The Best Figures Skaters In Europe


Today we'll take a quick look at the best figures skaters in Europe! All of the talented skaters in this table won the compulsory figures at the European Figure Skating Championships. The skaters with a * beside their name also won the overall title.

Year

Men

Women

1891

Oskar Uhlig*

(not held)

1892

Eduard Engelmann Jr.*

(not held)

1893

Eduard Engelmann Jr.*

(not held)

1894

Eduard Engelmann Jr.*

(not held)

1895

Tibor von Földváry*

(not held)

1898

Ulrich Salchow*

(not held)

1899

Ulrich Salchow*

(not held)

1900

Ulrich Salchow*

(not held)

1901

Gustav Hügel*

(not held)

1904

Ulrich Salchow*

(not held)

1905

Max Bohatsch*

(not held)

1906

Ulrich Salchow*

(not held)

1907

Ulrich Salchow*

(not held)

1908

Ernst Herz*

(not held)

1909

Ulrich Salchow*

(not held)

1910

Ulrich Salchow*

(not held)

1911

Per Thorén*

(not held)

1912

Gösta Sandahl*

(not held)

1913

Ulrich Salchow*

(not held)

1914

Fritz Kachler*

(not held)

1922

Willy Böckl*

(not held)

1923

Willy Böckl*

(not held)

1924

Fritz Kachler*

(not held)

1925

Willy Böckl*

(not held)

1926

Otto Preißecker

(not held)

1927

Willy Böckl*

(not held)

1928

Willy Böckl*

(not held)

1929

Karl Schäfer*

(not held)

1930

Karl Schäfer*

Fritzi Burger*

1931

Karl Schäfer*

Sonja Henie*

1932

Karl Schäfer*

Sonja Henie*

1933

Karl Schäfer*

Sonja Henie*

1934

Karl Schäfer*

Sonja Henie*

1935

Karl Schäfer*

Sonja Henie*

1936

Karl Schäfer*

Sonja Henie*

1937

Felix Kaspar*

Cecilia Colledge*

1938

Henry Graham Sharp

Cecilia Colledge*

1939

Henry Graham Sharp*

Megan Taylor

1947

Hans Gerschwiler*

Barbara Ann Scott*

1948

Dick Button*

Barbara Ann Scott*

1949

Edi Rada*

Eva Pawlik*

1950

Ede Király

Ája Zanová*

1951

Horst Faber

Jeannette Altwegg*

1952

Hellmut Seibt*

Jeannette Altwegg*

1953

Carlo Fassi*

Valda Osborn*

1954

Carlo Fassi*

Gundi Busch*

1955

Alain Giletti*

Yvonne Sugden

1956

Alain Giletti*

Ingrid Wendl*

1957

Alain Giletti*

Ingrid Wendl

1958

Karol Divín*

Ingrid Wendl*

1959

Karol Divín*

Hanna Walter*

1960

Alain Giletti*

Sjoukje Dijkstra*

1961

Alain Giletti*

Sjoukje Dijkstra*

1962

Karol Divín

Sjoukje Dijkstra*

1963

Alain Calmat*

Sjoukje Dijkstra*

1964

Alain Calmat*

Sjoukje Dijkstra*

1965

Emmerich Danzer*

Regine Heitzer*

1966

Wolfgang Schwarz

Regine Heitzer*

1967

Emmerich Danzer*

Gaby Seyfert*

1968

Emmerich Danzer*

Hana Mašková*

1969

Ondrej Nepela*

Trixi Schuba

1970

Ondrej Nepela*

Trixi Schuba

1971

Ondrej Nepela*

Trixi Schuba*

1972

Ondrej Nepela*

Trixi Schuba*

1973

Ondrej Nepela*

Karin Iten

1974

Sergei Volkov

Karin Iten

1975

Sergei Volkov

Karin Iten

1976

Vladimir Kovalev

Isabel de Navarre

1977

Vladimir Kovalev

Anett Pötzsch*

1978

Vladimir Kovalev

Anett Pötzsch*

1979

Vladimir Kovalev

Anett Pötzsch*

1980

Vladimir Kovalev

Anett Pötzsch*

1981

Jean-Christophe Simond

Claudia Kristofics-Binder

1982

Jean-Christophe Simond

Claudia Kristofics-Binder

1983

Jean-Christophe Simond

Elena Vodorezova

1984

Jean-Christophe Simond

Elena Vodorezova

1985

Fernand Fédronic

Katarina Witt*

1986

Jozef Sabovčík*

Kira Ivanova

1987

Alexandr Fadeev*

Kira Ivanova

1988

Alexandr Fadeev*

Kira Ivanova

1989

Richard Zander

Claudia Leistner*

1990

Richard Zander

Natalia Lebedeva

Lots of interesting takeaways to look at here! The importance of the school figures in skating's pre-War years is evident in the fact that from 1891 to 1939, only two men and one woman won the figures but not the overall title at the European Championships: Otto Preißecker in 1926, Henry Graham Sharp in 1938 and Megan Taylor in 1939.

Henry Graham Sharp

In 1984, the winners of both the men's and women's figures, Jean-Christophe Simond of France and Elena Vodorezova of the Soviet Union, withdrew prior to the short program. This was the first and only time this happened in an ISU Championship.

Vladimir Kovalev

The introduction of the short program for singles skaters devalued figures and made for some interesting results at the Europeans. For twelve years straight, the men's school figures at the Europeans were won by skaters who didn't take the overall crown. Vladimir Kovalev won the figures at Europeans five times in a row; Jean-Christophe Simond four. In 1985, France's Fernand Fédronic made history as the only skater of colour to ever win the figures at the Europeans.

Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering a copy of figure skating reference books "The Almanac of Canadian Figure Skating", "Technical Merit: A History of Figure Skating Jumps" and "A Bibliography of Figure Skating": https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.
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