ISU

Two-time Olympic Champion and Figure Skating super star Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN) has retired from competing. The 27-year-old announced at a press conference today in Tokyo (JPN) that while he plans not to compete anymore, he wants to continue to perform in ice shows and to pursue his goal of landing a quadruple Axel.

It is with deep sorrow and regret that the International Skating Union (ISU) learned of the death of ISU Honorary President, Mr. Ottavio Cinquanta who passed away on July 18 aged 83.

Hanne Desmet (BEL) made history at Beijing 2022 as Belgium’s first Short Track Speed Skating female athlete winning a medal at an Olympic Winter Games. After her bronze in the 1000m, overnight stardom followed. To get to the very top of the discipline, it all starts with a serious training.

The ISU Council announces the allotment of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series for the season 2022/23.

When considering Short Track Speed Skating trainings and season preparation practices, there are several different approaches that athletes use to reach maximum fitness and technical sharpness. 

Today (July 12, 2022), the German Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) published a decision upholding the constitutional complaint of Ms. Claudia Pechstein challenging two decisions of the Federal Court of Justice which had been issued in 2016.

Figure Skating is going where it never has gone before. As the sport continues to grow worldwide, it now has arrived in Peru in the west of South America. Peru is the newest of the ISU Figure Skating members and it is the fourth South American country to become a full member after Argentina, Brazil and Chile. Additionally, Ecuador is a provisional member for Figure Skating.

The ISU has announced the dates and venues of the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating events and Final for the season 2022/23. 

The dream to compete at the Olympic Winter Games came true for 214 Skaters from 32 countries in Beijing (CHN) last February. It takes a lot of effort and resources to become an Olympian and not all Skaters and their Federations have the possibility to invest enough into the sport. This is where the ISU Junior Skater Scholarship comes in and it has proven to be successful over the years. Among the Figure Skaters at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, 17 have benefitted from the ISU Scholarship in the past.

Whereas Inline Skating and Ice-Skating used to be separate worlds in the past, both disciplines have become more and more intertwined overtime. The ISU Development offers a successful Transition Program for athletes to switch from tarmac to ice.

Hello everyone! Happy Pride! I’m Timothy LeDuc, my pronouns are They/Them, I am the 2019 and 2022 United States Pairs Champion and Beijing Olympian with Ashley Cain, and I’m very excited to be writing to you as part of the ISU’s effort to boost the voices of LGBTQ+ athletes during Pride Month.

The ISU Junior Skater Scholarship Program supports talented young Skaters in education and training, and several top Short Trackers have been among the beneficiaries.

Many Ukrainian athletes have fled to Europe while others have returned home although it is not safe. More than 100 Skaters have left the country and are currently spread out all over Europe – from Poland to Germany, Denmark, Latvia, Estonia to Romania and some even fled to Canada. Whether they are in Ukraine or in another country far from home, most of the Skaters want to continue to train and are preparing for the coming season.

“I did not want to mess up someone else’s Olympic performance,” said Kai Verbij (NED) after sacrificing his medal chances in the Men’s 1000m Speed Skating Final at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games by giving priority to opponent Laurent Dubreuil (CAN), who won silver. Verbij left Beijing empty-handed, but got a consolation reward four months later. The Dutchman was granted by a public’s vote the 2022 VISA Award for his ‘classy move’, as Dubreuil labeled it. Launched in 2021, the Visa Award gives fans the opportunity to vote for their favorite Olympic and Paralympics moments with a special focus on friendship, inclusion and acceptance.

The Coach Scholarship Program is one of the ISU’s Direct Development Program Projects. The Program was started with the goal to assist Coaches that are actively developing the ISU disciplines despite having low Skating activity in their country which consequently means they require support to develop.