ISU 2024 European Championships - Kaunas, LTU - 8-14 Jan. 2024

[Elizabeth]

Official event website: https://ec2024kaunas.lt/en/

Skaters/couples participating in the ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2024 must have
reached the following Minimum Total Elements Scores during the ongoing season (2023/24) or the
immediately preceding season (2022/23):
- - - - - - - - - - SP/RD- - - -FS/FD
MEN - - - - - - 28.00 - - - -46.00
WOMEN - - - - 25.00- - - - 42.00
PAIR SKATING 25.00- - - - 42.00
ICE DANCE - - 30.00- - - - 48.00

Entries had to be submitted not later than Monday, December 18, 2023 – 20:00, local time Kaunas / LTU

Entries (including alternates/substitutes), by discipline, can be found here:https://results.isu.org/events/fsevent00117459.htm

The current lists:

[Elizabeth]

For anyone puzzled by the ice dance representatives for Spain where Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck are only listed as alternates - you are not alone.

According to what has been posted in various places, the Spanish Federation has, in the past (including the 2022 Olympics), used total scores earned in international competitions during the current season plus the results at their national championships to make their selections. This year, in a late season announcement (Nov. 16, 2023), they said they would base the selection on the total technical (TES) scores earned. I understand the announcement was made at a point where it was not possible from Smart & Dieck to raise their total by entering another competition whereas the other team was about to compete at the Bosphorus Cup, an event which was reportedly quite overscored.


The results of the 2023 Spanish Championships in Sr. Ice Dance:

1 Olivia Sophie SMART / Tim DIECK - 184.98
2 Sofía VAL / Asaf Kazimov - 178.79
3 Philomene SABOURIN / Raul BERMEJO GUTIERREZ - 138.46

The totals on which the Spanish Federation decision was based:
Val/Kazimov
Spanish Nats: 178.79 (TES 103.75)
Budapest: 168.34 (TES 97.44)
Bosphorus:176.36 (TES 103.43)
Total: 523.49
Total TES: 304.62

Smart/Dieck
Spanish Nats: 184.98 (TES 101.22)
Finlandia: 178.47 (TES 98.81)
Skate America: 180.67 (TES 100.14)
Total: 544.12
Total TES: 300.17


From Olivia Smart on X (formerly Twitter):

What a whirlwind the past few days have been. I am not staying silent and I can confirm that Tim, myself and our team were in complete shock by all of it. We see your support and we appreciate it very very much.

[Elizabeth]

An update:
The Spanish federation have announced a change to their Championship assignments.

• Sofía Val / Asaf Kazimov are assigned to Europeans
• Olivia Smart / Tim Dieck are assigned to Worlds

The federation also said:

The selection criteria will be reviewed so that they are more “transparent, fair and leave no room for interpretation”

[Elizabeth]

A view of Kaunas, Lithuania where it was -18C on Sunday evening - practices begin on Monday.

[Elizabeth]

The full practice and competition schedule: https://results.isu.org/schedules/EC202 ... hedule.pdf

The competition times for various time zones including those across Canada - note that Lithuania is 7 hours ahead of ET:

[Elizabeth]

The main arena - some practices are underway here

[Elizabeth]

The schedule overview (in local time)


The Entries/Start Orders/Results link: http://www.isuresults.com/results/season2324/ec2024/

The links for the ISU YouTube stream have not yet been posted: https://www.youtube.com/@SkatingISU/featured
There is, however, a preview video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1sx3vxHvEc

The official son for Euros 2024: https://youtu.be/EZr5uPvvaBY

[Elizabeth]

Start order for the Men:


The timing information (7 hr. ahead of ET)

[Elizabeth]

Pairs SP start order


The timing information (7 hr. ahead of ET)

[Elizabeth]

The ISU has finally put up their preview article: https://isu.org/figure-skating/news/new ... teParam=15

Updated - as of 12:30 p.m. ET today (Tuesday), the links for the upcoming live streams have now been added on the ISU YouTube channel.
Wednesday:
Pairs SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCG_GDCneDQ
Men SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8E60rvmzH0

Thursday:
Women SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkQGjAbD5Dc
Pairs FS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjf_NsOeegI

Friday:
RD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgOlFOVDg_c
Men FS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJez3SQvdi8

Saturday:
Women FS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVLZUa0K8M8
Free Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiUhouDLiLM

No link (yet) for the Gala on Sunday.

[Elizabeth]

Day 1 of Europeans starts with the introductions of the first group of Pairs


The ISU commentator is Chris Howarth, a former Eurosport commentator. For anyone missing Mark Hanretty - he is currently preparing for the first show of the Dancing on Ice competition in the UK - it begins on January 14th.

Results after the Pairs SP - the top 16 Qualify for the FS:



The top 3






Wearing "small medals" for SP

The ISU review article of the Pairs SP: https://isu.org/figure-skating/news/new ... teParam=15

Now on to the Opening Ceremonies and then the Men SP (all on one ISU YouTube stream): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8E60rvmzH0

The Men SP results (some very sad ones)


Top 3






Press conference photos - wearing "small medals" for SP results


The ISU review article: https://isu.org/figure-skating/news/new ... teParam=15

[Elizabeth]

Overview of the 2nd day of competition:

The start order for the Women SP:


As each skater is introduced, the flag of their country is "spread across the ice" (digitally) - this was also used to show the flag of each of the participating countries during the Opening Ceremonies.



****
And the results of the Women SP with the top 24 qualifying to the Free Skate - there was one surprise right at the very end - Ekaterina Kurakova (who has been back training again with Brian Orser) had too many errors + a time fault and failed to qualify



The top 3:
Loena Hendrickx
Nina Pinzarrone
Anastasiia Gubanova







Press conference photo with "small" SP medals:

ISU review article: https://isu.org/figure-skating/news/new ... teParam=15

********

Up next is the Pairs FS. The Kovalevs from France have withdrawn due to "medical reasons".
Interestingly, the audience for the Pairs FS is the largest so far


An exciting finish to the 2nd day of competition.

The Pairs results after the Free Skate:


The first medalists of this event
Beccari / Guarise 199.19
Metelkina / Berulava 196.14
Ghilardi / Ambrosini 195.68

Top 3






Podium selfie

Enthusiastic anthem singers



Happy Cats
Matteo Guarise has been to the European Championships many times and he has finally not only won a medal but it was gold and with a new partner! His previous partner, Nicole della Monica, retired after the 2022 Olympics. He won a world championships in roller skating before turning to figure skating in 2010!

More history made: Anastasiia Metelkina / Luka Berulava are the first Georgian pairs team to medal at the European Championships.

Press conference photo (after the medal ceremony) - I hear it was a lot of fun

[Elizabeth]

Looking forward to Day 3 - the Dance competition begins followed by the Men FS.


Soucisse & Firus are "Team Ireland " at Europeans - Coach Carol Lane is there with them.


The start order for the RD:


After a 5 hour marathon of 80s music, costumes, and hairstyles the top 20 of the 33 teams will move on to the Free Dance tomorrow. The results of the Rhythm Dance:


Top 3






Press conference photo

Top 3 with small medals at Press Conference

The ISU review article: https://isu.org/figure-skating/news/new ... teParam=15

Team Ireland, Soucisse & Firus, with a Seasons Best score, sit in 12 place going into the Free Dance.

[Elizabeth]

In the Men's FS the results were a bit "chaotic", including an illegal backflip performed by the gold medalist (costing him a 2 point deduction)!

The results - first the overall results and then the FS results:


The top 3






Podium photo

Podium selfie

History was made for Estonia with their first Euros medal - a job well done for Aleksandr Selevko, making a return to Euros after several years away; his younger brother failed to qualify for the FS.
Adam Siao Him Fa has become the first French skater to retain the European title since Alain Calmat (1962-1964).
Until Adam did it today, the last male skater to win back-to-back European titles was Javier Fernandez of Spain, who won 7-straight titles from 2013-2019.

Matteo Rizzo will miss the rest of the season as he has to have hip surgery - it was heart-warming to see him have such a good skate today and to move up from 6th to win a medal

Fun press conference photo

The ISU review article: https://isu.org/figure-skating/news/new ... teParam=15

[Elizabeth]

The final day of competition - an overview

The results of the Women FS


The overall results


Loena Hendrickx
Anastasiia Gubanova
Nina Pinzarrone

Top 3






Podium photo

Press conference

ISU review article: https://isu.org/figure-skating/news/new ... teParam=15

Historical tidbits:

• Loena Hendrickx wins her first European title, the first European title for Belgium since 1947 when the pairs team Micheline Lannoy & Pierre Baugniet won gold.
• 1947 was also the last time, Belgium won 2 medals in one discipline. Diskeuve /Verbustel won bronze in the pairs event when Lannoy and Baugniet won the title.

[Elizabeth]

The last event of the competition - the Free Dance.

The fans are "showing their colours", holding up coloured cards to represent the Lithuanian flag as the warm up is about to begin There are two Lithuanian couples competing one in the first group and one in the last.


The Free Dance results:


The final overall results:


Guignard / Fabbri
Fear / Gibson
Reed / Ambrulevičius

The top 3






Podium selfie

Press conference photo reflects how everyone is feeling after this week



ISU review article: https://isu.org/figure-skating/news/new ... teParam=15

Historical tidbit: MarcoFabbri is be the oldest skater ever to get a medal or retain the title since Ice Dance was included at ISU European Championships in 1954.

Bonus:
A video of the medal ceremony taken by an audience member shows the enthusiasm of the "packed to the rafters" audience: https://youtu.be/bXddAoIBE60

Overall the organization of this first ever European Championships held in Lithuania seems to have been extremely well organized with a very supportive audience.

[Elizabeth]

The final day of Europeans

The event was put together by the Lithuanian Federation in 8 months after the previous hosts stepped away. They did a fabulous job from all accounts, especially as this was their first hosting of an ISU event. The crowds were very supportive of all the skaters, turning out especially for pairs and ice dance in very large numbers. Everyone hopes that they will host more

The program for Sunday's Gala Exhibition includes guest skaters Papdakis & Cizeron! Matteo Rizzo, bronze medalist, is not performing due to his hip status - he is having surgery and will be gone for the rest of this season.



The YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol4mKvUqwM4

The revised schedule with full details for each half




WOW - musicians from the Vilnius Orchestra live on-site for the exhibition and providing "supplementary" accompaniment to the recorded music for the performances!

The special guests

[Elizabeth]

Another huge crowd enjoyed the Gala

[Elizabeth]

Matteo Rizzo, Euros bronze medalist, has taken the rest of the season off to have very necessary hip surgery and post surgery rehabilitation.

His report from the hospital