From Irvine to Prague: Great Park Ice Sends Five Skaters to Worlds
These Irvine-based skaters are headed to the ISU 2026 World Championships, which begin March 24. From left: Katie McBeath, Daniil Parkman, Sofia Samodelkina, Georgii Reshtenko, and Andrew Torgashev.
Photo credit Great Park Ice
A group of figure skaters who train at Irvine's Great Park Ice will head to the ISU 2026 World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic from March 24-29. They represent three disciplines and three countries: Andrew Torgashev (USA) and Georgii Reshtenko (Czech Republic) in men's singles, Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman (USA) in pairs, and Sofia Samodelkina (Kazakhstan) in women's singles.
Great Park Ice has assembled a slate of elite coaches supporting these world-class athletes. Torgashev and Samodelkina train with renowned coach Rafael Arutyunyan. Reshtenko works with both Arutyunyan and Michal Březina, a four-time Olympian for the Czech Republic. McBeath and Parkman train with coaches Jenni Meno and Brandon Frazier.
During an unseasonably hot day for March, The Vine sat down with the five skaters at Great Park Ice to discuss their preparation for Worlds and the training group they’ve built along the way.
While they will compete under different flags, the group trains side by side in Irvine. Together, they have developed a support system that travels with them.
“We practice together,” said Reshtenko. “We go through hard times all together. The season is so long, but we help each other. I think it's very cool that we train in the same group, and we go there together.”
That connection shows up in competition, too. The skaters regularly attend each other’s events, cheering each other on and celebrating one another’s successes.
“We’re a very special group,” said McBeath. “We’re a very supportive, good-hearted group of people that’s going to represent the rink and represent our countries.”
That sense of unity starts with the environment they share every day.
“There is a great training atmosphere for us here,” said Torgashev. “I'm really happy to represent Southern California. I hope it brings more skaters here.”
Great Park Ice features four sheets of ice and a full arena. These resources allow multiple elite athletes to train simultaneously.
Torgashev practices a series of jumps on Rink 2 at Great Park Ice. Reshtenko, also preparing for Worlds, and Junior Nationals finalist Kirk Haugeto can be seen training alongside him. Torgashev recently represented the United States at the Winter Olympics.
Media credit The Vine
“Ice is ice, regardless,” Torgashev said, “but it's a beautiful facility. We have four really good sheets of ice, and the quality is really good. We're a bit spoiled.”
For Parkman, the rink also carries a legacy.
“It’s really inspiring to train on the same ice on which Nathan Chen has been [practicing] for his most perfect competitions,” he said. “Definitely this is also pushing you.”
But what sets this group apart isn’t just what happens during practice.
Away from the rink, the skaters spend time together and build the kind of relationships that make a long season more manageable.
“We like to do team building,” Reshtenko said. “We can go barbecue, go to the pool, go to the beach, tennis, soccer, bowling. We like to spend our free time doing something together.”
Although none of the skaters headed to Worlds are originally from California, many have built a life here beyond training.
“I've found some good people that are here in California,” said McBeath. “My trainer, physical therapists, Pilates instructor. I love working with them.”
Parkman and McBeath practice their short program ahead of the World Championships on Rink 4 at Great Park Ice.
Media credit The Vine
That balance has also shaped how they recharge.
“I've recently gotten into some hiking,” McBeath said. “I was recently in Yosemite and Joshua Tree. Anything outdoors here in California, it's perfect.”
For Samodelkina, that environment translates directly into confidence heading into Worlds.
“I feel really grateful,” she said. “Great Park shows support of our athletes, so I feel confident. I'm really excited.”
Parkman echoed that sense of purpose.
“We feel really excited and honored to represent Great Park,” he said. “We hope we will be able to bring our best there.”
As they prepare to take the ice on one of the sport’s biggest stages, the skaters know they will have supportive teammates by their side.
“It’s really hard to find such a facility,” Reshtenko said. “We’re so lucky.”
At the World Championships, no matter which flag appears next to their name, they’ll carry the support, trust, and friendships they built in Irvine onto the ice.
Follow Irvine’s skaters as they compete at the ISU World Championships here.