With the Russian and Japanese Championships, two spectacular Figure Skating events highlighted the Christmas holidays. Japan announced their teams for the Olympic Winter Games and for the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships (Tallinn, January 18-23, 2022) while Russia named their Skaters for the ISU European Championships (Tallinn, January 10-16, 2022).
Most ISU members decide their teams for the ISU Championships and the Olympic Winter Games based on the results from the National Championships and also international events such as the ISU Grand Prix and ISU Challenger Series.
Kamila Valieva (RUS) competes at the 2021 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Rostelecom Cup in Sochi, Russia © International Skating Union (ISU)
Russian Championships
Kamila Valieva stole the show at the Russian Championships in St. Petersburg (December 22-26, 2021). The 15-year-old won her first senior-level title with 35 points to spare and landed three quads and a triple Axel in her Free Skating.
Alexandra Trusova hit three quads as well to finish second. 2021 World Champion Anna Shcherbakova settled for bronze.
Mark Kondratiuk was the surprise winner of the Men’s competition, he edged out defending champion Mikhail Kolyada by just 0.67 points. Andrei Mozalev earned the bronze, his first medal at Nationals.
Mark Kondratiuk (RUS) competes at the 2021 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Rostelecom Cup in Sochi, Russia © International Skating Union (ISU)
The Pairs demonstrated a high level as well. 2021 World Champions Anastasia Mishina/ Aleksandr Galliamov beat 2020 European Champions Aleksandra Boikova/Dmitrii Kozlovskii for the title, but both teams skated perfectly. Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov came third.
Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin repeated as Ice Dance Champions and the young team of Diana Davis/Gleb Smolkin earned the silver medal. Elizaveta Khudaiberdieva/Egor Bazin captured the bronze. 2021 World Champions Victoria Sinitsina/Nikita Katsalapov led following the Rhythm Dance, but withdrew from the Free Dance as his back injury flared up again.
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Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin (RUS) compete at the 2021 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Turin, Italy © International Skating Union (ISU)
The Figure Skating Federation of Russia nominated the Women’s and Pairs medalists as well as the gold and silver medalists in the Men’s and Ice Dance for the ISU European Championships in Tallinn (EST) next month. The third Ice Dance spot went to Sinitsina/ Katsalapov while Evgeni Semenenko, who had finished fourth, got the last ticket to Estonia. The Olympic team will be announced following the ISU European Championships. Full results Russian Championships.
Japanese Championships
Two-time Olympic Champion Yuzuru Hanyu returned in style to competition at the Japan Championships in Saitama (December 22-26, 2021). He put out two mesmerizing performances and even went for the quadruple Axel in the Free Skating, but he two-footed the landing and it was downgraded. Shoma Uno and Yuma Kagiyama gave strong performances as well to finish second and third.
Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN) competes at the 2021 ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Stockholm, Sweden © International Skating Union (ISU)
Kaori Sakamoto defended her national title with two excellent performances. Wakaba Higuchi and Mana Kawabe skated to the gold and silver medals with Kawabe landing a clean triple Axel in both programs.
Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) competes at the 2021 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating NHK Trophy in Tokyo, Japan © International Skating Union (ISU)
Ice Dancers Misato Komatsubara/Tim Koleto prevailed over Kana Muramoto/Daisuke Takahashi, the 2010 ISU World Champion in Men’s Singles. Miyu Yunoki/Shoya Ichihashi won the Pairs title in the absence of ISU Grand Prix medalists Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara, who did not risk to travel to Japan from their training base in Canada.
Misato Komatsubara/Tim Koleto (JPN) compete at the 2021 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating NHK Trophy in Tokyo, Japan © International Skating Union (ISU)
The Japan Skating Federation selected the three medalists in Women’s and Men’s as well as the Ice Dance Champions and Miura/Kihara for their Olympic team. The team for the ISU Four Continents Championships consists of Kao Miura, Kazuki Tomono, Sena Miyake, Satoko Miyahara, Mai Mihara, Rino Matsuike and Muramoto/Takahashi. Full results Japanese Nationals.
The next major National Championships are scheduled in January in Canada (Ottawa, January 6-13, 2022) and the USA (Nashville, January 3-9, 2022).
