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World Figure Skating Championships:

The World Figure Skating Championships ("Worlds") is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion. This event is considered the most prestigious of the ISU Championships (the three other annual figure skating competitions designated "ISU Championships" are the European Figure Skating Championships, the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, and the World Junior Figure Skating Championships), and, with the exception of the Olympic title, a world title is considered to be the highest honor in figure skating. Skaters compete in the categories of men's singles, ladies' singles, pairs, and ice dancing at the World Figure Skating Championships. The competition is generally held in March.

The corresponding competition for Junior-level skaters is the World Junior Championships. The corresponding competition for synchronized skaters is the World Synchronized Skating Championships.

In 2009, the championships will take place in Los Angeles, California, USA from March 23 to 29. In 2010, they will be held in Turin, Italy from March 22 to 28. In 2011, they will be held in Nagano, Japan From March 21 to 27.

Contents

[edit] History

The World Championships were established in 1896. Originally, they contained only the men's event. There was no rule regarding women competing, so in 1902, Madge Syers-Cave competed and won the silver.

The 1903 ISU Congress considered gender issues but passed no new rules. Madge Syers-Cave entered the 1904 competition but withdrew due to injury. The 1905 Congress established a second class ladies competition. Winners were to be known as ISU, not World Champions. Men's and Ladies events were normally held separately. In 1906 Davos was the site of the first ladies competition. [1]

[edit] Qualifying

Figure skaters are entered into the championships by country. Each International Skating Union Member (national association) may enter one skater or team in each event. Some countries are permitted to enter 2 or 3 participants if their skaters performed well at the previous championship.

Because of the large number of entries at the World Championships, for some years the event included qualifying rounds for men and ladies in addition to the normal short program and free skating components. After the 2006 championships in Calgary, Canada, the ISU Congress voted to eliminate the qualifying round for single skaters, leaving just the short program and free skating. After the short program, the top 24 single skaters and top 20 pairs advance to the free skate. In ice dance, the top 30 couples in the compulsory dance advance to the original dance, and the top 24 couples after the original dance advance to the free dance.

Skaters qualify for the World Championships by belonging to a member nation of the ISU. Each country gets one entry in every discipline by default. The most entries a country can have in a single discipline is three. Countries earn a second or third entry for the following year's competition by earning points through skater placement. The points are equal to the sum of the placements of the country's skaters (top two if they have three). Entries do not carry over and so countries must continue to earn their second or third spot every year. If a country only has one skater/team, that skater/team must place in the top ten to earn a second entry and in the top two to earn three entries to next year's championships. If a country has two skaters/teams, the combined placement of those teams must be 13 or fewer to qualify 3 entries, and 28 or fewer to keep their two entries. If they do not do so, they only have one entry for the following year.

Number of skaters/teams To earn 3 entries To earn 2 entries
1 Place in the top 2 Place in the top 10
2 Total placements is equal to or less than 13 Total placements is equal to or less than 28
3 Top two placements is equal to or less than 13 Top two placements is equal to or less than 28

There are exceptions if a skater is forced to withdraw in the middle of the competition due to a medical emergency or equipment problems.

Which skaters from each country attend the World Championships is at the national governing body's discretion. Some countries rely on the results of their national championships while others have more varied criteria based on international success at competitions such as the European Figure Skating Championships and the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. Selections vary by country.

Skaters must be older than fifteen as of July 1st the previous year to compete. The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is the corresponding competition for skaters at age 13 to 19 who are not old enough for senior Worlds or do not qualify. In previous years there was a loophole that skaters who were not age-eligible for senior Worlds but had medalled at Junior Worlds could compete at senior Worlds, but this loophole has since been closed.

[edit] Multiple spots for 2009 Worlds

The following countries have earned more than one entry to the 2009 World Championships based on performance at the 2008 World Championships.[2]

Spots Men Ladies Pairs Dance
3  Canada
 Japan
 United States
 Japan  Canada
 China
 Germany
 Russia
 France
 United States
2  Belgium
 France
 Russia
 Sweden
 Switzerland
 Canada
 Finland
 Italy
 South Korea
 Switzerland
 United States
 Ukraine
 United States
 Canada
 United Kingdom
 Israel
 Italy
 Russia

[edit] Medalists

[edit] Men


Men's Medalists
Year Location Gold Silver Bronze
1896 Flag of Russia St. Petersburg, Russia Flag of German Empire Gilbert Fuchs Flag of Austria Gustav Hügel Flag of Russia Georg Sanders
1897 Flag of Sweden Stockholm, Sweden Flag of Austria Gustav Hügel Flag of Sweden Ulrich Salchow Flag of Norway Johan Lefstad
1898 Flag of the United Kingdom London, United Kingdom Flag of Sweden Henning Grenander Flag of Austria Gustav Hügel Flag of German Empire Gilbert Fuchs
1899 Flag of Switzerland Davos, Switzerland Flag of Austria Gustav Hügel Flag of Sweden Ulrich Salchow Flag of the United Kingdom Edgar Syers
1900 Flag of Switzerland Davos, Switzerland Flag of Austria Gustav Hügel Flag of Sweden Ulrich Salchow
1901 Flag of Sweden Stockholm, Sweden Flag of Sweden Ulrich Salchow Flag of German Empire Gilbert Fuchs
1902 Flag of the United Kingdom London, United Kingdom Flag of Sweden Ulrich Salchow Flag of the United Kingdom Madge Syers-Cave Flag of German Empire Martin Gordan
1903 Flag of Russia St. Petersburg, Russia Flag of Sweden Ulrich Salchow Flag of Russia Nicolai Panin Kolomenkin Flag of Austria Max Bohatsch
1904 Flag of Germany Berlin, Germany Flag of Sweden Ulrich Salchow Flag of German Empire Heinrich Burger Flag of German Empire Martin Gordan
1905 Flag of Sweden Stockholm, Sweden Flag of Sweden Ulrich Salchow Flag of Austria Max Bohatsch Flag of Sweden Per Thoren
1906 Flag of Germany Munich, Germany Flag of German Empire Gilbert Fuchs Flag of German Empire Heinrich Burger Flag of Sweden Bror Meyer
1907 Flag of Austria-Hungary Vienna, Austria-Hungary Flag of Sweden Ulrich Salchow Flag of Austria Max Bohatsch Flag of German Empire Gilbert Fuchs
1908 Flag of Austria-Hungary Troppau, Austria-Hungary Flag of Sweden Ulrich Salchow Flag of German Empire Gilbert Fuchs Flag of German Empire Heinrich Burger
1909 Flag of Sweden Stockholm, Sweden Flag of Sweden Ulrich Salchow Flag of Sweden Per Thoren Flag of Austria Ernest Herz
1910 Flag of Switzerland Davos, Switzerland Flag of Sweden Ulrich Salchow Flag of German Empire Werner Rittberger Flag of Hungary Andor Szende
1911 Flag of Austria-Hungary Troppau, Austria-Hungary Flag of Sweden Ulrich Salchow Flag of German Empire Werner Rittberger Flag of Austria Fritz Kachler
1912 Flag of the United Kingdom Manchester, United Kingdom Flag of Austria Fritz Kachler Flag of German Empire Werner Rittberger Flag of Hungary Andor Szende
1913 Flag of Austria-Hungary Vienna, Austria-Hungary Flag of Austria Fritz Kachler Flag of Austria Willi Böckel Flag of Hungary Andor Szende
1914 Flag of Russia Helsinki, Russia Flag of Sweden Gosta Sandahl Flag of Austria Fritz Kachler Flag of Austria Willi Böckel
1915 - 1921 no championships were held (World War I)
1922 Flag of Sweden Stockholm, Sweden Flag of Sweden Gillis Grafström Flag of Austria Fritz Kachler Flag of Austria Willi Böckel
1923 Flag of Sweden Stockholm, Sweden Flag of Austria Fritz Kachler Flag of Austria Willi Böckel Flag of Sweden Gosta Sandahl
1924 Flag of Sweden Stockholm, Sweden Flag of Sweden Gillis Grafström Flag of Austria Willi Böckel Flag of Austria Ernst Oppacher
1925 Flag of Austria Vienna, Austria Flag of Austria Willi Böckel Flag of Austria Fritz Kachler Flag of Austria Otto Preissecker
1926 Flag of Weimar Republic Berlin, Germany Flag of Austria Willi Böckel Flag of Austria Otto Preissecker Flag of the United Kingdom John Page
1927 Flag of Switzerland Davos, Switzerland Flag of Austria Willi Böckel Flag of Austria Otto Preissecker Flag of Austria Karl Schäfer
1928 Flag of Weimar Republic Berlin, Germany Flag of Austria Willi Böckel Flag of Austria Karl Schäfer Flag of Austria Hugo Distler
1929 Flag of the United Kingdom London, United Kingdom Flag of Sweden Gillis Grafström Flag of Austria Karl Schäfer Flag of Austria Ludwig Wrede
1930 Flag of the United States New York City, United States Flag of Austria Karl Schäfer Flag of the United States Roger Turner Flag of Switzerland Georg Gautschi
1931 Flag of Weimar Republic Berlin, Germany Flag of Austria Karl Schäfer Flag of the United States Roger Turner Flag of Germany Ernst Baier
1932 Flag of Canada Montreal, Canada Flag of Austria Karl Schäfer Flag of Canada Montgomery Wilson Flag of Germany Ernst Baier
1933 Flag of Switzerland Zurich, Switzerland Flag of Austria Karl Schäfer Flag of Germany Ernst Baier Flag of Finland Markus Nikkanen
1934 Flag of Sweden Stockholm, Sweden Flag of Austria Karl Schäfer Flag of Germany Ernst Baier Flag of Austria Erich Erdos
1935 Flag of Hungary Budapest, Hungary Flag of Austria Karl Schäfer Flag of the United Kingdom Jack Dunn Flag of Hungary Denes Pataky
1936 Flag of France Paris, France Flag of Austria Karl Schäfer Flag of the United Kingdom Graham Sharp Flag of Austria Felix Kaspar
1937 Flag of the United Kingdom London, United Kingdom Flag of Austria Felix Kaspar Flag of the United Kingdom Graham Sharp Flag of Hungary Elmer Tertak
1938 Flag of Germany Berlin, Germany Flag of Austria Felix Kaspar Flag of the United Kingdom Graham Sharp Flag of Austria Herbert Alward
1939 Flag of Germany Berlin, Germany Flag of the United Kingdom Graham Sharp Flag of the United Kingdom Freddie Tomlins Flag of Germany Horst Faber
1940 - 1946 not held due to World War II
1947 Flag of Sweden Stockholm, Sweden Flag of Switzerland Hans Gerschwiler Flag of the United States Richard Button Flag of the United Kingdom Arthur Apfel
1948 Flag of Switzerland Davos, Switzerland Flag of the United States Richard Button Flag of Switzerland Hans Gerschwiler Flag of Hungary Ede Király
1949 Flag of France Paris, France Flag of the United States Richard Button Flag of Hungary Ede Király Flag of Austria Edi Rada
1950 Flag of the United Kingdom London, United Kingdom Flag of the United States Richard Button Flag of Hungary Ede Király Flag of the United States Hayes Alan Jenkins
1951 Flag of Italy Milan, Italy Flag of the United States Richard Button Flag of the United States James Grogan Flag of Austria Helmut Seibt
1952 Flag of France Paris, France Flag of the United States Richard Button Flag of the United States James Grogan Flag of the United States Hayes Alan Jenkins
1953 Flag of Switzerland Davos, Switzerland Flag of the United States Hayes Alan Jenkins Flag of the United States James Grogan Flag of Italy Carlo Fassi
1954 Flag of Norway Oslo, Norway Flag of the United States Hayes Alan Jenkins Flag of the United States James Grogan Flag of France Alain Giletti
1955 Flag of Austria Vienna, Austria Flag of the United States Hayes Alan Jenkins Flag of the United States Ronald Robertson Flag of the United States David Jenkins
1956 Flag of Germany Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany Flag of the United States Hayes Alan Jenkins Flag of the United States Ronald Robertson Flag of the United States David Jenkins
1957 Flag of the United States Colorado Springs, United States Flag of the United States David Jenkins Flag of the United States Tim Brown Flag of Canada Charles Snelling
1958 Flag of France Paris, France Flag of the United States David Jenkins Flag of the United States Tim Brown Flag of France Alain Giletti
1959 Flag of the United States Colorado Springs, United States Flag of the United States David Jenkins Flag of Canada Donald Jackson Flag of the United States Tim Brown
1960 Flag of Canada Vancouver, Canada Flag of France Alain Giletti Flag of Canada Donald Jackson Flag of France Alain Calmat
1961 Cancelled after Sabena Flight 548 crash
1962 Flag of the Czech Republic Prague, Czechoslovakia Flag of Canada Donald Jackson Flag of the Czech Republic Karol Divín Flag of France Alain Calmat
1963 Flag of Italy Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy Flag of Canada Donald McPherson Flag of France Alain Calmat Flag of Germany Manfred Schnelldorfer
1964 Flag of Germany Dortmund, West Germany Flag of Germany Manfred Schnelldorfer Flag of France Alain Calmat Flag of the Czech Republic Karol Divín
1965 Flag of the United States Colorado Springs, United States Flag of France Alain Calmat Flag of the United States Scott Allen Flag of Canada Donald Knight
1966 Flag of Switzerland Davos, Switzerland Flag of Austria Emmerich Danzer Flag of Austria Wolfgang Schwarz Flag of the United States Gary Visconti
1967 Flag of Austria Vienna, Austria Flag of Austria Emmerich Danzer