2011 Finlandia Trophy

The Finlandia Trophy an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), organized and hosted by Skating Finland (). The competition debuted in 1995 in Helsinki, and when the ISU launched the ISU Challenger Series in 2014, the Finlandia Trophy was one of the inaugural competitions. The Finlandia Trophy was a Challenge Series event consistently through 2023, except in 2020, when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Medals were awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance; and when the event was part of the Challenger Series, skaters earned ISU World Standing points based on their results. Beginning in 2022, Finland also hosted an ISU Grand Prix competition – the Grand Prix of Finland – and in 2024, Skating Finland elected to host only the Grand Prix event going forward, bestowing the Finlandia Trophy name on it. The Finlandia Trophy existed as a Challenger Series event for the last time in 2023.

Yuzuru Hanyu and Takahito Mura, both of Japan, are tied for winning the most Finlandia Trophy titles in men's singles (with two each), while Susanna Pöykiö of Finland and Elena Sokolova of Russia are tied for winning the most titles in women's singles (with three each). Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov of Russia hold the record in pair skating (with two), while Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski of Bulgaria hold the record in ice dance (with five).

History

The inaugural edition of the Finlandia Trophy was held in 1995 in Helsinki. Igor Pashkevich and Elena Ivanova, both of Russia, won the men's and women's events, respectively. Sylwia Nowak and Sebastian Kolasiński of Poland won the ice dance event. No competition was held in pair skating until 2002. The Finlandia Trophy was held in Helsinki from 1995 through 2004. The 2005 Finlandia Trophy was scheduled to be held in Vantaa and would have featured the men's and women's events, but the competition was cancelled because too few skaters signed up. The competition returned in 2006 and was held in Vantaa through 2011. In 2012, the Finlandia Trophy relocated to Espoo.

The ISU Challenger Series was introduced in 2014. It was a series of international figure skating competitions sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU) and organized by ISU member nations. The objective was to ensure consistent organization and structure within a series of international competitions linked together, providing opportunities for senior-level skaters to compete at the international level and also earn ISU World Standing points. The Finlandia Trophy was a Challenge Series event from 2014 through 2023, although the competition was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian athletes were banned from participating in international figure skating competitions. The ISU also ordered that no international competitions would be held in Russia or Belarus. Therefore, the Rostelecom Cup, which had been scheduled for that November, was cancelled. Finland was chosen to host the replacement event: the Grand Prix of Espoo. Finland hosted both the Grand Prix of Espoo and the Finlandia Trophy in 2022 and 2023, but beginning in 2024, Skating Finland chose to focus its resources on the Grand Prix event, to which it bestowed the Finlandia Trophy name. Therefore, the last installment of the Finlandia Trophy as a Challenger Series event took place in 2023.

Medalists

CS: Challenger Series event

Men's singles

Women's singles

Pairs

Ice dance

Records

Cumulative medal count

Men's singles

Women's singles

Pairs

Ice dance

Total medal count

References

External links

Suomen Taitoluistelulitto (Skating Finland)
(in Finnish)

{{ISU Challenger Series

ISU Challenger Series
International figure skating competitions hosted by Finland