Liam O’Brien (24) is all set to close out the season this weekend (10-12 March) as he represents Ireland at the KB Financial Group ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Seoul, South Korea.
The Irish skater will be among a field of over 80 athletes from 34 countries racing for top honours in the men’s category. The World Short Track Championships were first held back in 1976. Ireland has been represented at every edition held since 2017.
O’Brien will begin the championships in the early hours of the morning Irish time on Friday, 10 March with the qualifications rounds of the 500, 1000 and 1500 metres distances. Subsequent rounds, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will take place on Saturday, 11 March and Sunday, 12 March.
This will be the third consecutive appearance at Worlds for O’Brien.
“I hope to represent Ireland strongly and progress into the main event on Saturday and Sunday.”
As O’Brien trains in South Korea, he will not have to adjust too much in terms of the environment.
“It feels a little different with Worlds being held only an hour away from my training base. I hope to build on my performance throughout the season.”
The KB Financial Group ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships will be broadcast online on the ISU YouTube channel. Geographical restrictions may apply. The results of the championships can be followed on the event results page and on social media via the #ShortTrackSkating hashtag.
Event Schedule (IST)
Friday, 10 March
00:30 Men 1500m Quarterfinals
02:11 Men 500m Preliminaries
03:21 Men 500m Heats
04:39 Men 1000m Preliminaries
06:05 Men 1000m Heats
Saturday, 11 March
01:04 Men 1500m Repechage Quarterfinals
01:47 Men 1500m Repechage Semifinals
02:26 Men 500m Repechage Quarterfinals
03:08 Men 500m Repechage Semifinals
05:20 Men 1500m Semifinals
06:09 Men 1500m Finals
06:54 Men 500m Quarterfinals
07:32 Men 500m Semifinals
08:06 Men 500m Finals
Sunday, 12 March
02:15 Men 1000m Repechage Quarterfinals
03:00 Men 1000m Repechage Semifinals
05:19 Men 1000m Quarterfinals
06:00 Men 1000m Semifinals
06:36 Men 1000m Finals