Understanding the Figure Skating World Standings

Making sense of the World Standings can be a confusing endeavour. 

What competitions count towards the standings? How many points does a skater receive? Why do some points get added to the total and not others? How important are the World Standings to a skater’s season? 

These are all questions that have been thrown around when fans try to figure out where their favourite skater will place.

ISU Championships and Olympic Winter Games

World Standings points are separated into three sections. From the 2023/24 season there is also a Junior-only World Standings list, Junior skaters will still be incorporated into the main World Standings list as well. 

ISU Championships/Olympic Winter Games includes: the European Championships, the Four Continents Championships, the World Championships, the Junior World Championships, and the Olympic Winter Games.

Skaters can only receive points for one of these events per season. If they participate in more than one of these events, whichever event they received the highest points for will be included in a skater’s World Standing. Each event takes place annually* except the Olympic Winter Games which happens once every four years.

World Championships / Olympic Winter Games

Placement Points
1st
1200
2nd
1080
3rd
972
4th
875
5th
787
6th
709
7th
638
8th
574
9th
517
10th
465
11th
418
12th
377
13th
339
14th
305
15th
275
16th
247
17th
222
18th
200
19th
180
20th
162
21st
146
22nd
131
23rd
118
24th
106

European Championships / Four Continents Championships

Whilst it is possible for skaters to participate in both the Olympic Winter Games and World Championships if they have qualified, skaters are unable to attend both the European Championships and the Four Continents Championships as they are region-specific. 

Placement Points
1st
840
2nd
756
3rd
680
4th
612
5th
551
6th
496
7th
446
8th
402
9th
362
10th
325
11th
293
12th
264
13th
237
14th
214
15th
192
16th
173
17th
156
18th
140
19th
126
20th
113
21st
102
22nd
92
23rd
83
24th
74

World Junior Championships

In addition to these events, the World Junior Championship also comes under this section. However, the points awarded for this event (and all Junior events) are considerably less than what Senior skaters are awarded. 

Skaters and teams, if eligible and chosen to represent their country, can compete at both the Senior World Championships and the Junior World Championships. Although as previously stated, only one of these events, the highest scoring one, will count towards their World Standing.

Placement Points
1st
500
2nd
450
3rd
405
4th
365
5th
328
6th
295
7th
266
8th
239
9th
215
10th
194
11th
174
12th
157
13th
141
14th
127
15th
114
16th
103
17th
93
18th
83
19th
75
20th
68
21st
61
22nd
55
23rd
49
24th
44

ISU Grand Prix and Junior Grand Prix

The second section of World Standing points is dedicated to points awarded during the Grand Prix series for Seniors or Junior Grand Prix series for Juniors. Skaters and teams cannot participate in both the Senior and Junior Grand Prix series.

In this section, skaters can earn up to two allocations of points. If they participate and earn a points finish in two Grand Prix events, these points will be added to their World Standing.

ISU Grand Prix

The ISU Grand Prix awards points to the top 8 skaters/teams at an event.

Placement Points
1st
400
2nd
360
3rd
324
4th
292
5th
262
6th
236
7th
213
8th
191

ISU Junior Grand Prix

The ISU Junior Grand Prix awards points to the top 10 skaters/teams at an event.

Placement Points
1st
250
2nd
225
3rd
203
4th
182
5th
164
6th
148
7th
133
8th
120
9th
108
10th
97

ISU Grand Prix Final

If a skater or team qualifies for the Grand Prix Final or Junior Grand Prix Final, the points they earn there may supersede the lowest points they earned at one of their Grand Prix events, as only the two highest results from the series count towards their World Standings.

Placement Points
1st
800
2nd
720
3rd
648
4th
583
5th
525
6th
472

ISU Junior Grand Prix Final

Placement Points
1st
350
2nd
315
3rd
284
4th
255
5th
230
6th
207

International Competition

International Competition refers to other competitions that take place throughout the figure skating season and includes the Challenger series and other “B competitions”. These competitions are particularly important in helping lower-ranked skaters in moving up the World Rankings and presenting more opportunities for themselves in the future.

Like the Grand Prix section, skaters and teams can earn points from two of these competitions over the course of the figure skating season. If they take part in more than two competitions that earn them points, only the two highest will be added to the World Standings.

ISU Challenger Series

The Challenger Series takes place during the first half of the season, alongside the Grand Prix series. Skaters and teams are permitted to compete in up to three Challenger events, however only their two highest ranked finishes can count towards their World Standings points. Skaters are permitted to take part in both the Challenger Series and the Grand Prix series as long as the events don’t clash. 

Unlike other events in the figure skating season, points vary between Singles, Pairs, and Ice Dance.

Placement Singles Pairs Ice Dance
1st
300
300
300
2nd
270
270
270
3rd
243
243
243
4th
219
219
219
5th
198
198
198
6th
178
178
7th
160
8th
144

Other International Competitions

There are many international competitions in the figure skating calendar over the course of the year. However, not all of these competitions are viable for awarding World Standing points. 

A point-awarding international competition must adhere to the following criteria:-

  • a minimum of 8 singles skaters from 4 ISU member countries
  • a minimum of 6 ice dance teams from 4 ISU member countries
  • a minimum of 5 pairs teams, from 3 ISU member countries
  • the technical panel must be from 3 different ISU member countries
International competitions that will not count towards the World Standings:-
 
  • Regional competitions
  • Competitions that only allow participation from a particular group of skaters (for example, Universiade, which is only open to skaters studying at University)
  • Events that work on an invitational basis (excluding the Grand Prix series)
Placement Points
1st
250
2nd
225
3rd
203
4th
182
5th
164

Junior International Competitions

From the 2023/24 season other Junior international competitions (not the JGP or Junior Worlds) are now eligible for World Standings points. The same rules apply as with Senior competitions, although points awarded are lower.

Placement Points
1st
100
2nd
90
3rd
81
4th
73
5th
66

Why do some points count towards the total and not others?

The World Standings include points from the current season, and the two previous seasons. The points from two seasons prior are reduced to 70% of their original worth. 

In the ISU Championships and Olympic Winter Games section, only the two highest points earned over the three seasons will be included in the total points.

In the ISU Grand Prix and International Competitions sections, only the top four of six highest points over the three seasons will be included in the total points.

Any points that don’t currently count towards the skater’s/team’s total will have brackets around them. These points can eventually count towards the total when the current season has passed, as the oldest season’s points will be nullified and these points may now become one of the top four highest points achieved by a skater/team.

What effect do the World Standings have on a skater or team's future?

Where a skater or team places in the World Standings is important in regards to which starting group they will be drawn during major ISU events. The higher ranked skaters will usually be drawn for later groups, and the assumption is that the consistently “best” and most competitive skaters and teams in the world will be starting in the final group. The Junior-only World Standings will be used to determine the starting order at Junior Worlds.

The World Standings are also used to assign spots in the Grand Prix series. Every skater or team within the top 24 is guaranteed one spot at a Grand Prix. This rule can also benefit skaters who may have missed competitions due to injury or other circumstances as their scores from prior seasons may be enough to keep them highly ranked.

The World Standings system does, however, reward the skaters and teams who compete the most. Some of the most acclaimed skaters and teams in the world may limit the number of events they participate in to the most important Championships and Grand Prix series, favouring titles over points and to potentially avoid the risk of causing themselves injury.

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European Championships 2024 – Preview

The 2024 European Championships take place in Kaunas, Lithuania from the 8th-14th of January. Here’s a rundown of who you can expect to see competing at this event and some information about them. Pairs Ice dance Men Women

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对话斯蒂凡·兰比尔 A Conversation with Stéphane Lambiel (Chinese Translation)

Thank you so much to Eledhriel and Sempre Libera for translating this article into Chinese! Find the English version here. 两届世界冠军斯蒂凡·兰比尔在去年取得了里程碑式成就——他的学生宇野昌磨同样加冕世界冠军。就像昌磨一样,斯蒂凡并没有居功自傲,而是鞭策着自己和他的学生们继续创新提升。他对滑冰的炽爱从他的一言一行中清晰可见。聆听他的话语,你会相信滑冰不止是一项运动——它超验玄奥,通过艺术与情感将人心相连。 我在布拉迪斯拉发的内佩拉纪念赛男单自由滑练习结束后与斯蒂凡进行了交谈。他的学生丹尼斯·瓦西里耶夫斯在短节目开场的4S重重摔倒后,遗憾屈居第四。 截至目前,你对赛况感觉如何?我的意思是,昨天很艰难,但你整体的感受如何? 整体的感受啊,我觉得……对他来说,第一步肯定富有挑战性。这是本赛季迈出的第一步,是首次尝试在短节目中加入4S。因此在新节目中存在很多首次尝试。基于这些,我感觉他自然没能发挥到最好,但我欣赏他的付出与投入以及准备的方式。我知道结合[他的]自律,以及对他所做之事的信任与信心,还有他的性格,最终他将能展示出他与我构想中的成果。是的,我觉得第一步已经迈出了,现在我们要从这里开始构筑。 迈开第一步。 一点没错,就是这样。 对你和丹尼斯来说,在经历了像昨天那样艰难的一天后如何重整旗鼓?你会做什么来让自己进入今天的状态,将昨日抛诸脑后? 我认为重要的是保持专注,因为短节目后比赛尚未结束。专注于比赛中,快速复盘短节目,哪里好,哪里糟,哪里需要打磨,这就是我们做的事——一个快速的复盘,然后恢复休整,为长节目蓄力。不要被情绪所左右,而是说完需要说的话,将[情绪]释放出来,别让自己太过心烦意乱。今天要比长节目,所以两场比赛的间隔很短。 本赛季在短节目中加入四周,这一决定背后的想法是什么? 我认为他证明了自己能够完成,因此我希望他能根据自己的意愿去练习,并在短节目和自由滑的正赛上去做。冒这一风险需要勇气。从长远角度来看,这是他所需要的,也是他所希望的。他是个很强的选手,在体格方面很健壮;但他在技术方面同样也很强,他用刃和跳跃的方式都是教科书级别的。因此我认为,即使这条路会长一点,但他的基础相当坚实。我真的觉得在花滑界,你滑冰的方式格外重要。所以我真的很享受与他的合作,因为他力求卓越。长远来看,这很有益。 昨天在练习中有过一个漂亮的4S,看见它的感受就像是:你知道的,他可以做到,只不过是把技术稳定下来的问题。 是的,我认为还有在心理上做好成功的准备。这是一个巨大的挑战——对他来说,一个大挑战。他是一个大男孩,高个子,所以在体格方面要比稍矮的人做起来更难,因为他们可以转得更快。但这对他来说是可以做到的。有了信任和稳定性,他就能跳成得更多。 你可以分享一点关于丹尼斯德沃夏克自由滑的编舞过程吗?你是如何将整部交响曲浓缩成一个节目的? 我想节目最难的点就在于音乐剪辑了。因为我爱整部交响曲,但整部……我不知道,大概全长有30分钟? 可能有40分钟了。 啊,是的。从40分钟到4分钟,这就像“天啊,我们要怎么弄?”而莎乐美[莎乐美·布鲁纳,与斯蒂凡经常合作的编舞师]和我听了很多遍这部交响曲,我们把我们认为重要的部分标注出来。于是就有了很多重点部分。当你把它们拼到一起,就会感觉内容太多了。所以挑战的点就在于找到一个合适的结构让乐曲的戏剧性和谐过渡。这不单单是因为旋律不断走高走高走高,而是之后还有着那么多的高光部分,所以我们得找到一个合适的节奏。 我所期待且钟爱的一段就是在定级步法开始的时候。这段十分平和,时间几乎就此凝滞,之后伴随着芭蕾大跳,最后一浪将你送上高潮。我也非常喜爱末尾飓风到来前的宁静一刻。我觉得他很有芭蕾风格——他滑冰的方式,他的姿态。我们对这首交响曲很久以前就有想法了,我们在从训练或比赛回来的车上听过很多遍。看到他逐渐发展和表达自我的方式,我认为他已经足够成熟,能去滑这一大师之作了。 你觉得他有在讲一个故事吗?或者描述着什么? 我们讨论过一些情绪和场景。我不知道他是否深有同感,但我在编舞时是这么想的,我也试着与他分享。但我觉得他是一个特立独行的人,而这首《新大陆/新世界交响曲》讲的正是将这种特立独行带向世界。作为一个个体,他身处一个小小世界,他并不知道外面会有什么。比如当他开始做定级步法时,他就是在为自己辟路,去探索这片全新的大世界,凭借着他的特立独行在新世界中掀起巨变。 这就是节目中的意象,因为他是如此特别。他的个性……这就是他,再也没有第二个人。在他解释东西的时候,我们有时都跟不上,他有着对事物的自我见解。甚至他给我发短信的时候,有时我都不太懂他在讲什么,我就仿佛一脸“你什么意思?就……这是关于滑冰的还是……?”所以说这种特立独行需要展现出来。我认为他是那般独特,这与需要他的这个新世界非常相配。 我非常期待观众看到这一节目!你是如何决定哪个节目是你来给选手编舞,哪个节目是跟其他编舞师合作的?这其中是否存在一个思考的过程? 我很高兴选手们能有跟其他人合作的可能,不止是花滑编舞师,还有那些对动作和创新感兴趣的有趣之人。我能记起的有Sarah Dolan[加拿大编舞师],她跟丹尼斯和高志郎合作过;有Khoudia [Toure,塞内加尔编舞师],她为丹尼斯编了一个冰演节目,我也跟她合作过。我们还跟Khoudia为组内的内部演出一起编舞。我们创作了一些片段,利用这些片段提高自己想要的技巧或者感受到的东西,在这个过程中,有时我们找到一些音乐,或者来学校担任客座教练的人会有主意,而这个主意也许与一些选手的个性相契合。 所以说这其实就是一种随机性——遇见一些人,与一些人合作,与带来新想法的人相识并创作。我们也不局限于“好吧,我今年编短节目,明年编自由滑”,我们并没有一个固定的模式。但我当然希望能尽可能多地为选手们吸纳人才,让他们得以成长并展现自己的才华,并且感到舒适。比方说,高志郎与杰弗里·布特编排了《Sing Sing Sing》。他很久以前就想跟杰弗里合作了,而在疫情期间,这样的安排是不可能的。之后,我跟杰弗里参加Fantasy on Ice巡演,我们设法挤出时间来完成编舞。这源于我们有想法,有期望,还有去做的动力。当机会出现,我们就紧紧攥住并享受。这基本就是我与选手们合作的过程了。 高志郎看起来很喜欢那个短节目。他也滑得不错,我昨天看到了。[高志郎当时在东京地区赛短节目后暂列第一]

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