2022 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships

The 2022 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships will be held from January 18–23, 2022 in Tallinn, Estonia. Held annually since 1999 (except 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), the competition will feature skaters from the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Medals will be awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, women's singles, pairs, and ice dance. Although the event is designed for non-European skaters, the International Skating Union asked the Estonian Skating Union, the host of the 2022 European Championships, to host the Four Continents Championships in the same venue after no non-European ISU members applied to host following the Chinese Skating Association's withdrawal.[1]

2022 Four Continents Championships
Type:ISU Championship
Date:January 18 – 23
Season:2021–22
Location:Tallinn, Estonia
Host:Estonian Skating Union
Venue:Tondiraba Ice Hall
Defending champions
Men's singles:
Yuzuru Hanyu
Ladies' singles:
Rika Kihira
Pair skating:
Sui Wenjing / Han Cong
Ice dance:
Madison Chock / Evan Bates
Previous:
2020 Four Continents Championships
2021 Four Continents Championships
Next:
2023 Four Continents Championships

Tianjin, China was announced as the original host in October 2020.[2] This would have been China's second time hosting the Four Continents, following the 2003 edition in Beijing. The 2022 Four Continents Championships were the second ISU Championship-level event and one of several events overall cancelled by the Chinese Skating Association during the pandemic.

Upon China's withdrawal as host on September 13, 2021, the International Skating Union asked for other non-European ISU members to apply as alternative hosts on the originally scheduled dates, with any relocation decision to be determined at the ISU Council meeting on October 1.[3] However, no other qualified members chose to apply, resulting in the event having a European host for the first time.[1]

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

During the 2020–21 season, the CSA had already cancelled several events due to the country's stringent quarantine requirements – 21 days in isolation for non-residents – and limited flights in and out of the country; among the cancelled events were the 2021 World Junior Championships and the Olympic test event, the 2020–21 Grand Prix Final.[4] Less than a month prior to the cancellation of the Four Continents Championships, the CSA cancelled its annual Grand Prix event, the Cup of China, for similar reasons as the events last season.[5] Again citing "the complicated epidemic situation," the CSA, the local organizing committee, and the Tianjin Municipal Government informed the ISU of the cancellation of Four Continents on September 13, 2021.[3]

The Four Continents Championships would have been the first ISU Championship event during the 2021–22 season to be cancelled, before being relocated to Tallinn. The ISU and various host federations had already cancelled or relocated several other events earlier in the season, including events on the Junior Grand Prix, Grand Prix, and Challenger Series. After the ISU was able to find a replacement host for Cup of China, it again asked non-European ISU members to consider applying to host Four Continents on the originally scheduled dates.[6] After the search was unsuccessful for Four Continents, with no federations applying to host, Tallinn was chosen as the replacement host due to it hosting the European Championships a week prior.[1]

Due to the original Four Continents' proximity in both geographical location and timeline to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China's decision to cancel the event prompted further concerns about whether the Winter Olympics would be able to proceed as scheduled, and if so, be conducted in a safe manner.[7][8]

Qualification

Age and minimum TES requirements

The competition will be open to skaters from all non-European member nations of the International Skating Union. The corresponding competition for European skaters will be the 2022 European Championships.

Skaters are eligible for the 2022 Four Continents Championships if they turned 15 years of age before July 1, 2021 and met the minimum technical elements score requirements. The ISU accepts scores if they were obtained at senior-level ISU-recognized international competitions during the ongoing season at least 21 days before the first official practice day of the championships or during the two preceding seasons (adjusted from the traditional one due to the pandemic).[9]

Minimum technical scores (TES)
Discipline SP / RD FS / FD
Men2846
Ladies2340
Pairs2542
Ice dance2844
Must be achieved at an ISU-recognized senior international event
in the ongoing or preceding two seasons.
SP/RD and FS/FD scores may be attained at different events.

Number of entries per discipline

Each qualifying ISU member nation may have up to three entries per discipline.[9]

Entries

Member nations began announcing their selections in December 2021.

Country Men Women Pairs Ice dance
 South Korea[10] Cha Jun-hwan
Kyeong Jae-seok
Lee Si-hyeong		 Kim Ye-lim
Lee Hae-in
You Young

References
  1. "Communication No. 2431: Decisions of the Council". International Skating Union. October 4, 2021.
  2. "Cancellation of ISU Four Continents Championships 2021 and Provisional allotments of ISU Championships 2022 and 2023". International Skating Union. October 16, 2020.
  3. "ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2022, Tianjin/China – cancellation/relocation". International Skating Union. September 13, 2021.
  4. "Update on ISU Event Calendar season 2020/21". International Skating Union. November 24, 2020.
  5. "China cancels as host of figure skating's Four Continents Championships". NBC Sports. September 13, 2021.
  6. "ISU seeking host for 4 Continents 2022 event in January". Associated Press. September 13, 2021.
  7. Iveson, Ali (September 13, 2021). "Major figure skating event in China two weeks before Winter Olympics axed over COVID-19". Inside the Games.
  8. "China cancels everything… except the Beijing 2022 Games". Francs Jeux. September 14, 2021.
  9. "Communication No. 2406: Entries for ISU Figure Skating and Synchronized Skating Championships 2022". International Skating Union. July 6, 2021.
  10. Lee, Seong-hoon (December 5, 2021). "피겨 차준환·유영 올림픽 1차 선발전 우승…베이징이 보인다" [Figure skating Cha Jun-hwan wins the first round of the Olympic qualifiers...Beijing is visible]. SBS (in Korean).
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