The calendar of figure skating competitions in the 2017-2018 season will be rich in high-profile events! World and European championships, the Olympic tournament, numerous commercial championships and national competitions - this is what a fan of skates and ice will see. But the main icing on the cake will be the Olympic tournament at the Winter Olympics in the Korean city of Pyeongchang. This is the most prestigious competition among figure skaters. Athletes and fans have been preparing for it for the past four years!
Schedule of competitions in the season 2017 - 2018
In total, there are 5 significant events of the international level in the competitive calendar of skaters:
- Grand Prix in figure skating;
- European championship;
- championship of four continents;
- Olympic tournament;
- world championship.
We will analyze each competition separately.
Brief description of international sporting events
Figure Skating Grand Prix 2017 - 2018 (October - December 2017)
This is a prestigious commercial tournament that brings together the best skaters in the world. Participants of the competition are not selected on a national basis, but on the basis of an individual rating. The competition will consist of 6 stages and the final. Here is what the event calendar for the 2017-2018 season looks like:
- October 20 - 22, 2017: Cup of Russia (Russia);
- October 27 - 29: Skate Canada (Canada);
- November 3-5: Cup of China (China);
- November 10-12: NHK Trophy (Japan);
- November 17-19: Trophée Eric Bompard (France);
- November 24 - 26: Skate America (USA).
Based on the results of the rounds, the best athletes will be selected for the Grand Prix finals. They will meet in the culminating competition, which will be held in the Japanese city of Nagoya on December 7 - 10, 2017.
European Championship 2018 (15 – 21 January 2018)
The next edition of the most prestigious championship in figure skating on the European continent. The last time the athletes were hosted by the Czech city of Ostrava. Russia will become the host country in 2018. Skaters will compete at one of the Moscow ice arenas.
A sporting event in terms of popularity is inferior to the World Cup, and even more so to the Winter Olympic Games. But this does not prevent the European Championship from remaining in the center of attention for figure skating fans around the world!
Four Continents Championship 2018 (January 22-28, 2018)
This is a competition held between athletes from America, Asia, Africa, Australia and even Oceania. In a way, this is the championship of the planet without participants from Europe. Over the years of its existence, the competition has gained considerable popularity. Therefore, Taipei, where the next edition of the tournament will take place, these January days will become a mecca for millions of skate and ice lovers!
Olympic tournament (9 - 25 February 2018)
The most important event of the season! As part of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Korea, competitions in many sports disciplines will be held. Particular attention will be paid to the performances of the figure skaters, which will be held within the walls of the Gyeongpo Ice Hall. Surely they will arouse keen interest among domestic figure skating fans. Firstly, Olympic medals are the highest achievement of any athlete and a great honor for the country he represents. Secondly, the fans still remember the triumph of Russia at the winter games in Sochi, so the hope for a repeat of the triumph lives in the hearts of Russians!
World Championship 2018 (March 19 - 25, 2018)
The second most important competition in this sport after the Olympics. The tournament is organized every year in one of the countries of the planet. This time Italian Milan will host athletes from dozens of countries. Last year's draw of the competition was remembered for the victory in women's single skating by Evgenia Medvedeva. But Russian fans, spoiled by high-profile victories, would like more ... It is very possible that their dreams will come true in Milan!
Afterword
This is how the list of the most significant events that will take place in the 2017-2018 season looks like. It is gratifying that representatives of Russia will participate in all these sporting events. And not as extras, but as one of the main contenders for high awards. Russia has repeatedly proved by deeds that it is a great sports power. The upcoming season will be another opportunity for our country to loudly declare its claims to hegemony in figure skating!
The 2017-2018 Figure Skating Grand Prix series is a unique chance to see the best athletes compete for the honorary trophy. This commercial tournament attracts the attention of all fans of "dancing on ice", and the attendance of performances is only increasing. Winners of ice skating will be named based on the results of several competitive weeks.
The 2017-2018 Figure Skating Grand Prix consists of six separate stages that will take place in different countries, as well as one final round. The start of the competition is scheduled for August 21, and the end - for October 15. Athletes who have won the most points in the sum of all performances go to the final competition in Japanese Nagoya (December 7-10, 2017). Skaters who took the first six places in the past enjoy special preferences.
The scoring system for singles is as follows:
- 1st place - 15;
- 2nd place - 13;
- 3rd place - 11;
- 4th place - 9;
- 5th place - 7;
- 6th place - 5;
- 7th place - 4;
- 8th place - 3.
For greenhouses, points are awarded only for the first six lines in the protocol. In total, the tournament provides for 4 competitive categories: men's and women's single skating, sports dancing, pair skating. Up to 12 participants or pairs are allowed in a separate discipline, and the host country of the stage can curl up to 3 representatives in a separate competitive category.
Who will be allowed to the tournament?
In the Grand Prix in figure skating 2017-2018, only athletes who have reached the age of 15 at the time of the stage can compete. In addition, the participant is obliged to score a set number of points in previous tournaments. "Passing points" were set by the organizers of the competition at the following level:
- for men in single skating - 160, 67;
- for women in single skating - 130.97;
- for ice dancers - 113.74;
- for couples - 135.42.
As mentioned earlier, a certain quota for the finals in Japan is given to the first six skaters who excel at the World Championships in their competitive disciplines. These athletes receive the status of "seeded".
Tournament Schedule
You can find the schedule of the Grand Prix in figure skating for the 2017-2018 season in the following table:
the date of the | Name | Location |
"Cup of Russia" | Russia Moscow |
|
Skate Canada | Canada, Regina |
|
"Audi Cup of China" | China, Beijing |
|
Japan, Osaka |
||
Trophee de France | France, Grenoble |
|
"Skate America" | USA, Lake Placid |
|
"Grand Prix Final" | Japan, Nagoya |
As for tickets, at the Russian stage of the Grand Prix, their cost will vary between 1.5-20 thousand rubles. The main part of the tickets will go on sale two months before the start of the event.
Participants from Russia
At the moment, the Figure Skating Federation of the Russian Federation has determined almost all the athletes who will fight for getting into the final part of the tournament. Among men, the following names stand out:
- Maxim Kovtun;
- Mikhail Kolyada;
- Dmitry Aliev;
- Alexander Samarin.
Unfortunately, in men's single skating, the change of generations has dragged on. The glory of Alexei Yagudin and Evgeni Plushenko has long faded, and figure skaters from Russia are not yet able to pick up the fallen banner of the undeniably best on the planet. Maxim Kovtun has more or less good prospects for qualifying for the finals, while the rest of the galaxy of athletes have a long way to go to improve.
In women's single skating, the honor of the country will be defended by Evgenia Medvedeva, Elena Radionova, Alena Leonova, Anna Pogorilaya and others. It is noteworthy that neither Adelina Sotnikova nor Yulia Lipnitskaya will take part in the Grand Prix. The reasons for the absence of champions in 2014 are not reported.
In pair skating, Russia will be represented by:
- Ksenia Stolbova / Fedor Klimov;
- Natalia Zabiyako/Alexander Enbert;
- Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov;
- Kristina Astakhova/Alexey Rogonov and others.
In the dance discipline, Ekaterina Bobrova / Dmitry Solovyov, Victoria Sinitsyna / Nikita Katsalapov, Alla Loboda / Pavel Drozd, Alexandra Stepanova / Ivan Bukin will demonstrate their programs. In this spectacular form of the program, which combines elements of choreography and acrobatics, a number of Russians have good chances of qualifying for the final.
On the eve of the Grand Prix in figure skating 2017-2018, it will become one of the most interesting sporting events, where the best athletes of our time will show their skills. The spectators of the tournament are waiting for the intensity of emotions, uncompromising struggle, amazingly beautiful elements of rolling on ice.
The performance of the Russian figure skater Evgenia Medvedeva in the final of the Grand Prix 2016, see the following video:
Championship regulations
According to the rules of the tournament, the skaters included in the rating of the International Figure Skating Association have the right to participate in it. The Grand Prix program includes 4 main rounds:
- single skating (men);
- single skating (women);
- pair skating;
- sports dancing on ice.
The calendar of games consists of 6 stages and 1 final performance. In the process of passing each stage, the participants of the championship score points, the sum of which forms the final standings. It will include athletes who have managed to accumulate the highest number of points.
Skaters who excelled at the last World Championships, which took place in Helsinki in 2017, enjoy special privileges. Athletes who take one of the top 6 positions in the standings receive the status of “seeded”, i.e. tournament favourites.
Participants of the Grand Prix
In addition to the above, the championship regulations provide for several additional requirements for athletes, namely, the participant must be at least 15 years old and get a certain number of points in one of the tournaments preceding the Grand Prix. “Passing scores” look like this:
- men (single skating): 160.67;
- women (single skating): 130.97;
- pair skating: 135.42;
- sports dancing: 113.74.
Teams consisting of 12 athletes and, accordingly, the same number of couples can take part in each of the presented disciplines. However, the Grand Prix regulations provide for the only exception - the host country of the tournament has the right to delegate up to 3 of its athletes to each of the categories.
Where will the championship take place?
As mentioned above, the schedule of the upcoming competition consists of 6 stages, which are traditionally held in the following countries:
- Skate America (United States of America);
- Skate Canada (Canada);
- Cup of Russia (RF);
- Trophée Eric Bompard (France);
- Cup of China (PRC);
- NHK Trophy (Japan).
All six stages will be held from October to December 2017. The competition will end with a series of final performances. Last year, the final performances took place from December 8th to 10th in Marseille, France. The 2017-2018 Grand Prix Final is scheduled for December 8-10, 2017. It will be held in Japanese Nagoya as part of the NHK Trophy stage.
Representatives from Russia
For Russian fans of figure skating, first of all, the composition of the national team is interesting. Currently, the exact list of participants from Russia has not been published, however, it is likely that some of the athletes who performed in the final part of the last Grand Prix will take part in the upcoming championship.
- Category “Women's Singles” People: Anna Pogorilaya, Evgenia Medvedeva, Elena Rodionova, Maria Sotskova.
- Category “pair skating”: Vladimir Morozov and Evgenia Tarasova.
- Category “sports dancing on ice”: Dmitry Solovyov and Ekaterina Bobrova.
In the 2015-2016 season, our team was represented in three of the four disciplines of the Grand Prix stages. Despite the fact that the Russian team failed to win a full set of awards, domestic fans do not lose hope that in 2017 our athletes will be able to catch up and rise to the top steps of the podium both in singles and in the overall standings.
It is worth recalling that the broadcast of all performances of the future Grand Prix will be available on the air of most Russian sports channels and web resources.
Video
World junior champions Yekaterina Aleksandrovskaya (18) and Harley Windsor (21) are performing together for the second season.
Ekaterina was born on January 1, 2000 in Moscow. Until December 2011, she was engaged in single skating at the CSKA Sports School (Moscow), first with Inna Goncharenko, later with Svetlana Sokolovskaya. In the spring of 2012, she moved to Dnepropetrovsk, where for the first time she paired up with Vladislav Lysov in the pair skating group of the Meteor SC with coach Vladislav Zhovnirsky.
But in 2014, the girl returns to Moscow and becomes a couple with Alexander Epifanov at the Inspiration Sports School of the Vorobyovy Gory Sports School. However, due to low results, the couple does not seek the right to compete at international competitions.
In the spring of 2016, Ekaterina received an offer from the Australian Federation to perform with Harley Windsor under the guidance of Russian coaches Andrey Khekalo and Nina Moser. In the summer, the Russian Federation agreed to change Catherine's sports citizenship.
And since the 2016/17 season, Alexandrovskaya has been playing for Australia. In early September, the couple made their debut on the international arena in Ostrava at the junior stage of the Grand Prix, where they took a place at the bottom of the standings. However, a month later in Tallinn at the next junior stage of the Grand Prix, they caused a sensation and won it. This allowed them to become the first substitutes for the final itself. In doing so, they qualified for the continental and junior championships.
A week later, the skaters also made their debut among adults in Espoo at the Trophy of Finland, where they were in the middle of the table.
At the beginning of December 2016 in Melbourne, Alexandrovskaya and Windsor confidently became the champions of Australia. At the Junior Grand Prix Final in Marseille, the Australian skaters finished fifth, but managed to improve their previous achievement in the short program.
In mid-February 2017, the couple made their first debut in South Korea at the continental championship, but did not perform quite confidently, finishing at the bottom of the standings.
Figure Skating Grand Prix 2017/2018 is the next edition of the main commercial figure skating tournament. The championship consists of six stages and the final, which will be held in different cities of the world. Russia will not stand aside either. Moscow will host the very first round of the competition. The competition in the Russian capital will be held from 20 to 22 October 2017. I really want to believe that native walls will bring good luck to our masters!
Tournament Regulations
This is a multi-stage championship, consisting of several tournaments, each of which takes place in a separate country. In the season 2017 - 2018, the stages of the Grand Prix in figure skating will be held in six states:
- Russia;
- Japan;
- Canada;
- France;
- China.
12 skaters/pairs take part in each round. They will compete in four disciplines:
- men's single skating;
- dancing on Ice;
- women's single skating;
- pair skating.
The best 6 skaters/pairs, who scored the most points at the end of the stages, are selected for the final. They play championship medals.
Figure Skating Grand Prix Schedule 2017/2018
Viewers will be able to cheer for their favorites from October 20 to December 10, 2017. Here's what the competition calendar looks like:
- October 20 - 22: Rostelecom Cup (Russia, Moscow);
- October 27 - 29: "Skate Canada" (Canada, Regina);
- November 3 - 5: Cup of China (China, Beijing);
- November 10 - 12: Japan Cup (Japan, Osaka);
- November 17 - 19: French Cup (France, Grenoble);
- December 7 - 10: final (Japan, Nagoya).
The first round of the Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2017/18 will take place in Moscow, and the last round in French Grenoble.
Also, the Grand Prix will be held for juniors. Competitions for girls and boys will be organized from August 23 to December 10. Fans will see the following stages:
- August 23 - 26 (Australia, Brisbane);
- August 31 - September 2 (Austria, Salzburg);
- September 6 - 9 (Latvia, Riga);
- September 20 - 24 (Belarus, Minsk);
- September 27 - 30 (Croatia, Zagreb);
- October 4 - 7 (Poland, Gdansk);
- October 11 - 14 (Italy, Enya / Bolzano).
The Grand Prix Final in figure skating 2017/2018 for adult and junior figure skaters will be joint. Culminating performances will be held in the Japanese city of Nagoya. Figure skaters will compete for medals from 7 to 10 December 2017.
Participants of the Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2017/18
Dozens of athletes from many countries of the world will take part in the competition. But the most interesting and memorable will be the performances of athletes representing the main "figure powers". These include China, Canada, Japan and Russia, and to a lesser extent the US, France, Italy and Spain.
Naturally, the main object of attention from domestic fans at the Grand Prix in figure skating will be participants from Russia. Our representatives are able to compete in any competitive categories. This is what the achievements of the Russians looked like at the last Grand Prix.
Women
We were ahead of the rest. The entire top three was occupied by Russians. The best was Evgenia Medvedeva, followed by Anna Pogorilaya and Elena Radionova. On account of their silver and bronze, respectively. There is no doubt that our athletes will surprise with more than one medal in women's single skating.
Couples
The duet Evgeny Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov has the best result. They took the 5th place... We have strong couples, so the fans have the right to look at the future competition with optimism.
Dance Sport
The duet Ekaterina Bobrova/Sergey Solovyov was not enough to get into the top three. The Russian couple became only the 4th. In this competitive category, our athletes are not very strong. But they can definitely compete for medals.
Men
Here the Russians are traditionally bad. Figure skaters from Russia did not even make it to the final five. It seems that there are at least a dime a dozen talented skaters: Kovtun, Akimov, Gachinsky ... But there is no worthy result. Isn't it time to shoot our guys?!
Afterword
Well, we are waiting for October and buying tickets for the Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2017/18. The upcoming competition draw promises to attract more than one ambitious star. And where there is ambition, there is always an irreconcilable struggle and transcendent emotions. Therefore, the audience should not get bored!