ISU

The ISU welcomes the annulment by the General Court judgment on 16 December 2020 (Case T-93/18) of the provisions of the European Commission of 8 December 2017 requiring the ISU to amend its Eligibility Rules with respect to the CAS arbitration system. The General Court has confirmed that the CAS arbitration system is fully consistent with EU law.

The Russian Speed Skaters hope to be able to compete internationally at the ISU European Speed Skating Championships and the ISU World Cups in the Heerenveen hub in January, but their run-up to the shortcut season has been difficult due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Paweł Abratkiewicz (POL), coach of the Russian ladies, travelled a bumpy road to be able to guide his athletes on the ice.

The ISU Council met on Thursday December 10, 2021. Among other decisions that will be published in due course in an ISU Communication Decisions of the Council, the Council decided to cancel certain ISU Events in view of the worsening worldwide Covid-19 pandemic situation and the consequent increasing risks for organizers and participants.

The ISU releases detailed information on the qualification process, entry quotas and entry procedures for the ISU European, World Juniors and World Speed Skating Championships 2021.

Speed Skating is the fastest human powered, non-mechanical aided sport in the world, at least that’s what National Geographic concluded in a sports overview of the Winter Olympics in Sochi 2014.

The ISU World Cup Speed Skating Competitions will be held in Heerenveen, NED on January 22-24 and January 29-31, 2021 under the conditions and rules laid down in ISU Communication No. 2360.

The ISU Council reviewed the status of the ongoing skating season 2020/21 considering the worsening world-wide pandemic developments and its impact on organizing and participating ISU Members. 

The current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting many parts of the world means that travel restrictions are currently in place and the travel situation is likely to remain complex for the coming months in which the Beijing 2022 Test Events were scheduled. The Beijing 2022 Organising Committee (Beijing 2022), the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the International Winter Sports Federations (IFs), concluded that it was necessary to take an immediate joint decision on a tailored programme based on the needs of each individual IF.  Beijing 2022, the IOC, IPC and the IFs jointly decided to develop an adapted sports testing programme in preparation for the Olympic Winter Games 2022. The adapted programme will replace the organization of a series of international Test Events originally planned for the month of December 2020 and the first quarter of 2021.

“Great news for the sport of Speed Skating,” said Sven Kramer about the Hub concept in Heerenveen in January 2021. The ISU European Speed Skating Championships in Heerenveen on January 16-17 will be the first international competition for the Speed Skaters this season and the event will be followed by two subsequent ISU World Cup Speed Skating competitions in the same hub. The athletes are happy to come out and race internationally at last.

While international Speed Skating Events are on hold due to COVID-19 restrictions, coach Johan de Wit keeps the Japanese team’s spirits high and has ambition “We’re one of the best [Speed Skating] countries in the world and we want to show ourselves.”

ISU European Speed Skating and Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2021 change dates and Speed Skating Hub concept approved

The International Skating Union (ISU) worked with sports marketing agency Redtorch on #UpAgain, and together created a campaign which is nominated as a finalist of the prestigious The Drum Social Buzz Awards in the Best Travel/Leisure/Sports Social Media Strategy/Campaign category.

Cancellation of ISU Four Continents Championships 2021 and Provisional allotments of ISU Championships 2022 and 2023

Famous Speed Skating coach Ab Krook has died due to a stroke at the age of 76 on Tuesday 13 October. As the national coach of the Dutch Men and Ladies and the West-German team in the 1980s and 1990s, Krook was a household name in International Speed Skating.

The Covid-19 restrictions somehow were a blessing in disguise for Sverre Lunde Pedersen (NOR). The silver medallist from last year’s ISU World Allround Speed Skating Championships had more time with his family than usual over the summer, which he mostly spent with his wife and son Svein who was born in May. “It’s great to watch him grow,” Pedersen says. The Norwegian used the relatively quiet summer for a reset of his body after an exhausting and injury hampered season. He’s looking forward to racing this winter, even if it has to be in a bubble.