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The ISU Challenger Series is a series of international figure skating competitions. Established by the International Skating Union in the 2014–15 season, it is a group of senior-level events ranked below the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. Each event consists of at least three disciplines out of four (men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing), and is required to take place between August 1 and December 15.

The ISU Challenger Series Synchronized Skating is a separate competition series in the discipline of synchronized skating.

History[edit]

The ISU Council decided to create the series at its February 2014 meeting.[1] Eleven competitions were selected in June 2014.[2] The Triglav Trophy dropped out by October 10, 2014, resulting in a series composed of ten events.[3] The Nebelhorn Trophy, Finlandia Trophy, Ondrej Nepela Memorial, and Golden Spin of Zagreb are the "core group".[4] The event criteria were published in April 2014,[5] and revised in August 2014.[6]

The notice on the ISU Challenger Series Synchronized Skating was announced on May 10, 2019, which is for the discipline of synchronized skating and is held separately from the other ISU Challenger Series.[7]

The Asian Open Classic was planned to be included in the 2019–20 season, but ISU transferred the event holding right back to Asian Open Trophy later.[8]

In the 2020–21 season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was decided to hold the Challenger competitions as individual events, rather than as a series.[9] Entry limits per country were also removed.[10]

Events[edit]

Competition Nation 14–15 15–16 16–17 17–18 18–19 19–20 20–21[a] 21–22 22–23 23–24 24–25
Asian Open Trophy Varies Not a Challenger Series event Yes Yes Cancelled Not a Challenger Series event
Autumn Classic International  Canada Yes Not a Challenger Series event Yes Yes Yes Yes Cancelled Yes Yes
Budapest Trophy  Hungary Yes Not a Challenger Series event Yes Yes Yes
Cranberry Cup International  United States Not a Challenger Series event Yes
Denis Ten Memorial Challenge  Kazakhstan Not a Challenger Series event Cancelled Yes Yes Yes Yes
Denkova-Staviski Cup  Bulgaria Not a Challenger Series event Yes Not a Challenger Series event Not a Challenger Series event
Finlandia Trophy  Finland Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Cancelled Yes Yes Yes
Golden Spin of Zagreb  Croatia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Cancelled Yes Yes Yes Yes
Ice Challenge  Austria Yes Yes Not a Challenger Series event Yes Yes Cancelled Not a Challenger Series event
Ice Star  Belarus Not a Challenger Series event Yes Not a Challenger Series event Yes Not a Challenger Series event
Inge Solar Memorial  Austria Yes
John Nicks Pairs Challenge  United States Not a Challenger Series event Yes
Lombardia Trophy  Italy Yes Not a Challenger Series event Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Mordovian Ornament  Russia Yes
Nebelhorn Trophy  Germany Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Nepela Memorial  Slovakia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Cancelled Cancelled Yes Yes Yes
Tallinn Trophy  Estonia Not a Challenger Series event Yes Yes Yes Yes Not a Challenger Series event Not a Challenger Series event Yes
Trophée Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur  France Not a Challenger Series event Not a Challenger Series event Yes
U.S. International Classic  United States Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Not a Challenger Series event Yes
Volvo Open Cup  Latvia Yes Not a Challenger Series event Not a Challenger Series event
Warsaw Cup  Poland Yes Yes Yes Yes Not a Challenger Series event Yes Cancelled Yes Yes Yes Yes
  1. ^ Held as individual events rather than as a series due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9]

Top three finishers per season[edit]

Each skater or team is permitted to compete in up to three ISU Challenger Series events. Their two highest scores determine their final ranking.[5]

Men's singles[edit]

Season First Second Third Refs.
2014–15 Czech Republic Michal Březina Russia Alexander Petrov Russia Konstantin Menshov [3]
2015–16 United States Jason Brown United States Max Aaron Russia Mikhail Kolyada [11]
2016–17 United States Jason Brown Russia Alexander Petrov United States Max Aaron [12]
2017–18 Russia Mikhail Kolyada Russia Sergei Voronov Georgia (country) Moris Kvitelashvili [13]
2018–19 Russia Mikhail Kolyada South Korea Cha Jun-hwan United States Jason Brown [14]
2019–20 Russia Dmitri Aliev Italy Daniel Grassl Japan Sota Yamamoto [15]
2021–22 Russia Petr Gumennik Canada Keegan Messing Russia Mark Kondratiuk [16]
2022–23 France Kévin Aymoz Switzerland Lukas Britschgi Italy Matteo Rizzo [17]
2023–24 Switzerland Lukas Britschgi China Jin Boyang Georgia (country) Nika Egadze [18]

Women's singles[edit]

Season First Second Third Refs.
2014–15 Russia Elizaveta Tuktamysheva Russia Alena Leonova United States Hannah Miller [19]
2015–16 Russia Elizaveta Tuktamysheva Russia Anna Pogorilaya Russia Adelina Sotnikova [20]
2016–17 Russia Elizaveta Tuktamysheva United States Mirai Nagasu United States Mariah Bell [21]
2017–18 Italy Carolina Kostner Russia Stanislava Konstantinova Russia Elizaveta Tuktamysheva [22]
2018–19 Russia Elizaveta Tuktamysheva United States Bradie Tennell Kazakhstan Elizabet Tursynbayeva [23]
2019–20 Russia Elizaveta Tuktamysheva South Korea You Young South Korea Lim Eun-soo [24]
2021–22 United States Alysa Liu Georgia (country) Anastasiia Gubanova Poland Ekaterina Kurakova [25]
2022–23 South Korea Kim Ye-lim Poland Ekaterina Kurakova United States Lindsay Thorngren [26]
2023–24 South Korea Kim Chae-yeon Georgia (country) Anastasiia Gubanova Poland Ekaterina Kurakova [27]

Pairs[edit]

Season First Second Third Refs.
2014–15 [28]
2015–16 [29]
2016–17 [30]
2017–18 [31]
2018–19 [32]
2019–20 [33]
2021–22 [34]
2022–23 [35]
2023–24 [36]

Ice dance[edit]

Season First Second Third Refs.
2014–15 [37]
2015–16 [38]
2016–17 [39]
2017–18 [40]
2018–19 [41]
2019–20 [42]
2021–22 [43]
2022–23 [44]
2023–24 [45]

Top scoring skaters per season[edit]

Men's singles[edit]

Season Skater Nation First event Score Second event Score Total score Ref.
2014–15 Michal Březina  Czech Republic 2014 Nebelhorn Trophy 228.48 2014 Golden Spin of Zagreb 239.62 468.10 [3]
2015–16 Jason Brown  United States 2015 Ondrej Nepela Trophy 239.37 2015 Ice Challenge 240.65 480.02 [11]
2016–17 Jason Brown  United States 2016 Lombardia Trophy 256.49 2016 U.S. International Classic 254.04 510.53 [12]
2017–18 Mikhail Kolyada  Russia 2017 Ondrej Nepela Trophy 247.81 2017 Finlandia Trophy 248.50 496.31 [13]
2018–19 Mikhail Kolyada  Russia 2018 Ondrej Nepela Trophy 274.37 2018 Golden Spin of Zagreb 253.14 527.51 [14]
2019–20 Dmitri Aliev  Russia 2019 Lombardia Trophy 249.62 2019 Nepela Memorial 255.32 504.94 [15]
2021–22 Petr Gumennik  Russia 2021 Denis Ten Memorial Challenge 263.14 2021 Warsaw Cup 242.91 506.05 [16]
2022–23 Kévin Aymoz  France 2022 U.S. International Classic 236.17 2022 Warsaw Cup 258.02 494.19 [17]
2023–24 Lukas Britschgi  Switzerland 2023 Budapest Trophy 246.12 2023 Warsaw Cup 246.22 492.34 [18]

Women's singles[edit]

Season Skater Nation First event Score Second event Score Total score Ref.
2014–15 Elizaveta Tuktamysheva  Russia 2014 Finlandia Trophy 193.31 2014 Warsaw Cup 196.66 389.97 [19]
2015–16 Elizaveta Tuktamysheva  Russia 2015 Warsaw Cup 192.93 2015 Golden Spin of Zagreb 201.33 394.26 [20]
2016–17 Elizaveta Tuktamysheva  Russia 2016 Nebelhorn Trophy 185.93 2016 Golden Spin of Zagreb 192.03 377.96 [21]
2017–18 Carolina Kostner  Italy 2017 Lombardia Trophy 198.36 2017 Finlandia Trophy 193.76 392.12 [22]
2018–19 Elizaveta Tuktamysheva  Russia 2018 Lombardia Trophy 206.07 2018 Finlandia Trophy 202.85 408.92 [23]
2019–20 Elizaveta Tuktamysheva  Russia 2019 Lombardia Trophy 214.38 2019 Golden Spin of Zagreb 221.15 435.53 [24]
2021–22 Alysa Liu  United States 2021 Lombardia Trophy 219.24 2021 Nebelhorn Trophy 207.40 426.64 [25]
2022–23 Kim Ye-lim  South Korea 2022 U.S. International Classic 190.64 2022 Finlandia Trophy 213.97 404.61 [26]
2023–24 Kim Chae-yeon  South Korea 2023 Lombardia Trophy 180.78 2023 Nepela Memorial 202.26 383.04 [27]

Pairs[edit]

Season Team Nation First event Score Second event Score Total score Ref.
2014–15  United States 2014 U.S. International Classic 163.24 2014 Nebelhorn Trophy 166.10 329.34 [28]
2015–16  Germany 2015 Tallinn Trophy 214.42 2015 Warsaw Cup 209.60 424.02 [29]
2016–17  Italy 2016 Lombardia Trophy 179.56 2016 Warsaw Cup 189.26 368.82 [30]
2017–18  Russia 2017 Lombardia Trophy 196.06 2017 Golden Spin of Zagreb 202.96 399.02 [31]
2018–19  Russia 2018 Lombardia Trophy 191.99 2018 Finlandia Trophy 188.54 380.53 [32]
2019–20  United States 2019 U.S. International Classic 205.58 2019 Golden Spin of Zagreb 199.43 405.01 [33]
2021–22  Russia 2021 Finlandia Trophy 213.72 2021 Golden Spin of Zagreb 228.49 442.21 [34]
2022–23  Italy 2022 U.S. International Classic 189.22 2022 Warsaw Cup 184.21 373.43 [35]
2023–24  Germany 2023 Lombardia Trophy 194.52 2023 Nebelhorn Trophy 194.96 389.48 [36]

Ice dance[edit]

Season Team Nation First event Score Second event Score Total score Ref.
2014–15  United States 2014 Ondrej Nepela Trophy 162.98 2014 Ice Challenge 166.34 329.32 [37]
2015–16  Italy 2015 Warsaw Cup 169.72 2015 Golden Spin of Zagreb 172.28 342.00 [38]
2016–17  Russia 2016 Ondrej Nepela Memorial 178.84 2016 Warsaw Cup 183.60 362.44 [39]
2017–18  Russia 2017 Ondrej Nepela Trophy 181.92 2017 Golden Spin of Zagreb 186.66 368.58 [40]
2018–19  Canada 2018 Golden Spin of Zagreb 201.27 2018 Nebelhorn Trophy 194.12 395.39 [41]
2019–20  Italy 2019 Lombardia Trophy 202.10 2019 Golden Spin of Zagreb 202.18 404.28 [42]
2021–22  Italy 2021 Lombardia Trophy 205.36 2021 Cup of Austria 208.88 414.24 [43]
2022-23  Great Britain 2022 U.S. International Classic 190.80 2022 Nebelhorn Trophy 206.60 397.40 [44]
2023–24  Great Britain 2023 Nebelhorn Trophy 207.84 2023 Nepela Memorial 200.46 408.30 [45]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Communication No. 1854: Decisions of the ISU Council" (PDF). International Skating Union. March 6, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 9, 2014.
  2. ^ "Communication No. 1876: Decisions of the ISU Council" (PDF). International Skating Union. June 25, 2014. pp. 4–5. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 6, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2014/2015: Men". International Skating Union.
  4. ^ "Communication No. 1994 ISU Challenger Series in Figure Skating Season 2016/17" (PDF). International Skating Union. February 26, 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 9, 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Communication No. 1858: ISU Challenger Series in Figure Skating" (PDF). International Skating Union. April 4, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 6, 2014.
  6. ^ "Communication No. 1894: Revision of minimum entry criteria to qualify as Challenger Series event" (PDF). International Skating Union. August 26, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 3, 2014.
  7. ^ "Communication No. 2248 Challenger Series in Synchronized Skating Season 2019/20". International Skating Union. May 10, 2019. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019.
  8. ^ "Challenger Series Announcement". International Skating Union. July 22, 2019. Archived from the original on July 24, 2019.
  9. ^ a b "Communication No. 2335 Decisions of the Council". International Skating Union. July 13, 2020. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020.
  10. ^ "Communication No. 2345: Decisions of the Council". International Skating Union. August 28, 2020.
  11. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2015/2016: Men". International Skating Union.
  12. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2016/2017: Men". International Skating Union.
  13. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2017/2018: Men". International Skating Union.
  14. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2018/2019: Men". International Skating Union.
  15. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2019/2020: Men". International Skating Union. December 10, 2020.
  16. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2021/2022: Men". International Skating Union. March 29, 2022.
  17. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2022/2023: Men". International Skating Union.
  18. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2023/2024 Men".
  19. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2014/2015: Ladies". International Skating Union.
  20. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2015/2016: Ladies". International Skating Union.
  21. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2016/2017: Ladies". International Skating Union.
  22. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2017/2018: Ladies". International Skating Union.
  23. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2018/2019: Ladies". International Skating Union.
  24. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2019/2020: Ladies". International Skating Union. December 12, 2019.
  25. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2021/2022: Women". International Skating Union. March 29, 2022.
  26. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2022/2023: Women". International Skating Union.
  27. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2023/2024 Women".
  28. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2014/2015: Pairs". International Skating Union.
  29. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2015/2016: Pairs". International Skating Union.
  30. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2016/2017: Pairs". International Skating Union.
  31. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2017/2018: Pairs". International Skating Union.
  32. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2018/2019: Pairs". International Skating Union.
  33. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2019/2020: Pairs". International Skating Union. December 12, 2019.
  34. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2021/2022: Pairs". International Skating Union. March 29, 2022.
  35. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2022/2023: Pairs". International Skating Union.
  36. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2023/2024 Pairs". International Skating Union.
  37. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2014/2015: Ice dance". International Skating Union.
  38. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2015/2016: Ice dance". International Skating Union.
  39. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2016/2017: Ice dance". International Skating Union.
  40. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2017/2018: Ice dance". International Skating Union.
  41. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2018/2019: Ice dance". International Skating Union.
  42. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2019/2020: Ice Dance". International Skating Union. December 12, 2019.
  43. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2021/2022: Ice Dance". International Skating Union. March 29, 2022.
  44. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2022/2023: Ice Dance". International Skating Union.
  45. ^ a b "ISU Challenger Series Ranking 2023/2024 Ice Dance". International Skating Union.

External links[edit]

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