Women competing in Figure Skating, Short Track, Speed Skating and Synchronized Skating have shaped and popularized their sport. As trailblazers and legends, they have proven that there is no such thing as an impossible dream. To celebrate International Women’s Day, we highlight female athletes in ISU Sports that are having major impact as athletes and role models.

Figure Skating

Alysa Liu: U.S. Champion at 13, retired at 16, comeback at 18, World Champion at 19 and Olympic Champion at 20. It is hard to keep up with the American skater. Liu brings a whole new vibe to figure skating. Her incredible story and laid back style fascinate not only skating fans around the world but draws attention from many more people. She has become the face of mental health in sport and there is much more to come, Liu is just getting started.

Kaori Sakamoto: The three-time World Champion and four-time Olympic medalist is one of Japan’s most successful female skaters”. Sakamoto is a role model for a whole generation of young skaters from all over the world. Her performance skills and technical ability, her longevity, her success, her outgoing personality and her sportsmanship make her one of the most popular women in her sport. 

Loena Hendrickx: She is a true trailblazer, leading the way for figure skating in Belgium. Hendrickx has so many “firsts” on her record that it is not easy to keep track: First Belgian single skater to win the ISU European Championships, first to win a medal at the ISU World Championships, first female skater from Belgium to earn an ISU Grand Prix medal… Moreover, Hendrickx came back from injuries and a surgery to compete in her third Olympic Winter Games in Milan. Thanks to her success, there is more attention for figure skating in her country and the next generation is motivated to follow in her footsteps.

Speed Skating

Francesa Lollobrigida: She made history, winning the first Olympic gold for a female Italian speed skater, and on top of that, she did it on her 35^th birthday. Lollobrigida showed that the sky is the limit. Only few believed in her comeback after she had a baby in 2023 but she proved everyone wrong and shone golden in Milan. Not only once, but twice. Following her success in the 3000m, the Italian struck gold again in the 5000m. Francesca is keen to demonstrate that being a mother and competing at the highest level can go hand in hand.

Jutta Leerdam: Your biggest rival just set an Olympic record and then it’s your turn. You just go all in, break the Olympic record and claim gold – that is what Jutta Leerdam did in Milan in the 1000m. The Dutch Speed Skating heroine showed nerves of steel to pull off the race of her life. On her way to success, the 27-year-old took her destiny in her own hands four years ago and chased her team.

Han Mei : Consistency, teamwork and quiet determination define Han Mei’s journey in Speed Skating. A key member of China’s women’s long track team, Han has established herself as a reliable force in middle- and long-distance events as well as in the Team Pursuit. Competing at the highest level on the ISU events and on the Olympic stage, she represents the strength of China’s growing women’s program in Speed Skating. Her perseverance and steady rise in international competition make her a role model for young athletes, showing that dedication and teamwork are just as powerful as individual glory.

Short Track

Arianna Fontana: The legend has a name and it’s Arianna Fontana. Competing in six Olympic Games, the Italian skater has won medals in each of them. In Milan, the 35-year-old added three more medals to become, with a total of 14, the most decorated Italian athlete in Olympic Games, Summer or Winter. Fontana proved how far talent, resilience, self-determination and belief can take you. 

Kim Gilli: She is young and she is fast. Competing in her first Olympic Games in Milan, Kim “Lambor-Gilli” skated to two gold (one in the Relay) and one bronze medal. The 21-year old is on her way to become one of the biggest Short Track stars from Korea, setting an example for many young women in her sport. 

Courtney Sarault: In her second Olympic Games in Milano Cortina, Courtney Sarault shone bright by taking four medals – two silver and two bronze. Coming back from injury, she won the ISU Crystal Globe in the 2025/26 season. Sarault is Canada’s top female short track skater and inspiration to many. 

Synchronized Skating

Ida Hellström: The multitasking talent is active on and off the ice for Synchronized Skating. As a member of the successful Finnish team Marigold Ice Unity, she won the World title in 2014 and has been involved in the development of her discipline since ending her skating career in 2016. Hellström has been raising awareness for Synchronized Skating worldwide and has taken a leading role in the development of the unique and new Synchro 9 format that will be included for the first time into the Olympic program at the 2028 Winter Youth Olympic Games.