ISU

The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) is the top favorite as the Figure Skating competition at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games is about to start on Friday with the Team Event at the Capital Indoor Stadium. A total of ten teams has qualified for the Olympic Team Event that will be held for the third time.

Jade Groenewoud (NED) and Joep Wennemars (NED) took the Women’s and Men’s Junior World Allround titles in yet another impressive Dutch medal haul at the ISU World Junior Speed Skating Championships in Innsbruck last weekend. Pien Smit (NED) missed out on a double world title, crashing out of the Women’s 1000m after having won the 500m. Despite their dominance in the individual events, the Dutch men had to bow their heads in the Team Pursuit with Japan coming out victorious of the race.

2022 is going to be quite a year! As we head to the Beijing Olympic Winter Games and the ISU World Championships, the International Skating Union (ISU) brings back its #UpAgain campaign celebrating the unbreakable spirit that drives athletes to compete on ice.

One week before the start of the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, the future stars of Speed Skating are about to conclude their international season with the ISU World Junior Speed Skating Championships in Innsbruck (AUT)on January 28-30, 2022. Last week, the juniors finished their ISU Junior World Cup campaign on the same track with the Dutch dominating the rankings, spearheaded by the imperious sprinter Pien Smit.

Are you ready for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games? The Ice Skating Podcast certainly is. In the run-up to – and during – the Games, we will be broadcasting five special editions of the pod. One is already out now, with more to follow on January 30, and then weekly during the action.

In the past years, Russia has boasted a seemingly endless reservoir of talented Skaters, especially in the Women’s discipline. The Russian Women have swept the podium at the 2021 ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Stockholm (SWE), they have swept the podium at the ISU European Championships 2022 and 2020 and this season, five of them had qualified for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (that was cancelled): Kamila Valieva, Anna Shcherbakova, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Maiia Khromykh and Aliona Kostornaia.

There will be plenty of optimism about China’s Short Track Speed Skating medal chances among fans inside Beijing’s Capital Indoor Stadium when the 2022 Olympic Winter Games get under way.

Junhwan Cha (KOR) made history by taking the first ISU Championship title and medal for a Korean male skater at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Tallinn. Japan’s Kazuki Tomono and Kao Miura claimed the silver and bronze medals. All three Men stood on an ISU Championship podium for the first time. 

Audrey Lu/Misha Mitrofanov led the Pairs from the United States to a one-two finish as the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships continued Saturday in Tallinn (EST). Teammates Emily Chan/Spencer Akira Howe took silver. Evelyn Walsh/Trennt Michaud of Canada earned the bronze.

Mai Mihara of Japan skated off with her second Four Continents title at the ISU Four Continents Championships in Tallinn (EST) Saturday. Korea’s Haein Lee and Yelim Kim claimed silver and bronze, their first ISU Championship medals. 

Caroline Green/Michael Parsons (USA) celebrated a golden debut in their first ISU Championship as a team, striking gold at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Tallinn (EST) Friday. Japan’s Kana Muramoto/Daisuke Takahashi made history for Japanese Ice Dance by winning the first ISU Championship silver medal. Takahashi is also the first Olympic and World medalist in Single Skating to win an ISU Championship medal in Ice Dance. The bronze went toChristina Carreira/Anthony Ponomarenko (USA). 

Junhwan Cha of Korea grabbed the lead in the Men’s Short Program at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships Friday in Tallinn (EST), setting a new personal best score en route. Japan’s Kazuki Tomono and Kao Miura are currently ranked second and third.

The Republic of Korea is the world’s leading powerhouse in Short Track Speed Skating and they are the best-placed Asian nation of all-time in the Speed Skating Olympic medal ranking too. With five gold, seven silver, and three bronze medals, Korea is in tenth place overall. Korea seized 13 starting slots for the Speed Skating competition at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

Three-time ISU Four Continents medallist Mai Mihara of Japan tops the Women’s Short Program at the ISU Four Continents Championships in Tallinn (EST) Thursday and is poised for another medal at the event. Korea’s Haein Lee and Yelim Kim follow in second and third.

USA’s Audrey Lu/Misha Mitrofanov won the Pairs Short Program as the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships continued Thursday in Tallinn (EST). Evelyn Walsh/Trennt Michaud of Canada came second while Emily Chan/Spencer Akira Howe (USA) currently rank third. All three teams achieved a new personal best score.