ISU

Traditionally, Japan is boasting a deep field in Single Skating, just think of superstars like two-time Olympic Champion Yuzuru Hanyu or of Olympic silver medalist Mao Asada. However, Pair Skating and Ice Dance are growing as well in the country of the rising sun and Japan has a realistic medal chance in the team event at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Japanese skating stars are going where no man has gone before.

Entering her fifth Olympic Games, veteran racer Arianna Fontana leads Italy’s bid for Short Track medals at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

With the Russian and Japanese Championships, two spectacular Figure Skating events highlighted the Christmas holidays. Japan announced their teams for the Olympic Winter Games and for the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships (Tallinn, January 18-23, 2022) while Russia named their Skaters for the ISU European Championships (Tallinn, January 10-16, 2022).

The Liu brothers have already secured their place in Hungarian Olympic history. At PyeongChang 2018, Shaolin Sandor Liu and his younger sibling Shaoang Liu were the key members of the 5000m Men’s Relay team who won their country’s first ever Olympic Winter Games gold medal. It propelled them from virtual unknowns to national heroes – and the duo have gone from strength to strength since, helping to popularize skating in a traditionally summer-sport-obsessed country.

Gabriella Papadakis/Guillaume Cizeron of France needed only one season to soar to the top of the Ice Dance World back in 2014/15. They are France’s hope for an Olympic gold medal in Figure Skating in Beijing and want to crown their career with this medal that eluded them in 2018 when they came a close second to Tessa Virtue/ Scott Moir (CAN). France will also be represented in the Men’s event with two entries, most likely Kevin Aymoz and Adam Siao Him Fa.

Norway did not manage to conquer the maximum number of entries in Speed Skating for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, but the future looks bright, says youngster Allan Dahl Johansson. This week the first ten Norwegian Speed Skaters in long track were announced. Despite a severe bike crash last summer, Sverre Lunde Pedersen made the cut. Four years ago he was the main engine in the Norwegian squad that won the Men’s Olympic Team Pursuit gold.

Following the conclusion of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Competitions, designated for qualification of event quota places for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, held in Tomaszów Mazowiecki (POL), Stavanger (NOR), Salt Lake City (USA) and Calgary (CAN), and in line with ISU Special Regulations, Rule 209 and Qualification System for the XXIV Olympic Winter Games 2022 in Beijing issued by the IOC, the quota places (distance/event quotas) for Speed Skating have been provisionally allocated.

As we come to the end of the year, the ISU President, Mr. Jan Dijkema, would like to address a message to all skating friends.

This past week, the National Championships continued in several countries in Europe and more skaters confirmed their spots for the upcoming ISU European Championships and in some cases for the Olympic Games. Most ISU members decide their teams for the ISU Championships and the Olympic Winter Games based on the results from the National Championships and also international events such as the ISU Grand Prix and ISU Challenger Series.

It had been a long wait, but after eight years Denis Kuzin (KAZ, pictured) could climb upon an international podium again. The 2013 World Champion took the 1000m title on the final day of competition at the Four Continents Championships in Calgary. He edged out Austin Kleba (USA) by 0.12 seconds. The US skater joined Ted-Jan Bloemen (CAN) on top of the individual medal ranking in the men’s competition, both having won two golds and a silver. Bloemen anchored Canada to an impressive Team Pursuit title to conclude the tournament on Friday.

Having won the first international speed skating medal for Chinese Taipei with silver in the 500m on Wednesday, Huang Yu-Ting (pictured centre) seized the first title for her country in the 1000m at the Four Continents Championships. “It’s a dream,” she says. The USA topped the overall medal ranking in the women’s competition with three gold medals, after concluding the event taking the women’s Team Pursuit title.

Following the ISU announcement on December 2, 2021 regarding the cancellation of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Osaka (JPN), the ISU evaluated a possible postponement to hold the Event at the end of the season and reached out to the six ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Group to find out if they could host the Event. Unfortunately, despite all efforts made by the ISU and the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Group, it was impossible to find a solution to maintain this Event.

Kali Christ (CAN) came a long way to win her first international title with gold in the 1500m at the ISU Four Continents Championships in Calgary. Battling injuries more than fighting for medals over the past five years, the 30-year-old from Saskatchewan (pictured) was the only woman to finish in under two minutes in 1:57.67, while Korean prodigy Park Chaewon pipped two US women to the line to win the Mass Start event on Thursday.

Russia’s rising star Kamila Valieva reigned supreme in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series this season. Not only did the 15-year-old prodigy win her two events Skate Canada International and Rostelecom Cup in her international senior-level debut season, but she kept pushing the highest score since the Challenger event Finlandia Trophy. The 2020 ISU World Junior Champion now holds the highest score for the Women’s Short Program (87.42 points), the Free Skating (185.29 points) and total score (272.71 points) – all set at Rostelecom Cup.

Austin Kleba (USA, pictured) made a great start to the ISU Four Continents Championships, winning two gold medals on Wednesday. After edging out Olympic silver medalist Cha Min Kyu (KOR) for the 500m title, he joined team-mates Brett Perry and Zach Stoppelmoor winning the Team Sprint event.