Challenger Series assignment questions

[unsushiroll]

I´m new to figure skating and while reading about ISU´s competitions, I got a little bit lost and was curious:

In regards to the ISU Challenger Series, when and how do skaters find out where they are assigned to compete?

And following that, I´ve read that somehow this competition can help skaters win a spot in the Grand Prix...? Not sure if that´s true, but if it is, how does that work? What scores or requirements would the skater have to achieve to be suitable for the Grand Prix?

Thanks

 

[AlexBreeze]

Hi! Welcome to Golden Skate!

In regards to the ISU Challenger Series, when and how do skaters find out where they are assigned to compete?

Their federation submits an application to a certain event and that's it. They can choose any event. No more than three participants from one country. Each participant can take part in no more than two events.

And following that, I´ve read that somehow this competition can help skaters win a spot in the Grand Prix...? Not sure if that´s true, but if it is, how does that work? What scores or requirements would the skater have to achieve to be suitable for the Grand Prix?

If a skater wins a Challenger Event, they move to the alternate list of the current season and might be invited if someone withdraws from the Grand Prix.

For pairs, it's enough to just take part in the Challenger event of the current season and score the minimum score to be added to the alternate list. The minimum score is 3/5 of the last winning score at Worlds.

 

[unsushiroll]

Hi! Welcome to Golden Skate!


Their federation submits an application to a certain event and that's it. They can choose any event. No more than three participants from one country. Each participant can take part in no more than two events.


If a skater wins a Challenger Event, they move to the alternate list of the current season and might be invited if someone withdraws from the Grand Prix.

For pairs, it's enough to just take part in the Challenger event of the current season and score the minimum score to be added to the alternate list. The minimum score is 3/5 of the last winning score at Worlds.

Hi Thank you so much!! This was really helpful. By the way, do you know if there´s some sort of page where I can read about how other competitions work? I´m interested in how skaters persue their senior carriers but have no idea how they classify for all the ISU and other important competitions, as well as their respective nationals and eventually the olympics. I know the major competitions like Grand Prix, Worlds, 4CC/European Championships and the Challenger Series (and Olympics obviously) but I don´t know if I´m missing any other important senior events. I´ve also heard about the NRW Trophy but have no idea what that is. Sorry I´m really new here, this is so embarrasing.

 

[AlexBreeze]

By the way, do you know if there´s some sort of page where I can read about how other competitions work?

I'm not sure there's a place with a short info about all the events.

Every competition has an announcement document in which you can read the rules.

have no idea how they classify for all the ISU and other important competitions, as well as their respective nationals and eventually the olympics.

At the Grand Prix, skaters are invited by the organizers based on their results.
Rules

At Worlds, 4CC/Europeans and the Olympics skaters are selected by their federations. Each federation has their own criteria.

At Worlds and Europeans each federation has from one to three spots based on the results of a previous season's event. At 4CC, all federations has three spots. For the Olympics, the spots are decided at previous Worlds and Olympic qualifying event.

A skater can be entried for these four events only if they have combined technical minimum i.e. they scored a required technical score in any event during past two seasons.

That's a very short review. More detailed info might be found in the documents or, in a simpler form, on a Wikipedia page of a respective event.

but I don´t know if I´m missing any other important senior events

These are the main annual events. There are also World Team Trophy, Universiade and some smaller events that are not held every year.

I´ve also heard about the NRW Trophy but have no idea what that is.

It's a so-called B-event. There are multiple B-events every month. They are sanctioned by the ISU (all international events must be sanctioned by ISU). Skaters can't update their personal best scores there but might earn some World Standing points and receive a technical minimum.

All the ISU sanctioned events can be found the ISU website.
https://www.isu.org/events/

 

[Anna K.]

If you want everything fast, there is a stats website called SkatingScores. It is meant to be about figure skating results but it has also the upcoming event info, the world standings etc., everything very simple, compact, and in one place.
You have to keep in mind that this is not the official information from the original source. The site is created and run by volunteers who gather information from open sources after it has been published. So, you may need to wait a few days sometimes until the results come in or there can be some small deviations (i.e., a skater's middle name mistaken for a surname). But overall, this is a useful and recommendable site.

 

[NanaPat]

Most international assignments are made by the skater's federation, and each federation has its own rules, policies, and (sometimes) prejudices.

For the "ISU championships"(Euro/4CC/Worlds), skaters also require a minimum technical scores, obtained in the current year. The number of skaters a federation can send to these events is determined by how well that federations's skaters did in the same event in the previous year.

The GP assignments are NOT done by the federations, but depend on the skater's performance in the previous year (result at Worlds and/or World Standings and/or season's best score). There is a limit of 3 entries per federation/sub-event, and hosts are allowed up to 3 entries per sub-event who wouldn't qualify in the usual way (called "host picks", usually skaters from the host country/federation).

Then there are the Challengers and other International events. Skaters can earn World Standing points, and/or "official" technical scores, and/or "official" best scores at some of these events. Which sub-events qualify for which is very complicated and may not be determined until the event has actually been held!