Shanghai / China

The inaugural ISU Shanghai Trophy 2016 will be held in Shanghai, China, on March 4-6. The event combines Synchronized Skating and Short Track Speed Skating.  It is the first time that an ISU Event combines the two disciplines.

Synchronized Skating

6 teams have been entered for the ISU Shanghai Trophy 2016. A team consists of 16 skaters (plus up to four alternates). The athletes on the ice should move in one flowing unit at high speed and perform a number of elements such as steps, blocks, wheels, moves in the field and lifts as well as isolated moves. The Short Program is a program of up to 2:50 min duration that must include the following five required elements: Intersection Element, Move Element, No Hold Element, Pivoting and Traveling Element.  The Free Skating Program is 4 min 30 seconds +/-10 seconds in length and contains 10 Elements and must include the following seven: Group Lift Element, Two Different Intersection Elements, Move Element, No Hold Element, Pivoting Element (Line), Traveling Element (Circle), plus one Element from each group as per Communication 1934.

Nexxice (CAN), Marigold Ice Unity (FIN), Team Berlin 1 (GER), Paradise (RUS), Team Surprise (SWE) and the Haydenettes (USA) will all participate in the Shanghai Trophy. As part of the non-competitive program of the event, the Junior Synchronized Skating team from China will also participate.

Short Track Speed Skating

11 ISU Members have been entered for the Event.  The individual races will consist of the Ladies and Men 500, 1000, 1500m and an International Mixed Relay 3000 meters Ladies and 5000 meters Men will also take place.  It is the first time that an International Mixed Relay will take place at an ISU event. The Teams will be composed by the ISU based on the Overall classification of the 2015/16 ISU World Rankings list.

A number of athletes will take advantage of the ISU Shanghai Trophy to prepare for the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2016 that will take place in Seoul (KOR) a week later.  China is sending a strong team with Kexin Fan (1000m Olympic Champion and three times 500m World Champion), Yize Zang (500m Youth Olympic Games Champion), Tianyu Han (1500m Olympic and World silver medalist), Dajing Wu (500m Olympic Champion and two times World Champion in the same distance) and Wei Ma (Youth Olympic Games 500m bronze and 1000m silver medalist). Hungarians Petra Jaszapati and Shaoang Liu participated in the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Olympic Games, winning the silver medal in the 500m and 1000m respectively. Teammate Sandor Liu won silver at the World Champions in the 500m.  Skaters from Korea should also be interesting to watch along with Americans Jessica Smith and Cole Krueger.