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.

[edit] History

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (April 2007)

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