2017 World Championships

The ISU World Figure Skating Championships are held in Helsinki (FIN) for the third time after 1999 and 1983. 193 skaters/couples from 36 ISU members have been entered for the Championships.

•   37-year-old pair skater Zoe JONES (GBR) is the oldest skater competing in the Championships (date of birth Jan 14, 1980)
•   The oldest male skater is pair skater Ondrej HOTAREK (ITA) at age 33 (dob Jan 25, 1984) 
•   The youngest competitor is 16-year-old Wakaba HIGUCHI of Japan (dob Jan 2, 2001)
•   The youngest male skater competing is Latvia’s 17-year-old Deniss VASILJEVS (dob Aug 9, 1999)

Four skaters celebrate their birthday during the Championship:

•   Ice Dancer Alexander SINICYN (CZE) turns 21 on Monday, March 27
•   Ice Dancer Ekaterina BOBROVA (RUS) will be 27 years old on Tuesday, March 28
•   Michal BREZINA (CZE) celebrates his 26^th birthday on Thursday, March 30, the day of the Men’s Short Program
•   Ice Dancer Olivia SMART (ESP) turns 20 on Saturday, April 1, the day of the Free Dance

Two pairs of siblings are competing:

•   Loena HENDRICKX (BEL) and Jorik HENDRICKX (BEL) in Ladies and Men’s singles
•   Maia SHIBUTANI/Alex SHIBUTANI (USA) in the Ice Dance

Three married couples are competing:

•  Marie-Jade LAURIAULT/Romain LE GAC (FRA) in the Ice Dance event
•  Ice Dancer Anna CAPPELLINI (ITA) and Pair skater Ondrej HOTAREK (ITA)
•  Alexa SCIMECA KNIERIM/Chris KNIERIM (USA) in the Pairs

All four reigning World Champions Evgenia MEDVEDEVA (RUS), Javier FERNANDEZ (ESP), Meagan DUHAMEL/Eric RADFORD (CAN) and Gabriella PAPADAKIS/Guillaume CIZERON (FRA) are back in action and want to defend their titles. Also competing are 2012 World Champion Carolina KOSTNER (ITA), three-time World Champion Patrick CHAN (CAN), 2014 World Champion Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN), two-time World Ice Dance Champions Tessa VIRTUE/Scott MOIR (CAN), 2014 World Ice Dance Champions Anna CAPPELLINI/Luca LANOTTE (ITA). Five-time World Pairs Champion Aliona SAVCHENKO (GER) competes with new partner Bruno MASSOT.