The 2021–22 figure skating season began on July 1, 2021 and ended on June 30, 2022. During this season, elite skaters competed on the
ISU Championship level at the 2022
European,
Four Continents,
World Junior, and
World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
, as well as at the
2022 Winter Olympics
The 2022 Winter Olympics (2022年冬季奥林匹克运动会), officially called the XXIV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Beijing 2022 (2022), was an international winter multi-sport event held from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Bei ...
. They also competed at elite events such as the
Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
and
Junior Grand Prix series, and the
ISU Challenger Series
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. ...
.
As a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
, the
Grand Prix Final was cancelled, while parts of the Junior Grand Prix, Grand Prix, and Challenger Series were not held as scheduled. Among the ISU Championships events, the Four Continents Championships were relocated, and the World Junior Championships were postponed and relocated. Due to re-allocations, the
Estonian Skating Union hosted three of the four ISU Championships events this season.
Beginning from the 2021–22 season, the
International Skating Union
The International Skating Union (ISU) is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen ...
officially changed the terminology in all ISU rules and events from "ladies" to "women".
[
On March 1, 2022, the ISU banned all figure skaters and officials from Russia and Belarus from attending any international competitions due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.][
]
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
The ISU acknowledged two key challenges in organizing the season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
: entry restrictions into host countries and/or return to the home countries and limited air travel options. However, the ISU remained committed to having a full calendar of events with modifications as necessary, and issued the following statement:
On August 5, the ISU announced that due to varying travel and quarantine restrictions during the pandemic, it would consider re-allocation requests for the Junior Grand Prix series on a case-by-case basis according to an outlined criteria of preference. The ISU also said that they would abandon the re-allocation process in the event of an abundance of requests or overly complex requests that would cause logistical issues. In addition, the ISU decided not to implement a JGP ranking for the season and to instead prioritize holding the JGP series safely "with the best possible participation" in light of the pandemic. In October, the ISU announced alternative qualification criteria for the 2021–22 Junior Grand Prix Final.
On August 16, the ISU announced the cancellation of the third Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
event, the 2021 Cup of China, citing the limited number of international flights to China and strict COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
restrictions.[ In an attempt to preserve the Grand Prix series, the ISU asked for other ISU members to apply as alternate hosts on the originally scheduled dates. On August 27, the Gran Premio d'Italia was named as the replacement event.][ On December 2, the ISU announced that the 2021–22 Grand Prix Final would not be able to be held as scheduled in ]Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...
, Japan and that they were considering the possibility of postponement to later in the season.[ The event was definitively cancelled on December 17.][
On September 13, the Chinese Skating Association announced the cancellation of the 2022 Four Continents Championships for similar reasons as Cup of China. The ISU again asked for other members to apply as alternate hosts on the originally scheduled dates.][ After receiving no applications from non-European members, the ISU asked the Estonian Skating Union, the host of the European Championships, to host the Four Continents Championships in the same venue the following week (the originally scheduled dates).][
On February 12, the ISU announced that the 2022 World Junior Championships could not be held as planned due to concerns about a surge in omicron variant cases in ]Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Mac ...
peaking on the originally scheduled dates, as well as the host nation's restrictive entry requirements. As the 2021 World Junior Championships were already cancelled, the ISU announced that they would evaluate the feasibility of postponing the event until May 2022, if the Bulgarian Skating Federation was willing and other ISU member nations were willing to attend. The final decision was expected to be made at the ISU Council meeting on February 24, but was delayed to allow time to assess the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...
. On February 27, the ISU announced that in light of the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the event would potentially be re-allocated. On March 4, the ISU announced that the event would be held from April 13–17 in Tallinn
Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju '' ...
, Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and t ...
, the second ISU Championships event of the season to be re-allocated to the Estonian Skating Union.
ISU member nations' response
Due to travel restrictions caused by the pandemic, as well as varying vaccination requirements, several federations faced issues traveling to certain countries to compete. For example, Russia was unable to send athletes to France for the first two Junior Grand Prix events and required the ISU's re-allocation system to obtain additional quotas at other events.[ The federation also faced logistical difficulties in obtaining visas for their athletes at both ]Skate America
Skate America is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. It is hosted by U.S. Figure Skating. The location changes yearly. Medals are awarded in four disciplines: me ...
and Skate Canada.[ Other federations limited international competitive opportunities for their skaters due to lengthy quarantine periods upon returning home.][ Both Japan and China did not send any athletes to the Junior Grand Prix, with China also skipping the entirety of the ISU Challenger Series; Japan only sent athletes to the latter events of the Challenger Series.][ China later also opted not to send any athletes to the ]World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
or the World Junior Championships.
Season notes
Age eligibility
Skaters are eligible to compete in ISU events on the junior or senior levels according to their age:
Changes
If skaters of different nationalities team up, the ISU
ISU may refer to:
Schools United States
* Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho
* Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois
* Illinois State University (Springfield, Illinois)
* Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana
* Iowa State ...
requires that they choose one country to represent.
Date refers to date when the change occurred or, if not available, the date when the change was announced.
Partnership changes
Retirements
Coaching changes
Nationality changes
Competitions
Several competitions were rescheduled from the previous season due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
.
Scheduled competitions:[
;Key
]
Postponed
A number of competitions were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
.
Cancelled
Several competitions were cancelled by either the ISU, the host federation, or the local government due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
, some for a second consecutive season. Several others were cancelled following the Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...
.
International medalists
Men
Women
Pairs
Ice dance
Records and achievements
Records
Senior
The following new senior ISU best scores were set during this season:
Junior
The following new junior ISU best scores were set during this season:
Achievements
; Olympic Games
; ISU Championships
* Deniss Vasiļjevs (bronze at 2022 Europeans) won Latvia's first ISU Championships medal.
* At 2022 Europeans, Kamila Valieva recorded the highest-ever PCS and TES in the short program to break her own ISU record for the short program score. Anastasia Mishina / Aleksandr Galliamov recorded the highest-ever PCS in the short program and TES in the free skating en route to breaking all three ISU records, including the free skating record set earlier in the event by Evgenia Tarasova
Evgenia Maksimovna Tarasova (russian: Евгения Максимовна Тарасова; born 17 December 1994) is a Russian pair skater. With partner Vladimir Morozov, she is the 2022 Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World medalist ( ...
/ Vladimir Morozov.
* Kana Muramoto / Daisuke Takahashi (silver at 2022 Four Continents) earned the highest placement for a Japanese ice dance team at an ISU Championships event. Takahashi is the first skater to earn a medal in two different disciplines at the Four Continents Championships, having previously won four medals in men's singles, including two golds.
* Cha Jun-hwan (gold at 2022 Four Continents) is the first Korean men's singles skater to win an ISU Championships event.
* Riku Miura / Ryuichi Kihara (silver at 2022 Worlds) earned the highest placement for a Japanese pair at the World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
.
* Loena Hendrickx (silver at 2022 Worlds) is the first Belgian women's singles skater to win a medal at an ISU Championships event.
* At 2022 Worlds, Gabriella Papadakis
Gabriella Maria Papadakis (born 10 May 1995) is a French ice dancer. With her partner, Guillaume Cizeron, she is a 2022 Olympic champion, 2018 Olympic silver medalist, a five-time World champion (2015–2016, 2018–2019, 2022), a five-time con ...
/ Guillaume Cizeron
Guillaume Cizeron (born 12 November 1994) is a French ice dancer. With his partner, Gabriella Papadakis, he is the 2022 Olympic champion, the 2018 Olympic silver medalist, a five-time World champion ( 2015– 2016, 2018–2019, 2022), a fiv ...
recorded the highest-ever PCS and TES in the rhythm dance to break their own ISU record for the rhythm dance score. Papadakis / Cizeron also recorded highest-ever PCS in the free dance, and broke their own ISU records for the free dance and combined scores.
* At 2022 Junior Worlds, Ilia Malinin recorded the highest-ever PCS for a junior man in the short program, and set the junior record for the short program score. Malinin also recorded both highest-ever TES and PCS for a junior man in the free skating, and broke the junior records for the free skating and combined scores.
* Karina Safina
Karina Ilgizarovna Safina (russian: Карина Илгизаровна Сафина, ka, კარინა ილგიზაროვნა საფინა, born 28 May 2004) is a Russian-Georgian pair skater who competes for Georgia. Wit ...
/ Luka Berulava
Luka Berulava (russian: Лука Берулава; ka, ლუკა ბერულავა, born 27 November 2002) is a Georgian pair skater, who currently competes with Anastasia Metelkina. Together they are two-time ISU Junior Grand Prix go ...
(gold at 2022 Junior Worlds) won Georgia's first ISU Championships title in any discipline. They also recorded the highest-ever PCS for a junior pairs in the short program.
* Mikhail Shaidorov (silver at 2022 Junior Worlds) won Kazakhstan's first World Junior Championships medal.
; ISU Grand Prix and Junior Grand Prix
; ISU Challenger Series and senior Bs
* Marilena Kitromilis (gold at 2021 CS Autumn Classic International) won Cyprus' first title at an ISU-sanctioned event.
* At 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy, Kamila Valieva recorded the highest-ever TES for a woman in the free skating and broke ISU records for the free skating and combined scores.
* In the women's free skating at 2021 Budapest Trophy, Maiia Khromykh became the 12th women to land a fully rotated quadruple jump in international competition.
* In the junior women's short program at 2021 Denis Ten Memorial Challenge, Sofia Samodelkina became the 15th woman to successfully land a triple Axel in international competition.
* In the junior women's free skating at 2022 Bavarian Open, Hana Yoshida became the 19th woman to successfully land a triple Axel in international competition.
* In the junior women's free skating at 2022 Coupe du Printemps, Ami Nakai
is a Japanese figure skater. She is the 2023 World Junior bronze medalist, a three-time gold medalist on the ISU Junior Grand Prix (at the 2022 JGP Poland II, the 2023 JGP Thailand, and the 2023 JGP Turkey), and the 2022–23 Japanese junio ...
became the 20th woman to successfully land a triple Axel in international competition.
Season's best scores
Men
Best total score
[
]
Best short program score
[
]
Best free skating score
[
]
Women
Best total score
[
]
Best short program score
[
]
Best free skating score
[
]
Pairs
Best total score
[
]
Best short program score
[
]
Best free skating score
[
]
Ice dance
Best total score
[
]
Best rhythm dance score
[
]
Best free dance score
[
]
Highest element scores
GOE = Grade of Execution
BV = Base value
Note: An 'x' after the base value means that the base value has been multiplied by 1.1 because the jump was executed in the second half of the program. A 'q' means that the jump was landed on the quarter (missing rotation of exactly one quarter revolution and receives full base value). A '<' indicates that the jump was under-rotated (missing rotation of more than one quarter revolution, but less than one half revolution). A '!' means an unclear edge on the takeoff of the jump.
Men
= Highest valued single jumps
=
= Highest valued combos
=
Women
= Highest valued single jumps
=
= Highest valued combos
=
= Highest valued single triple Axels
=
Pairs
= Highest valued twists
=
= Highest valued throw jumps
=
= Highest valued lifts
=
= Highest valued jump combos
=
World Standings and Season's World Ranking
Current World Standings (top 30)
Men
.[
]
Women
.[
]
Pairs
.[
]
Ice dance
.[
]
Current Season's World Ranking (top 30)
Men
.[
]
Women
.[
]
Pairs
.[
]
Ice dance
.[
]
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:2021-22 figure skating season
Seasons in figure skating
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