to leave the rest of the field behind.

Reigning ISU World Champions Alexa Knierim/Brandon Frazier (USA) are poised for gold following a strong Short Program in Sheffield. Sara Conti/Niccolo Macii of Italy came second ahead of Germany’s Letizia Roscher/Luis Schuster who both scored a new personal best. 

A new generation challenges familiar faces, when the new international long track season gets underway with the first World Cup in Stavanger (NOR) from November 11-13, 2022. Some household names in international Speed Skating waved goodbye after the Beijing 2022 Olympic Games, but others like triple gold medallist Irene Schouten (NED) are still eager to add silverware to their trophy cabinet.

ISU World Champions Alexa Knierim/Brandon Frazier (USA), ISU Four Continents Champion Mai Mihara (JPN) and two-time ISU European bronze medalists Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri (ITA) headline the MK John Wilson Trophy in Sheffield (GBR), November 11th- 13th, 2022. More Skaters enter the ISU Grand Prix circuit at this fourth event, while others aim to secure their spot at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Torino (December 8-11, 2022).

From Park Ji Won (KOR) versus Steven Dubois (CAN), to Kristen Santos-Griswold (USA) against Choi Min Jeong (KOR), and the emerging China Relay teams facing the rest of the best, this season’s ISU Four Continents Short Track Speed Skating Championships are set to light up Salt Lake City (USA), November 10-12, 2022.

The long track Speed Skating starts its new season this weekend with the first of six ISU World Cup events in Stavanger (NOR) from November 11-13, 2022. All six World Cup legs are equally important in the qualification battle for the season’s climax at the ISU World Speed Skating Championships in Heerenveen (NED) in March. Skaters cannot afford to ease into the season, because every race counts.

The 21-year-old Xandra Velzeboer (NED) and her idol Suzanne Schulting (NED) lit up the first day of the ISU World Cup Short Track meet in Salt Lake City setting world records in the 500m and 1000m respectively

Xandra Velzeboer (NED) and Suzanne Schulting (NED) recovered in style from their opening day disappointment at the ISU World Cup Short Track event in Salt Lake City.

Not even the “worst diet of any top athlete” can stop new Dutch Short Track sensation Jens van ‘t Wout winning at the moment.

Deanna Stellato-Dudek/Maxime Deschamps of Canada won the Pairs event as competition wrapped up on Saturday at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating event Grand Prix de France in Angers (FRA). France’s Camille Kovalev/Pavel Kovalev earned the silver, while Germany’s Annika Hocke/Robert Kunkel jumped from fifth to take the bronze.  

Almost three years to the day after he nearly died, Canada’s Maxime Laoun crowned an incredible comeback with his first individual ISU World Cup Short Track gold medal, won in the 500m in Salt Lake City.

The 18-year-old Kim Gilli (KOR) may insist that Short Track Speed Skating at the highest level is “not easy” but she is certainly making it look that way.