For 2018, the ISU European Figure Skating Championships are travelling to Russia and will be held in Moscow, at the Sport Palace “Megasport”. This prestigious competition will take place in January and include the usual four disciplines of men’s singles, ladies’ singles, pairs and ice dancing.
The event will attract attention not just from Russian fans, but other nationalities too. The European Figure Skating Championships have been held for more than 100 years and in four of those years the event has been held in Russia. In 1911 it was held in Saint Petersburg and in Moscow in 1965. Two more championships were held in Leningrad (formerly Saint Petersburg) in 1970 and 1990.
Location of the event
2018 sees the event being held in the Sport Palace “Megasport”, a multi-purpose arena with a maximum capacity of nearly 14,000 people. It’s located in the Khofynka Field and construction was completed in December 2006.
The ISU World Figure Skating Championships have also been held in this location, in 2011. This followed the cancellation of the championships in Tokyo, due to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami. The Megasport Sport Palace has also hosted several ISU Grand Prix events.
Schedule of events
The action gets under way on Wednesday January 17 th at 11.45, with the Men’s Short Program. The opening ceremony on ice will take place at 18.00, followed by the Pairs Short Program at 19.00. The competition ends on Sunday January 21 st at 14.00 with an exhibition. Ticket prices start at just € 3 and can be bought for single sessions. The price increases depending on the sessions you want to watch and the category of your chosen seat. Tickets can be bought online direct from the official European Figure Skating Championships 2018 website. The site also includes lots of useful information along with a preview of the event and the official schedule.
It’s not vital for fans to travel all the way to Russia and experience the event first hand. Extended live coverage of the championships is broadcast across Europe via Eurosport. The French television channel, France Televisions, also has rights to broadcast the event. Along with RAI in Italy and TVP in Poland. Fans outside of Europe can watch the competition unfold via Universal Sports TV channel in the United States and J Sports in Japan.
Skater eligibility
In order to take part in the competition a skater will have to represent a European member nation of the International Skating Union and be 15 years of age before July 1 st 2017. Non-European skaters have their own version of the competition that’s known as the Four Continents Championships.
Individual member nations select their entries according to certain criteria. However, the ISU does insist that any selections meet a minimum technical elements score (TES) at an international event that has been held prior to the European Championships.
The minimum TES requirements are as follows:
| Discipline | SP/SD | FS/FD |
|---|---|---|
| Men | 25 | 45 |
| Ladies | 20 | 36 |
| Pairs | 20 | 36 |
| Ice dance | 19 | 29 |
Each country that participates is allowed one to three entries per discipline, based on the results of the 2017 European Championships.
Number of entries per discipline
| SPOTS/ENTRIES | MENS | LADIES | PAIRS | DANCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Russia | Italy Russia |
Russia | FranceItalyRussia |
| 2 | Belgium Czech Republic France Georgia Germany Israel Latvia Spain |
Belgium Finland France Germany Hungary Slovakia Sweden |
Austria Belarus Czech Republic France Germany Italy |
Denmark Israel Poland Ukraine |
Countries not listed in the table above are only allowed one entry.
There are a number of defending champions who will be taking part in the event and trying to retain their crowns. These include:
- Men’s singles – Javier Fernandez of Spain
- Ladies’ singles – Evgenia Medvedeca of Russia
- Pair skating – Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov of Russia
- Ice dancing – Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France
The ISU European Figure Skating Championships is a very special event because it takes place just a few weeks before the Winter Olympic Games that are due to be held in Pyeongchang, opening on February 9. After participating in the European Championships, skaters will be able to go on and compete in the Winter Olympics a couple of weeks later.