The start of the World Cup is not far off. figure skating 2017, which will be held in the capital of Finland, Helsinki. March 29, when the 2017 World Figure Skating Championships kick off, will be the first competition day, and April 2 world championship will end with demonstration performances.
Where will the 2017 World Figure Skating Championships take place?
As we already mentioned, the 2017 World Figure Skating Championships will be hosted by Finland, or rather Helsinki. The competition will take place at the famous Hartwall Arena, where, in particular, the ice hockey Jokerit and the national ice hockey team of Finland receive their rivals. The Hartwall Arena seats 13.5 thousand spectators. We add that the owner of the Hartwall Arena is Russian businessman Gennady Timchenko.
The decision to hold the 2017 World Figure Skating Championships in Helsinki was made by the International Skating Union in the summer of 2014. By the way, for holding World Figure Skating Championships 2017 Russian Sochi also claimed, but the final choice was made in favor of Helsinki.
World Figure Skating Championships 2017: tickets
You can order tickets for the 2017 World Figure Skating Championships on the official website of the tournament - www.helsinki2017.com. Fans of figure skating should hurry up with the purchase of tickets for the World Cup. In Finland, a lot of interest is expected in the tournament, in addition, several thousand fans will come to Helsinki from other countries. The "Hartwall-Arena" can accommodate, as we have already said, 13 and a half thousand people.
World Figure Skating Championships 2017: participants from Russia
Note that the final composition of the Russian national team for the World Figure Skating Championships will be announced in mid-March. It is worth noting that in men's single skating Russia will be represented by 2 figure skaters, in women's single skating- 3 figure skaters, in the competition of sports pairs - 3 tandems, and in ice dancing - 2 pairs.
Below we present the composition of the Russian national figure skating team at the recent European Championship, on the basis of which the composition for the world championship will be formed.
Women: Evgenia Medvedeva, Maria Sotskova, Anna Pogorilaya.
Subs: Elena Radionova, Stanislava Konstantinova, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva.
Men: Mikhail Kolyada, Alexander Samarin, Maxim Kovtun.
Subs: Andrey Lazukin, Dmitry Aliev, Alexander Petrov.
Sports couples: Ksenia Stolbova / Fedor Klimov, Evgenia Tarasova / Vladimir Morozov, Natalia Zabiyako / Alexander Enbert.
Subs: Christina Astakhova / Alexey Rogonov, Yuko Kawaguchi / Alexander Smirnov, Anastasia Mishina / Vladislav Mirzoev.
Ice dancing: Ekaterina Bobrova / Dmitry Solovyov, Alexandra Stepanova / Ivan Bukin, Victoria Sinitsina / Nikita Katsalapov.
Subs: Elena Ilinykh / Ruslan Zhiganshin, Tiffany Zagorski / Jonathan Gureiro, Sofia Evdokimova / Egor Bazin.
2017 World Figure Skating Championships: Schedule
Briefly about the schedule of the World Figure Skating Championships 2017. The calendar is as follows: March 29 from short program sports couples and women will perform. On March 30, men will perform a short dance, and sports couples will show a free program. On the last day of March, 31st, women will perform a free program, and ice dancing is scheduled for March 31 short rental... Finally, on April 1 - April Fool's Day - dance duets and men will compete for medals, while demonstration performances.
From March 29 to April 2, 2017, the World Figure Skating Championship was held in Helsinki. The Finnish capital hosted the world championship for the third time, before that Helsinki hosted the strongest figure skaters in the world in 1983 and 1999.
The tournament took place on home arena Club Continental hockey league"Jokerit", which can accommodate more than 12 thousand spectators.
2017 Figure Skating World Championships Schedule and Results
March 29, Wednesday
10:15 Women (short program)
Best result in the short program was shown by Evgenia Medvedeva, who scored 79.01 points.
18:10 Sports couples (short program)
A pair from China Sui Wenjing and Han Cong took first place, Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov showed the third result.
March 30, Thursday
12:30 Men (short program)
Javier Fernandez from Spain scored 109.05 points, the best of the Russians Mikhail Kolyada showed the seventh result.
18:55 Sports couples (free program)
According to the results of the short and free skating, Wenjing and Tsong scored 235.06 points and took first place. Tarasova and Morozov showed the fourth result in free program, but eventually won the bronze.
March 31, Friday
11:00 Ice Dance (short program)
Canadian couple Tessa Vertiu and Scott Moir set a new world record in the short program (82.43 points).
18:00 Women (free program)
Evgenia Medvedeva scored 233.41 points (a new world record) after two performances and won a gold medal.
April 1, Saturday
10:50 Men (free program)
Japanese Yuzuru Hanyu, who showed only the fifth result in the short program, eventually won a medal of the highest standard.
16:35 Ice dancing (free program)
Vertyu and Moir won gold, Russian couple Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitry Soloviev took fifth place.
How much did the tickets cost?
The cheapest ticket to the competition cost € 20.17, the most expensive € 129.5. It was possible to get to the demonstration performances by paying from 37.5 to 109.5 euros.
Results of Russian figure skaters at the 2016 World Figure Skating Championships
At the World Championships in Boston, our skaters won gold and bronze medals. Evgenia Medvedeva, after the short program, took third place, and for the free program she received a record 150.10 points at that time. As a result, our skater won gold, 8 points ahead of American Ashley Wagner. The bronze medal went to Anna Pogorila.
In men's singles skating, in sports pairs and ice dancing, the Russians were left behind the prize-winners. The best result was shown by Mikhail Kolyada (4th place), Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov (4th place), Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov (9th place in dances).
Figure skating. Already now there is a general picture of which athletes will perform on the ice, and who will compete with them for places on the podium. For all fans there is an acute question: "What is the quality of the medal, will my favorite ice dancers win?" It's no secret that figure skating is dominated by not so many countries, not all powers have strong coaches and appropriate schools. Let's take a closer look at all the facts of the upcoming event that are of interest to the viewer.
Where will the World Championship 2017 take place
The capital of Finland, Helsinki, will host the battles of the world's most powerful figure skaters. Tournament will be held presumably in late March - early April (29.03-2.04). ISU made a decision in favor of the Finnish city in June 2014, the Russian Sochi was supposed to compete with the Finns, but the Minister of Sports Mutko rejected the application Russian Federation believing that Russia will still have time to host the tournament in the future. The Finnish side hosted the 2009 European Championship, so they have enough experience to host the World Figure Skating Championships in 2017. The ice on which we will see the skills of the athletes will be the "Hartwall Arena" - a modern, indoor complex where of various kinds activity. The arena bears its name thanks to its sponsor - a company of the same name, which is engaged in the production of drinks. The opening of the stadium took place at the 1997 Ice Hockey World Cup, it was built in a shape resembling an ellipse, it is noteworthy that the owners of the arena were businessmen from Russia - Timchenko and the Rottenberg brothers, who had lived in the Finnish state for a long time. Hockey "Jokerit" plays here, the complex has hosted the world hockey forum three times, in addition to this, floorball, go-carting and wrestling competitions are held here. "Hartwall" regularly conducts music concerts of both Finnish and world performers, and Eurovision (2007) was not without.
Participants of the World Cup 2017
According to the rules, ISU admits athletes at least sixteen years old (participants must have a date of birth before July 1, 2001). The number of athletes from each country was determined based on the results of the last championship in Boston (USA), in each discipline up to three participants. Countries that can represent more than one participant in each event:
| Quantity | Men | Women | Couples | Dancing |
| 3 | Japan | Russia | Canada | France |
| 2 | Spain | Canada | China Germany |
United Kingdom |
National associations have the right to choose who to send to the tournament, however, participants are required to complete the technical minimum marks at the competition on the eve of the championship. For men, the most stringent rules: short program - 24 points, free program - 64. For women it will be easier, you need 27 and 47 points, respectively. It will be enough for couples to collect 25 and 43 competition points. The selection criteria can at least be called tough, so real pros will come out on the ice in Helsinki. Perhaps only the Olympics are a stronger competition, and given that it will take place already in 2018, the 2017 World Championship will be seen as a "springboard" on the way to Pyeongchang.
Disciplines of the 2017 World Figure Skating Championships
The men's "loner" has always been famous for various innovations, men were kind of pioneers and the most difficult elements we could always see in singles competitions. The great figure skaters Alexei Yagudin and Evgeni Plushenko are worth mentioning, their legendary confrontation in the 2000s brought the sport to a new level.
Men ride in recent times in the following format: all skaters roll back the short program, 24 of them will go further to the free program. Usually, a large number of participants are recruited at European and world forums, in this case, athletes are divided into two groups, one goes on the ice in the morning (these are usually those who have a low rating), under which number each will come out, the draw decides. The evening group is usually the top skaters of the rating, with 12 of them always completing the last two warm-ups. The winner is determined by the total points obtained in aggregate in both programs. Previously, the competitions had differences, everyone started from qualification, the skaters skated "arbitrariness", then 30 of the strongest went to the short program and already 24 from them performed the short program.
Only in 1990, the so-called “obligatory school figures” were canceled, the skaters performed standard circles and turns, the judges then visited the ice and checked who left what mark. Then, under pressure from television, it was canceled due to low entertainment.
Women's figure skating according to the program does not differ from men's, all the same technical minimums for entertainment and the same rating rules. "Revolution" in women's skating made by the Japanese, the mentor Matiko Yamada taught her athletes to demonstrate the maximum technique and complexity of jumps on the ice. The Japanese are famous for their school, having such great skaters as Yukari Nakano, Mao Asada, Mikki Ando, Shizuka Arakawa. Everyone remembered Oksana Baiul with incredible emotionality, her performance at the 1994 Olympics is still considered by many to be the standard of the short program.
Pair performances are considered the most aesthetic type of skating. Partners should be as one whole on the ice and perform all elements in unison. The scheme of performances here is classic, everything starts with qualifications, less eminent athletes ride the free program, elite athletes immediately get into the main round. Then the 20 strongest couples perform in the short program and 16 of them are selected for the free program. However, qualifications for major tournaments a rare occurrence, because, as a rule, there are not so many pairs due to the trauma hazard of this discipline. It is interesting that such elements as: "twist", "support", "ejection" and "todes" have no analogues in singles... However, there are also many prohibited techniques such as:
- "Somersault";
- "Jumping towards a partner";
- "Cascades of 4 or more jumps";
- "Support for prohibited body parts";
- "Supports with a turn of more than 3.5 turns", etc.
Sports dance is the newest discipline that debuted at the Games in 1976.
There is a list required elements, such as:
- "Track of steps";
- "Twizzle";
- "support";
- "rotation".
From the 2010-11 season, the discipline structure consists of two dances: short and free. According to the rules of the season, there is one main dance, the couple performs the circles of this dance and adds their own innovations that tactfully fit into the dance. The free program has all the most spectacular elements that we have listed above. The pair with the best score wins. Until 2010, the competition also included an original dance. Music in this discipline should be danceable and differ from musical accompaniment in other forms. A melody with a voice is allowed, in the short program the skaters dance on ice to the composition set for the season, in the "arbitrariness" they already choose what they like.
Potential winners of the 2017 World Championship
In men's singles skating we will see at least 5 contenders for the victory. The main favorite, who will go to the third consecutive gold of the World Cup, is the Spaniard Javier Fernandez, despite the fact that in the ranking he is only in second place. Japanese Yuzuro Hanyu will be motivated to recoup the 2016 fiasco and, unsurprisingly, the Japanese figure skater Olympic champion Vancouver and world champion of the same year. The Canadian Patrick Chan will have a high chance of success, he is the second in the world ranking and is a three-time champion of the planet. Chinese Jing Boyang and American Adam Rippon will also intend to compete for the podium.
Much attention at the World Championship in Helsinki will be focused on the Russian women Evgenia Medvedeva and Anna Pogorila. Medvedeva triumphed in Boston in 2016, with record amount balls, Pogorilaya then took bronze. Another Russian woman is able to take awards. It is about the fifth number of the rating, Elena Radionova. Despite their popularity, the low rating of Adelina Sotnikova and Yulia Lipnitskaya may force them to “pass by” the tournament. An incredible powerful rivalry for medals will be imposed on Russian women by American and Japanese women. In the faces of Ashley Wagner, silver medalist 2016 and Gracie Gold, who was fourth. Super-titled Japanese women Satoko Miyahara and Mao Asada will only come to win.
In pairs, Russian duets will try to take revenge for the failure in 2016. Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov, Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov, as well as Tatyana Volosozhar and Makim Trankov are all three elite couples of the country. Their competitors will be the star Canadian pair of champions Megan Duhamel / Eric Radford, the Chinese Sui Wenjing / Han Tsun and the titled Germans Alena Savchenko / Brunno Masso.
The dances are expected to be dominated by French Boston champions Gabriela Papadakis and Guillaume Sizeron. The Americans Maya and Alex Shibutani, as well as Madison Chock / Evan Bates, will once again try to impose a fight on them. Italians Anna Cappellini / Luca Lannothe and Canadians Caitlin Weaver and Andrew Poje will compete for medals.
We will remember the Helsinki tournament not only as a battle of the best ice skating masters, but also as its aesthetic component. We must not forget that this is not only a sport, but also an art, a mixture of physical and choreographic training, skaters go a very long way and only a couple of minutes of a short performance will reflect years of training, every mistake is worth its weight in gold, so we are preparing not only for happy winners, but also to the tears of losers. It cannot be otherwise, because this is the World Championship and history is at stake.
The 2017 World Figure Skating Championship kicks off in the capital of Finland, Helsinki. Under the arches of the famous Hartwall Arena, the entire color of world figure skating will gather to please the fans and determine the strongest at the moment. Next, we will tell you in detail about the schedule of the 2017 World Figure Skating Championship, as well as the calendar of television broadcasts from the World Championship in Helsinki.
2017 World Figure Skating Championships: Schedule
On Wednesday, March 29, the world figure skating championship in Helsinki will start with short programs in two types - for sports couples and for women. Open World Figure Skating Championships 2017 entrusted to women - at 10:40 (hereinafter - Moscow time) their short rental will begin. Well, in the evening, at 18:10, sports couples will start a short program.
The next day, Thursday, March 30, men will join the competition in the morning. The short program in men's single skating will start at 12:30. In the evening program, at 18:55, sports couples will start an arbitrary program, which will compete for the first set of awards.
On Friday, March 31st, dancers will open the day at 11:00 - with a short dance. And in the evening, at 18:00, the women's free skating program starts.
The 2017 World Figure Skating Championships tournament program will end on Saturday, April 1. At 10:50 am, the decisive skating for the medals will start for men, and at 4:35 pm, the last set of awards will be distributed to the dance couples by free dance.
Finally, on Sunday, April 2, at 14:00, demonstration performances with the participation of the world championship winners will begin.
World Figure Skating Championships 2017
Let's delight figure skating fans: the 2017 World Cup will be shown in live in full. The broadcasts will be conducted by the TV channels Match TV, Match! Arena "and" Eurosport ".
In particular, the broadcast schedule on Match TV: March 29 - 15:25 - short program in women's single skating (live), 21:25 - short program of sports couples (live); March 30 - 15:15 - short program for men (live broadcast), 21:30 - free program for sports couples (live broadcast), March 31 - 13:50 - short dance for dancing couples (live broadcast), 18:00 - free program for women (live broadcast); April 1 - 13:40 - free program for men (live broadcast), 17:30 - free program for dance duets (live broadcast); April 3 - 00:15 - Demonstration performances (recorded).
Note that the demonstration performances will be shown live on April 2, at 14:00, on the Match! Arena".
Every day brings us closer to the long-awaited sporting event- the 2017 World Figure Skating Championships, which prepares us for new sensations and new stars in a variety of disciplines. We will cheer with all our hearts and worry about our athletes.
Date and venue
Several countries applied for the competition. Including the Russian Figure Skating Federation, offering the city of Sochi as a site. However, the International Skating Union (ISU) has decided that the tournament will be held in Finland in Helsinki.
The championship will last only 5 days - from March 29 to April 2, 2017. Athletes will compete in skill and artistry at the Hartwall Arena, which seats 13.5 thousand spectators. This Ice Palace put into operation back in 1997. During this time, he hosted the World Ice Hockey Championship three times, concerts and events such as wrestling, go-karting, floorball, etc. are regularly held there.
Ticket prices for the 2017 World Figure Skating Championships range from around 250 (on the balcony) to 1,000 euros (VIP seats). Their booking and sale began in March this year. Finns are looking forward to the start of the competition, because in last time they hosted the world figure skating championship back in 1999.
More about the participants of the competition
More than a hundred athletes will come to the 2017 World Cup in Helsinki. The number of participants who will represent a particular country became known at the last championship. According to its results, Russia can exhibit more than one athlete in each discipline. So, in women's single skating and pair skating from the Russian Federation, 3 participants or duets will perform at once. In ice dancing and in the men's singles competition, the representation of Russia will be limited to two couples and figure skaters, respectively.
In addition to our country, athletes from the following countries will take part in the world championship:
- Canada
- China
- Japan
- Italy
- France
- Germany
- United Kingdom
- Czech Republic and many others. dr.
There are also age requirements for skaters who can be admitted to the 2017 World Cup. Their date of birth must be no later than July 1, 2001. Each National federation has the right to choose those athletes who will take part in the tournament in Helsinki. However, a skater or a specific duo must achieve a certain rating minimum in competitions held during the year leading up to the world championship.
Probable winners
Let's start with men's single skating. The clear favorite here is the Spaniard Javier Fernandez, who has been confidently taking gold in competitions for the past two years. Asian skaters Yuzuru Hanyu (Japan) and Jin Boyang (China) also, according to experts, should be in the top five. American Adam Rippon and Canadian Patrick Chan can surprise and win medals.
In women's single skating, Russia has a great chance of success. Most likely, E. Medvedeva, A. Sotnikova, Yu. Lipnitskaya and E. Tuktumysheva will represent our country in this discipline. In addition to skill and talent, the girls have a wealth of experience: medals of the highest standard at the World and European Championships, olympic gold Sochi.
Among the favorites among female figure skaters are Japanese women. These are 18-year-old Satoko Miyahara, who now occupies first place in the ISU rankings, and experienced Mao Asada, three-time world champion. Great expectations associated with an athlete from the United States - Ashley Wagner. The American has already taken first places at the world championships twice, and won silver in 2016.
The real highlight of the competition in Helsinki will be pair skating... Russian duets will do their best to take revenge and, at least, get into the top three this year. It will not be easy to do this, because their competitors will be: reigning champions Canadians Meagan Duhamel / Eric Radford, a couple from China and silver medalists of the 2016 World Cup Sui Wenjing / Han Tsun, as well as experienced German skaters Aljona Savchenko / Bruno Massot.
In a discipline like ice dancing Russian athletes, unfortunately, are not among the favorites. Here, the leaders are the French champions of Boston Gabriela Papadakis and Guillaume Sizeron. Many predict another gold for them. As for the rest of the participants, the United States has good chances for medals, with two couples at once - Maya and Alex Shibutani, as well as Madison Chock and Evan Bates.
2017 World Figure Skating Championships calendar
The championship will open with the performance of women in single skating (short program). It will be on the morning of March 29 at 10:15 (Moscow time). After one day of rest, on March 31, at exactly 18 o'clock, the competitions within the free program will begin.
Sports couples will come out next. The short program starts on the morning of March 29 at 18:10. The very next day, March 30 at 18:55, we will perform in a free program. So in this discipline the set of medals will be played out faster than the others.
Male single skating opens with a short program on March 30 at 12:30. This will be a kind of "warm-up" before one of the most spectacular stages - the free program, which will begin on the 1st of April 2017 at 10:50 am.
Finally, we turn to one of the most "creative" disciplines - ice dancing. At 11 am on March 31st, couples will show us a short dance. The next day at 4:35 pm, only the 24 best duos will be able to take part in the free program. The winner will be the one who accumulates the most points in two days of performances.
In custody
We are all looking forward to the moment when the World Figure Skating Championships in Helsinki kicks off. Naturally, we hope that our compatriots will take the highest places. After all, the Russian national team is traditionally considered one of the strongest participants in any ice tournament. We wish our athletes health, good luck and self-confidence in advance.