ISU

The International Skating Union (ISU) has published the International Single & Pair Skating, Ice Dance and Synchonized Skating Competitions for the season 2020/21.

While most people enjoy swimming and sun-bathing in August, many Speed Skaters return to the ice for summer skating. After a lot of individual dryland training during the COVID-19 lockdown in form April to June, the Dutch Jumbo-Visma travelled to Inzell for the first real action on the ice in July and last week they returned home to step on the summer ice at Thialf in Heerenveen.

The International Skating Union (ISU) has published the International Speed Skating & Short Track Speed Skating Competitions for the season 2020/21.

Speed Skating is about competition, but underneath the surface of many rivalries there’s a lot of mutual respect and friendship. To celebrate the UN’s International Day of Friendship, we looked into some great Speed Skating moments and the value of sports and friendship. The International Day of Friendship aims to confront the crises and challenges of the world (poverty, violence, human rights abuses, pandemics) that undermine peace, security, development and social harmony. Friendship is the simplest way to overcome this, says the UN: by accumulating bonds, we can contribute to the shifts needed to achieve lasting stability, and a better, more united world.

How do Speed Skaters train while the world is locked down due to the Covid-19 pandemic? Nothing compares to skating on real ice, but one of the most common methods of dry-land training is the use of a sliding board, a device invented by five-time Olympic Champion Eric Heiden. The exercise is perfect to keep the Speed Skating muscles fit in your own back-yard or even your own bedroom.

Following the announcement from the General Administration of Sport of China last week, the ISU received clarification through its Chinese counterparts regarding the ISU Events scheduled to be held in China in 2020.

In Speed Skating the athletes were lucky enough to finish the 2019/20 season before the entire sporting world came to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their Short Track Speed Skating colleagues were less fortunate, as the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2020 in Seoul had to be cancelled. However, it didn't stop top athletes from training, but just in a different way. The “Keep Training!” series launched in April turned out to be a huge success. Some of the best coaches, champions and specialists in sports psychology and mental performance provided free online training for athletes and coaches to prepare. Thousands of viewers followed the live training sessions.

In Celebration of Olympic Day, on June 23, 2020, people from around the world came together to Keep Training. Olympians led the way and among them, were six Olympic Figure Skaters and two Short Track and Speed Skaters. Aljona Savchenko and Deniss Vasiljevs, Ondrej Hotarek and Nicole Della Monica as well as Kana Muramoto and Daisuke Takahashi teamed up to provide some great sessions on @ISUFigureSkating. In the Speed Skating and Short Track Speed Skating department, Anice Das and Olivier Jean took on the challenge on @ISUSpeedSkating.

Considering that some ice rinks are re-opening and Skaters are hitting the ice again, the ISU CoE Keep Training! Series will be holding the last Speed Skating and Short Track Speed Skating Keep Training! sessions, for the foreseeable future, this weekend on June 27 and June 28, 2020.

Following its Keep Training Series, as part of its #UpAgain Campaign, the International Skating Union (ISU) is joining the International Olympic Committee for Olympic Day 2020, that will see Olympians, athletes and fans all over the globe get active in the world’s largest 24-hour digital Olympic workout. Twenty-three Olympic athletes have already joined the recording of an official Olympic Day workout video, and on Olympic Day, athletes from around the world will lead live workouts at 11 a.m. local time across 20 time zones. The ISU will participate with 6 workouts throughout the day on @ISUFigureSkating and @ISUSpeedSkating Instagram Live.

The ISU fully respects all those, especially in the skating community, who have spoken out against racism, brutality, oppression, or any other form of prejudice. Such behaviors and attitudes have no place in our society.

Some of our favourite athletes have been sharing some insightful and useful #UpAgain recommendations, whether it is their favorite TV shows, books, recipes, workout tips and more. Here are the last #UpAgain Recommendations that we have in store for you. 

The ISU Centers of Excellence (CoE) are pleased to announce that the “Keep Training!” series for Short Track and Speed Skaters continues with new courses this weekend on June 13 and 14, 2020 on Skating ISU YouTube Channel.

Athletes have great tips for you, whether it is what to watch, how to cook or how to stay fit! Check it out!

The International Skating Union (ISU) asked the public what they wanted to watch next and they have spoken. Coming up are the streams of the 2017 ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships as well as the 2015 ISU World Allround Speed Skating Championships, ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships and ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.