Irish skaters' Olympic dreams left in limbo by residency Catch-22

Firus and Soucisse, both Canadian-born, switched allegiance to Ireland in 2023. Now a married couple, they qualified via Rule 109 and his Gorey-born grandmother Dorothy, all of which is enough to allow them compete on the European and World stages.

Shane Firus and Carolane Soucisee competing for Ireland at the 2025 European Figure Skating Championships in Tallinn, Estonia last February

All going well, Shane Firus and Carolane Soucisse will make the trip back from Boston to Toronto over the weekend having secured a place for Ireland at the next Winter Olympics with their efforts at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships.

Nineteen of the 23 quota places available in the ice dance event for the 2026 Games in Milano Cortina will be decided at the TD Garden in the Massachusetts venue this week. And Firus and Soucisse finished 20th at the 2024 Worlds in Montreal.