We can now present the updated IMSSC Record List for the season 2017/2018. A number of 29 new IMSSC Records (unofficial Masters’ World Records) were achieved. Kolomna/RUS accounts for 9 of these records, while Inzell/GER accounts for 8, Heerenveen/NED for 3, Geithus/NOR for 2, Groningen for 2, Moscow/RUS for 2, Baselga di Piné/ITA for 1, Leeuwarden for 1 Milwaukee for 1 each. The IMSSC Record List 2018 can be found by clicking on Competitions-->Records. At the 41st IMSSC Session,  Sven-Aage Svenson has withdrawn as IMSSC Statistician and Marcello Bresin was named as the new IMSSC Statistician from next season on: In the picture Tjeerd Smies, IMSSC President (on the right) thanks Sven-Aage for his 15 years support on IMSSC statistics !!!

In the picture below, Kolomna Ice Stadium where 9 new records were set in the 2017/2018 season !!!

The 41st IMSSC Session took place in Amsterdam/NED on June 2nd, 2018, with the 23 representatives from 16 Nations (AUS, AUT, CAN, ESP, FIN, GBR, GER, ITA, JPN, KAZ, MON, NED, NOR. RUS, SWE, SWI). Leila Utegulova was named as IMSSC Member for Kazakhstan as successor of Azamat Ismailov and Nicola Condini for Italy successor of Rossella Sardi. Marcello Bresin has been welcomed as the new IMSSC Statistician successor of Sven-Aage Svenson while Azamat Ismailov as the new IMSSC Treasurer successor of Bram de Vries: both Sven-Aage and Bram were thanked for their great dedication by IMSSC President with a flower ceremony. Congratulated for outstanding 29 World Records newly set in 2017-2018 season. Both Masters Games Allround 2018 (Baselga di Piné/ITA in January) and Masters Games Sprint 2018 (Moscow/RUS in March) had great success, 138 skaters (45xL, 93xM) from 10 Nations in Moscow/RUS and 152 skaters (37xL, 115xM) from 16 Nations in Baselga di Piné/ITA. This coming season Masters’ Allround Games 2019, hosted by Bjugn/NOR, was assigned to overall 250 participants without nations' quota while Masters’ Sprint Games 2019 in Leeuwarden/NED was assigned to overall 220 participants with nations' quota as follow: 10x FIN, 8x GBR, 19x GER, 10x ITA, 14x JAP, 77x NED, 39x NOR, 26x RUS, 17x other nations. Kolomna/RUS was awarded to Masters’ Allround Games 2021 and Berlin/GER for the Masters' Sprint Games 2021. Others proposals and outstanding issues were thoroughly discussed and voted to move on to new season. Next session, 42nd IMSSC Session, is scheduled on June 1st (Sat) in Amsterdam/NED. See you all again in 2019 !

Competitions "Kolomna ice" is always a fusion of youth and experience. From the very beginning of these races young sportsmen and their trainers asked to admit them to the start. Masters can not refused to young athletes in possibility to start on the beautiful ice of the Skating Center in Kolomna. So it was this time. Young people admired the sports longevity of Masters, and experienced skaters watched on the future of speed skating. Almost two hundred athletes of all ages competed for 3 days. Six skaters have exceeded 10 IMSSC records. Excellent results of Lyudmila Filimonova, who approached the Kolomna ice in very good shape: 1500m - 2.14.70 and 3000m - 4.44.53 ! In the morning of the final day of the competition, there is only one skater was on the ice for an hour of action. The athlete from Germany Olaf Kotva (on the right hand side in the picture together with Sergej Orlov), in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of his own sporting achievement (two world records in this discipline, on the ice rinks of Inzel and Calgary) covered a distance of 37 km 214 m. You can view this race at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf4L5grD2dQ&feature=share. Unfortunately, this time there were not so many skaters from abroad. Probably because four weeks before sportsmen participate in 10th International Masters' Sprint Games in Moscow. We hope that in the years to come there will be more participants in "Kolomna Ice" !!!
Results: https://www.speedskatingnews.info/en/results/?eventID=38222 or 8th-Kolomna-Ice---results.pdf
Photo: http://www.kolomna-speed-skating.com/news/1956
            http://www.kolomna-speed-skating.com/news/1985

It was not an easy task - the organization of the 10th Sprint Games in Moscow. At first it seemed that everything is clear and you just need to make some efforts and everything will be fine! If life was so simple! But here are all the problems behind and you can meet old friends, completely immersed in the atmosphere of the holiday. I would like to note the excellent work of the Organizing Committee headed by Vladimir Letunov. Everyone knew his place, volunteers told foreign friends the right directions. Separate words of gratitude to the administration of the Krylatskoye stadium. Ideal conditions - ice temperature -6 C, air temperature +15 C, ice thickness was minimized to achieve excellent glide – ice was perfect! The competitions were held in an atmosphere of friendship and keen competition - such seemingly mutually exclusive concepts are always combined in masters' competitions. As always, one of the most numerous team was sent by the Netherlands. As never before, many skaters flew from Japan and among them the oldest speed skater Iichi Marumo. Frosty and sunny weather made it possible to see the beauties of Moscow before the competitions. The competitions were a success! 82 PB and 290 SB were improved. And few IMSSC records: Alla Berezina (AG75) and Alina Komarova (AG80) made changes to the list of records. The apotheosis of the holiday of skates was, of course, the final banquet. Lovely hall, excellent cuisine created a very warm atmosphere. Pleased with their presence wellknown skaters of the past years - Olympic champion Nikolai Gulyaev, World champion Oleg Bozhyev, prizer of the Olympics Varvara Barysheva, prizers of the World Championships Dmitriy Botchkarev and Andrei Bakhvalov.  The girls band TANSLU led the audience so much that to the end of the party no one could sit at the table, the dance floor was full. Tomoko Vakazuki, as always, was charming in her kimono! But all good things come to the end, and 10th Masters Sprint Games are over. Moscow will miss these wonderful days and will wait next meeting of friends.

P.S. By the way, the most restless skaters did not stop there and went to Baikal! But there was a completely different story.