Contents
Profile
World Figure Skating Championships
- Sport
- Figure skating
- Organiser
- ISU
- Since
- 1896 (men)
- Date
- usually March
- Disciplines
- Women, men, pairs, ice dance
The season highlight
The World Championships come at the end of every season. The first Worlds took place in Saint Petersburg in 1896, for men only at the time. Women got their own championships in 1906, pair skating was added in 1908 and ice dance in 1952. In Olympic years the Worlds still take place, usually a few weeks after the Games.
Qualification
Each national federation may send a certain number of entries per discipline. How many depends on the previous year's results: good placings earn up to three places. In addition, athletes must have achieved minimum scores for the technical elements in the current or previous season. This is meant to ensure that only sufficiently strong skaters take part.
Format
Each discipline has two segments: short program and free skate, or rhythm dance and free dance in ice dance. Only the best after the first segment may compete in the second. The points are added together, and the winner is whoever has the highest total score. Scoring is explained in judging system.
Significance for the Olympics
In the season before an Olympic Games, the Worlds are also the most important qualification for the Games. The placings determine how many Olympic places a country receives. That is why the tension is particularly high in these years, even for skaters who are not fighting for medals.
World champions from the German-speaking region
- Germany: Katarina Witt became world champion four times for East Germany. In pair skating, Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy won five world titles, and Savchenko later won another with Bruno Massot.
- Austria: Emmerich Danzer became world champion three times; Austria produced many world champions, especially in the first half of the 20th century.
- Switzerland: Denise Biellmann became world champion in 1981, Stéphane Lambiel in 2005 and 2006.
Venues
The Worlds move to a different country every year, frequently to Japan, Canada, the USA or Europe. In Germany they have been held in Dortmund and Munich, among other places. For fans, the Worlds are a good opportunity to see all disciplines in one week.
Schedule and exhibition gala
A World Championships usually lasts five to six days. The four disciplines are spread over the week, followed by the exhibition gala on the last day. There the medallists perform programs without scoring, often with show elements. Besides medals, the top skaters also receive prize money.
Frequently asked questions
+Since when have the World Figure Skating Championships existed?
Since 1896, initially only for men.
+When are the World Figure Skating Championships held?
Usually in March, at the end of the season.
+How do skaters qualify?
Via national entry places and minimum scores for the technical elements.
Sources & further links
Editorially researched and checked against association and rulebook information. Found a mistake? Write to us via the Contact page.
Read more in the encyclopedia
Sport
Figure skating
Figure skating combines athleticism and expression: skaters perform jumps, spins and step sequences to music, which a judging panel scores under the ISU judging system. Olympic disciplines are singles, pair skating, ice dance and the team event.
Term
Figure skating judging system (IJS, GOE, PCS)
Since 2004, figure skating has been scored under the ISU Judging System (IJS). The total score is made up of the technical score (base value of the elements plus the GOE execution score) and the program components, minus any deductions, for example for falls.
Term
Short program in figure skating
The short program is the first segment of a singles or pairs figure skating competition. For seniors it lasts around two and a half minutes and contains a fixed number of required elements. Only the best skaters then qualify for the free skate.
Term
Free skate in figure skating
The free skate is the second and longer part of a figure skating competition. For seniors it lasts about four minutes. Skaters have more freedom in choosing elements than in the short program, but must observe maximum numbers and rules.
League & competition
European Figure Skating Championships
The European Figure Skating Championships are the oldest competition on the ISU calendar. The first Europeans took place in Hamburg in 1891. Today they are usually held in January and are the most important title event for European skaters before the World Championships.