ISU

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series 2021/22 continues this week with the NHK Trophy in Tokyo (JPN). The 2021 ISU World Ice Dance Champions Victoria Sinitsina/Nikita Katsalapov (RUS) and World Pair Skating Champions Anastasia Mishina/Alexandr Galliamov (RUS) start their Grand Prix season in Japan, while 2018 Olympic silver medalist Shoma Uno (JPN) and Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) aim to secure spots in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.

With this season’s international Short Track and Figure Skating competitions already well underway, the long track Speed Skaters kick off their Olympic campaign at the Arena Lodowa in Tomaszów Mazowiecki (POL) this weekend. After last year’s two bubble events in Heerenveen (NED), ISU World Cup Speed Skating is back in full swing with four events across November and December 2021 serving as qualifying competitions for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and the World Cup Final in Heerenveen in March 2022.

The international long track Speed Skating season kicks off with the first of five ISU World Cup Speed Skating events in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Poland on 12 November. After two legs in Europe, the competition moves to North America, gearing up for a season’s climax at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in February.

In what was a turbulent Men’s event, Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama surged from seventh place to win the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Gran Premio d’Italia in Turin Saturday. Mikhail Kolyada of Russia pulled up from fourth to second and Italian Daniel Grassl claimed the bronze, his first ISU Grand Prix medal at the senior level.

China’s Wenjing Sui/Cong Han skated off with the gold at the Gran Premio d’Italia ahead of teammates Cheng Peng/Yang Jin. Iuliia Artemeva/Mikhail Nazarychev of Russia earned the bronze in their debut at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating.

France’s four-time World Ice Dance Champions Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron reigned supreme in the Ice Dance event at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Gran Premio d’Italia in Turin (ITA) Saturday. 2021 World silver medalists Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue (USA) danced to the silver medal and the bronze went to Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin of Russia.

2021 ISU World Champion Anna Shcherbakova of Russia rallied back after the Short Program to take her third ISU Grand Prix gold medal. Maiia Khromykh of Russia claimed the silver medal in her debut at the ISU Grand Prix while Belgium’s Loena Hendrickx earned the bronze, the first ISU Grand Prix medal for a woman from her country.

Two-time World bronze medalist Boyang Jin of China jumped to the lead in the Men’s Short Program at the ISU Grand Prix Gran Premio d’Italia in Turin Friday. Italy’s Daniel Grassl finished second, edging Junhwan Cha of Korea.

Two-time ISU World Champions Wenjing Sui/Cong Han and Cheng Peng/Yang Jin made it one-two for China in the Pairs Short Program at the ISU Grand Prix Gran Premio d’Italia in Turin Friday. Italians Nicole Della Monica/Matteo Guarise came third in the first segment of the event.

Four-time World Champions Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron from France top the Rhythm Dance at the ISU Grand Prix Gran Premio d’Italia in Turin (ITA) Friday. 2021 World silver medalists Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue (USA) placed second and Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin of Russia are sitting in third.

Loena Hendrickx of Belgium celebrated her 22nd birthday in style by winning the Women’s Short Program at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Premio d’Italia Friday in Turin (ITA). Newcomer Maiia Khromykh of Russia came second ahead of her teammate, 2021 ISU World Champion Anna Shcherbakova.

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.