Vietnam's 2026 national youth skating championships have attracted 112 athletes to Royal City in Hanoi on October 17–18. Bao Van Hoa reports that Solo Ice Dance is appearing in the national competition system for the first time.
The event is organised by the Vietnam Skating and Roller Federation with Hanoi's culture and sports authorities and Vincom Retail's operating unit.
An expanded programme
Speed skating offers 29 medal sets across age, gender and ability categories. Distances include 300, 500, 700 and 1,000 metres, plus a mixed 2,000-metre relay for athletes under fifteen.
Figure skating offers eight medal sets for different ages and levels. Adding Solo Ice Dance provides another competitive pathway for clubs developing young athletes.
At the opening ceremony, Hanoi official Pham Xuan Tai highlighted talent identification and development. He described the event as an opportunity to assess training progress and give promising skaters competitive experience.
International technical support
Organisers are applying International Skating Union regulations and scoring methods. Seven international specialists from Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia are involved in judging, technical control and supervision.
Federation general secretary Trinh Thi Trang said separate judging teams cover Single Skating and Solo Ice Dance to reflect their different requirements. She also noted improvements in performance quality alongside rising participation.
Athlete representative Le Bui Huong Linh described the months of preparation behind each routine. The championships were still in progress when reported, with medals and certificates to be awarded according to the completed results rather than announced at the opening.