ISU Championships

The ISU World Figure Skating Championships is the most prestigious annual event in the field of Figure Skating. It awards titles in the Men’s Singles, Women’ Singles, Pair Skating and Ice Dance disciplines. Skaters eligible for the competition must belong to an ISU Member nation and need to have reached a minimum total technical score (in both Short Program/ Rhythm Dance and Free Skating/Dance segments) at an ISU recognized international competition during the ongoing or preceding season in order to compete*. 

*Skaters must fulfill a number of further participation requirements as specified in the ISU Constitution and General Regulations 2022(see Rules 102, 108, 109 and 130 and ISU Communication N. 2030).

The ISU European Figure Skating Championships first took place in 1891 in Hamburg (GER) and the ISU decided to continue to hold the event annually as from 1892 onwards. It is the oldest of the four annual Figure Skating competitions in the ISU Calendar (view here). The Championships awards titles in the Men’s Singles, Women’ Singles, Pair Skating and Ice Dance disciplines. Skaters eligible for the event must represent a European member nation of the ISU and need to have reached a minimum total technical score (in both Short Program/ Rhythm Dance and Free Skating/Dance segments) at an ISU recognized international competition during the ongoing or preceding season in order to compete*.

*Skaters must fulfill a number of further participation requirements as specified in the ISU Constitution and General Regulations 2022 (see Rules 102, 108, 109 and 130 and ISU Communication N. 2030).

The ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships is an annual Figure Skating competition that started in 1999. The name of the event refers to the four world regions of Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania. The Championships awards titles in the Men’s Singles, Women’ Singles, Pair Skating and Ice Dance disciplines. Skaters eligible for the competition must belong to a non-European member nation of the ISU. To compete, Skaters need to have reached a minimum total technical score (in both Short Program/Rhythm Dance and Free Skating/Dance segments) at an ISU recognized international competition during the ongoing or preceding season*.

*Skaters must fulfill a number of further participation requirements as specified in the ISU Constitution and General Regulations 2022 (see Rules 102, 108, 109 and 130  and ISU Communication N. 2030).

The ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships started in 1976 and is the most prestigious annual international competition for junior Skaters. The up and coming Skaters of the world aged 13 to 19 (21 for the male Ice Dance and Pair Skating partners) compete for the World Junior Titles in the Men’s Singles, Women’ Singles, Pair Skating and Ice Dance disciplines. Skaters eligible for the event must represent an ISU member nation and need to have reached a minimum total technical score (in both Short Program/Rhythm Dance and Free Skating/Dance segments) at an ISU recognized international competition during the ongoing or preceding season in order to compete*.

*Skaters must fulfill a number of further participation requirements as specified in the ISU Constitution and General Regulations 2022 (see Rules 102, 108, 109 and 130  and ISU Communication N. 2030).

The ISU World Team Trophy exists since 2009 and is held biennially. The format is based on a competition consisting of the six best national teams from ISU Members with a special provision for the host ISU Member to be included. Each team is composed of two Men, two Ladies, one Pair Skating couple and one Ice Dance couple, i.e. a total of eight skaters per team. The team event consists of two phases of competition, the Short Program/Short Dance and the Free Skating/Free Dance. Teams earn points through the placements of their competitors.

The teams qualify based on a scoring scale used for the ISU World Standing points scored by their best two Women and Men, their best Pair and best Ice Dance couple primarily at ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating events and Final and the ISU World Figure Skating Championships, plus possibly the other ISU Championships and Junior Grand Prix of the season in which the ISU Team Trophy is held.