ISU

Valérie Maltais (CAN) won her career first individual international title, seizing gold in the Women’s 3000m at the ISU Four Continents Championships in Quebec on Friday. Min Sun Kim (KOR) started the tournament with her second title in the 500m, and China concluded the action-packed first day at the Centre de Glaces with gold in the Women’s Team Sprint.

Quebec will host the third ISU Four Continents Championships in the history of Speed Skating on December 2-4, 2022. It’s the first ISU event at the brand new Centre de Glaces, since the Gaétan Boucher Oval was covered up with a roof last year. It provides 500m World Cup leader Laurent Dubreuil (CAN) with a first opportunity to win a major title on home ice, while Mass Start World Champion Joey Mantia (USA) will make his first international appearance this season.

At age 18 years and 174 days, Jordan Stolz (USA) became the youngest male speed skater from any nation to have won an individual race at a World Cup event, when he claimed victory in the 1500m on 11 November 2022 in Stavanger, Norway. It’s time for an introduction of the fast rising star in international speed skating.

The International Skating Union (ISU) is proud to welcome as an Official Partner of the World Ice Skating Day (WISD) the UK-based ice leisure company Planet Ice, the largest chain of ice rinks in Europe. The ISU and Planet Ice share a common commitment to create initiatives and experiences aiming at expanding Ice Skating sports to the large public. In this spirit, Planet Ice will open up its 14 rinks and offer a range of free activities all over the country to celebrate the first-ever World Ice Skating Day on December 4th 2022.

It was cold and windy at the Jääurheilukeskus outdoor Speed Skating track in Finland, but the future stars of Speed Skating defied the tough conditions at the first of three Junior World Cup events of this season. Jade Groenewoud (NED), Alina Dauranova (KAZ) and Issa Gunji (JPN) were the most decorated Skaters with two gold medals each in the Junior category, while Anna Ostlender (GER), Kasper Tveter (NOR) and Nil Llop Izquierdo (ESP) seized two victories each in the Neo-Senior category.

Every month effervescent Teun Boer (NED) will be sharing his highs, lows and inner thoughts as he looks to make a big impression in his first season as a World Cup Short Track Speed Skater.

Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier of Canada, 2021 ISU World bronze medalists, continued their success this season with another Grand Prix gold medal. Kaitlin Hawayek/Jean-Luc Baker (USA) claimed their second Grand Prix silver medal this season and will go together with the Canadians to the ISU Grand Prix Final next month. To the delight of the home crowd, Finland’s Juulia Turkkila/Matthias Versluis moved up to take the bronze, the first ISU Grand Prix medal for a Finnish Ice Dance team. 

Japan’s two-time ISU Four Continents Champion Mai Mihara overtook reigning ISU World silver medalist Loena Hendrickx of Belgium in the Women’s Free Skating to claim her second ISU Grand Prix gold medal this season. Mana Kawabe, also from Japan, picked up the bronze. Mihara and Hendrickx qualified for the ISU Grand Prix Final. 

Ilia Malinin (USA), nicknamed “Quad God” for a reason, jumped to gold and right into the ISU Grand Prix Final. Japan’s Shun Sato moved up from third to second to take the silver and a spot in the Final as well. Kevin Aymoz of France celebrated a successful comeback from injury by earning the bronze. 

Rebecca Ghilardi/Filippo Ambrosini struck the Pairs gold and secured their spot in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. It was the first ISU Grand Prix title for an Italian Pair Skating team since Stefania Berton/Ondrej Hotarek had won Skate Canada International in 2013. Germany’s Alisa Efimova/Ruben Blommaert climbed from fourth to earn the silver, while Anastasiia Metelkina/Daniil Parkman of Georgia earned the bronze, the first ISU Grand Prix medal in the Pairs category for their country. 

2021 ISU World bronze medalists Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier of Canada danced to a confident lead in the Rhythm Dance, setting a new personal best score en route. Second placed Skate America silver medalists Kaitlin Hawayek/Jean-Luc Baker (USA) are looking for another silver and the spot in the ISU Grand Prix Final. Christina Carreira/Anthony Ponomarenko (USA) are standing in third place as they head into the Free Dance on Saturday. 

Since the introduction of the Junior World Cup in the 2008/2009 speed skating season, many future stars had a first taste of international competition in this series. Joep Wennemars (NED) is a perfect example. The Dutch youngster dominated the series last season and already took his first medals this season in Heerenveen. The Junior World Cup starts with two legs in Seinäjoki, Finland, on 27-27 November and 3-4 December, and concludes with a final event on 4-5 February 2023 in Inzell, Germany.

Kevin Aymoz of France surprisingly took the lead in the Men’s Short Program over hot favorite Ilia Malinin (USA). Japan’s Shun Sato came third.

Reigning ISU World silver medalist Loena Hendrickx of Belgium topped the Women’s Short Program, edgingahead of Japan’s two-time ISU Four Continents Champion Mai Mihara by a mere 1.30 points. Mana Kawabe, also from Japan, sits in third. 

Rebecca Ghilardi/Filippo Ambrosini of Italy skated to the lead in the Short Program and held on to their chance to qualify for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. Anastasiia Smirnova/Danylo Siianytsina (USA) follow in second place, while Georgia’s Anastasiia Metelkina/Daniil Parkman came third.