Historical Results From The Karl Schäfer Memorial (Vienna Cup)

The Karl Schäfer Memorial, a significant senior-level fall international figure skating competition from years past, had a long history that stretched back decades. Originally known as the City of Vienna Prize, the event predated the death of its eventual namesake, Karl Schäfer, and was widely referred to as the Vienna Cup until the late 1990s. Held annually in Vienna, Austria, the competition drew top skaters from around the world, providing a stage for both rising talents and established champions. 

Photo courtesy National Archives of Poland

Karl Schäfer was a legendary Austrian figure skater, a two-time Olympic Gold Medallist in 1932 and 1936, and a dominant force in both European and World Championships throughout the 1930s. Known for his strong compulsory figures and technical precisions, Schäfer left an indelible mark on the sport. After his death in 1976, the competition was eventually renamed the Karl Schäfer Memorial in his honour, ensuring that his legacy would continue to inspire skaters and fans alike.

This new addition to Skate Guard's Results page includes results from every edition of the event. Early results were sourced from newspaper archives and back issues of "Skating", "Ice & Roller Skate" and "American Skating World" magazines. From the late 1990s onwards, results were drawn from official online event protocols, to develop a near-complete and reliable record of this historic competition.

1974 CITY OF VIENNA PRIZE (Vienna, Austria, September 26-29, 1974)

Women:

1. Susanna Driano (ITA)

2. Sylvia Fontaine (SUI)

3. Susan McDonald (CAN)

4. Sonja Stanek (AUT)

5. Manuela Bertele (ITA)

6. Evi Koepfli (SUI)

7. Susi Altura (AUT)

8. Vera Burding (FRG)

9. Diana Bartlam (GRB)

10. Grażyna Dudek (POL)

11. Marina Tsertvadze (SOV)

12. Lena Hakansson (SWE)

13. Christa Jorda (AUR)

14. Marion Moisenko (FRG)

15. Susan Mason (GRB)

16. Maja Zupancic (YUG)

17. Ksenia Pirs (YUG)

18. Sonja Iwanitzky (AUT)

WD. Katy Nagy (HUN)

WD. Brigitte Falk (AUT)

1975 VIENNA SKATE (Vienna, Austria, September 24-28, 1975)

Women:

1. Heather Kemkaran (CAN)

2. Isabel de Navarre (FRG)

3. Sonja Balun (AUT)

4. Michelle Haider (SUI)

5. Grażyna Dudek (POL)

6. Sharon Burley (AUS)

7. Claudia Kristofics-Binder (AUT)

8. Lena Håkansson (SWE)

9. Hana Schiesslová (CZE)

10. Evelyn Reusser (SUI)

11. Sonja Stanek (AUT)

12. Wendy Base (GRB)

13. Maja Zupancic (YUG)

14. Alenka Paver (YUG)

15. Ksenia Pirs (YUG)

16. Sonja Iwanitzky (AUT)

Ice Dance:

1. Ewa Kołodziej and Tadeusz Góra (POL)

2. Pauline Gee and Richard Norris (GRB)

3. Susi and Peter Handschmann (AUT)

4. Elizabeth Luksch and Peter Schuebl (AUT)

5. Anna Pisánská and Jiří Musil (CZE)

6. Andrea Dohany and György Lénárt (HUN)

7. Claudia Koch and Ronald Schranz (AUT)

8. Monika and Michael Kuchler (FRG)

9. Sabine and Ernst Koppe (AUT)

10. Barbel Bestereinmer and Walter Franek (AUT)

11. Doris Freund and Richard Worff (AUT)

12. Jo Ann Barich and Franz Baierl (AUT)

1976 CUP OF VIENNA (Vienna, Austria, September 22-26, 1976)

Women:

1. Dagmar Lurz (FRG)

2. Emi Watanabe (JPN)

3. Susan Broman (FIN)

4. Claudia Kristofics-Binder (AUT)

5. Nina Kyottinen (FIN)

6. Kriistina Wegelius (FIN)

7. Phyllida Beck (GRB)

8. Sonja Stanek (AUT)

9. Gabriele Mechling (FRG)

10. Christine Eicher (SUI)

11. Lotta Crispin (SWE)

12. Dana Vaucher (SUI)

13. Monique Verlaan (HOL)

14. Li Ying Wang (HOL)

15. Monika Sultesz (HUN)

16. Anna Garbacz (POL)

Ice Dance:

1. Susi Handschmann and Peter Handschmann (AUT)

2. Denise Best and David Dagnell (GRB)

3. Claudia Koch and Roland Schranz (AUT)

4. Liliana Řeháková and Stanislav Drastich (CZE)

5. Tandy Buxton and Trevor Davies (GRB)

6. Maria Kniffer and Manfred Hübler (AUT)

1977 ASKÖ CUP OF VIENNA* (Vienna, Austria, September 14-18, 1977)

Women:

1. Claudia Kristofics-Binder (AUT)

2. Cindy Perpich (USA)

3. Susan McDonald (CAN)

*These results are incomplete. If you are able to assist with any missing results, please don't hesitate to reach out!

1978 ASKÖ CUP OF VIENNA (Vienna, Austria, September 27-October 1, 1978)

Men:

1. Brian Boitano (USA)

2. Mitsuru Matsumura (JPN)

3. Helmut Kristofics-Binder (AUT)

4. Michel Lotz (FRA)

5. Takashi Mura (JPN)

6. Jaochim Ehmann (FRG)

7. Ludwik Jankowski (POL)

8. Falko Kirsten (GDR)

9. Gerald Schranz (AUT)

10. Alexandr Fadeev (SOV)

11. Miljan Begović (YUG)

12. Wolfgang Schmalhofer (AUT)

Women:

1. Claudia Kristofics-Binder (AUT)

2. Emi Watanabe (JPN)

3. Alicia Risberg (USA)

4. Reiko Kobayashi (JPN)

5. Katarina Witt (GDR)

6. Kerstin Wolff (GDR)

7. Svetlana Starzeva (SOV)

8. Daniela Massanneck (FRG)

9. Young Soon Choo (KOR)

10. Christina Bauer (FRG)

11. Genevieve Schoumacker (BEL)

12. Karin Tesler (ITA)

13. Andrea Rohm (AUT)

14. Karin Leuthard (CZE)

15. Silke Schmiedel (FRG)

16. Brigitte Zizka (AUT)

WD. Li Ying Wang (HOL)

1979 ASKÖ CUP OF VIENNA (Vienna, Austria, September 27, 1979)

Men:

1. Brian Orser (CAN)

2. Christopher Howarth (GRB)

3. Vladimir Rastschiotnov (SOV)

4. Jaochim Edel (FRG)

5. Gerald Schranz (AUT)

6. Ludwik Jankowski (POL)

7. Istvan Simon (HUN)

8. Miljan Begovic (YUG)

Women:

1. Marina Ignatova (SOV)

2. Sonja Stanek (AUT)

3. Tracey Wainman (CAN)

4. Janina Wirth (FRG)

5. Anita Siegfried (SUI)

6. Ayako Yakushi (JPN)

7. Carola Paul (GDR)

8. Petra Schruf (AUT)

9. Mariette Firsching (FRG)

10. Alison Southwood (GRB)

11. Beverley Dempsey (GRB)

12. Mariko Yoshida (JPN)

13. Susanne Hahn (AUT)

14. Eva Drometer (FRG)

15. Tatiana Michalková (CZE)

16. Antonella Carerra (ITA)

17. Eva Hrasková (CZE)

18. Gabriela Ballová (CZE)

1980 ASKÖ CUP OF VIENNA (Vienna, Austria, September 1980)

Men:

1. Falko Kirsten (GDR)

2. Leonid Kaznakov (SOV)

3. Neil Paterson (CAN)

4. Jaochim Ehmann (FRG)

5. Andrew Bestwick (GRB)

6. Grzegorz Głowania (POL)

7. Petr Barna (CZE)

8. Miljan Begovic (YUG)

9. Makato Kano (JPN)

10. Josef Šenk (CZE)

11. Andreas Narzt (AUT)

WD. Jaochim Edel (FRG)

Women:

1. Katarina Witt (GDR)

2. Andrea Rohm (AUT)

3. Cornelia Tesch (FRG)

4. Kay Thomson (CAN)

5. Petra Schruf (AUT)

6. Christina Bauer (FRG)

7. Claudia Cariboni (SUI)

8. Megumi Aotani (JPN)

9. Nina Awramowa (SOV)

10. Beverly Dempsey (GRB)

11. Sandra Cariboni (SUI)

12. Carola Paul (GDR)

13. Barbara Knotková (CZE)

14. Gabriele Buschuter (FRG)

15. Mirella Grazia (SUI)

16. Elisabeth Kausek (AUT)

17. Parthena Sarafidis (AUT)

18. Susanne Hahn (AUT)

19. Maristella Maderna (ITA)

20. Claudia Zettel (AUT)

21. Maryla Kubicková (CZE)

22. Ikuko Tobimatsu (JPN)

23. Daniela Niki (AUT)

24. Margot van Dijk (HOL)

25. Janna Bazuin (HOL)

26. Natasa Katic (YUG)

WD. Lynne Rickatson (GRB) 

1981 ASKÖ CUP OF VIENNA (Vienna, Austria, September 21-25, 1981)

Men:

1. Norbert Schramm (FRG)

2. Kevin Parker (CAN)

3. Ivan Kralik (CZE)

4. Grzegorz Głowania (POL)

5. Thomas Hlavik (AUT)

6. Shaun McGill (CAN)

7. Hervé Pornet (FRA)

8. Petr Barna (CZE)

9. Saak Machitarian (SOV)

10. David Michalowski (USA)

11. Pierre Seveno (FRA)

12. Didier Manaud (FRA)

13. András Száraz (HUN)

14. Alexander Fiebiger (AUT)

Women:

1. Maria Causey (USA)

2. Diane Mae Obigowski (CAN)

3. Myriam Oberwiler (SUI)

4. Petra Schruf (AUT)

5. Svetlana Franzusowa (SOV)

6. Anke Massanneck (FRG)

7. Andrea Rohm (AUT)

8. Parthena Sarafidis (AUT)

9. Karin Tesler (ITA)

10. Hana Veselá (CZE)

11. Mariko Yoshida (JPN)

12. Regina Algner (AUT)

13. Gigi Siegert (AUT)

14. Elisabeth Kausek (AUT)

15. Nevanka Lisak (YUG)

16. Hiromi Shintani (JPN)

17. Beata Nechrzter (POL)

18. Ann Jääskeläinen (FIN)

19. Anette Nygaard (DEN)

20. Kateřina Kamberská (CZE)

21. Lotta Isakson (FIN)

22. Ingrid Aalders (HOL)

23. Margo Van Dijk (HOL)

1982 ASKÖ CUP OF VIENNA (Vienna, Austria, September 20-24, 1982)

Women:

1. Rosanna Tovi (USA)

2. Melissa Thomas (USA)

3. Natalia Lebedeva (SOV)

4. Sonja Stanek (AUT)

5. Kerry Smith (CAN)

6. Karin Tesler (ITA)

7. Carola Wolff (FRG)

8. Sabine Paal (AUT)

9. Marion Krause (GDR)

10. Petra Schruf (AUT)

11. Claudia Cariboni (SUI)

12. Nathalie Hildesheimer (FRA)

13. Parthena Sarafidis (AUT)

14. Susanne Gschwend (AUT)

15. Elise Ahohen (FIN)

16. Mirella Grazia (SUI)

17. Kriestie Fiedler (AUT)

18. Nina Oestman (FIN)

19. Helena Chwila (POL)

20. Catherine Howe (GRB)

21. Tatiana Michalková (CZE)

22. Brigitte Tucny (AUT)

23. Gabriela Ballová (CZE)

24. Sharon Gaylard (AUS)

25. Michaela Uherová (CZE)

1983 ASKÖ CUP OF VIENNA (Vienna, Austria, September 19-23, 1983)

Women:

1. Leslie Sikes (USA)

2. Maradith Feinberg (USA)

3. Natalia Ovchinnikova (SOV)

4. Natalia Lebedeva (SOV)

5. Constanze Gensel (GDR)

6. Merriam Twinn (CAN)

7. Sonja Stanek (AUT)

8. Alison Southwood (GRB)

9. Parthena Sarafidis (AUT)

10. Melissa Murphy (USA)

11. Sylke Heritz (GDR)

12. Petra Schruf (AUT)

13. Gigi Siegert (AUT)

14. Nathalie Duquenne (FRA)

15. Susi Gschwend (AUT)

16. Denyse Gotts (GRB)

17. Susanna Peltola (FIN)

18. Mirella Grazia (SUI)

19. Judit Szalay (HUN)

20. Margo Van Dijk (HOL)

21. Tijin Li Wang (HOL)

22. Sarka Hrachová (CZE)

23. Susanne Seger (SWE)

24. Catherine Howe (GRB)

25. Jana Přibylová (CZE)

26. Nora Miklosi (HUN)

WD. Sabine Paal (AUT)

WD. Melissa Murphy (CAN)

WD. Tracey Robertson (CAN)

1984 ASKÖ CUP OF VIENNA (Vienna, Austria, September 24-28, 1984)

Women:

1. Nathalie Sasseville (CAN)

2. Marina Tweretinova (SOV)

3. Ingrid Karl (FRG)

4. Constanze Gensel (GDR)

5. Tracey Robertson (CAN)

6. Staci McMullin (USA)

7. Beatrice Gelmini (ITA)

8. Hana Veselá (CZE)

9. Allison Oki (USA)

10. Elise Ahohen (FIN)

11. Marina Serova (SOV)

12. Paola Tosi (ITA)

13. Maria Geier-Haylock (GRB)

14. Manuela Tschupp (SUI)

15. Sabine Paul (AUT)

16. Tamara Téglássy (HUN)

17. Magdalena Kredl (SUI)

18. Susi Gschwend (AUT)

19. Ingrid Eckelaers (BEL)

20. Tijin Li Wang (HOL)

21. Jana Přibylová (CZE)

22. Daniela Sarafidis (AUT)

23. Elina Hanninen (FIN)

24. Gaby Mader (AUT)

25. Magdi Stolcenberger (HOL)

1985 ASKÖ CUP OF VIENNA (Vienna, Austria, September 16-20, 1985)

Men:

1. Daniel Doran (USA)

2. Andrei Torosian (SOV)

3. Thomas Wieser (FRG)

4. Thomas Hlavik (AUT)

5. András Száraz (HUN)

6. Craig Burns (CAN)

7. Karel Kovář (CZE)

8. Ralph Burghart (AUT)

Women:

1. Marina Tweretinova (SOV)

2. Sara MacInnes (USA)

3. Simone Lang (GDR)

4. Dianne Takeuchi (CAN)

5. Parthena Sarafidis (AUT)

6. Tamara Téglássy (HUN)

7. Kathrin Schröter (SUI)

8. Christine Dekitsch (AUT)

9. Susanne Gschwend (AUT)

10. Jana Petrušková (CZE)

1986 ASKÖ CUP OF VIENNA* (Vienna, Austria, September 1986)

Men:

1. Michael Slipchuk (CAN)

2. Nils Köpp (GDR)

3. Thomas Hlavik (AUT)

4. András Száraz (HUN)

Women:

1. Tamara Téglássy (HUN)

2. Stéfanie Schmid (SUI)

3. Iveta Voralová (CZE)

4. Shelly Ann Smith (CAN)

*These results are incomplete. If you are able to assist with any missing results, please don't hesitate to reach out!

1987 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL (Vienna, Austria, October 22-1987)

Men:

1. Rudy Galindo (USA)

2. Matthew Hall (CAN)

3. Yuri Tsymbalyuk (SOV)

4. Craig Heath (USA)

5. Fernand Fédronic (FRA)

6. Ralph Burghart (AUT)

7. Przemysław Noworyta (POL)

8. Christian Newberry (GRB)

9. Jaroslav Suchy (CZE)

10. Alcuin Schulten (HOL)

11. Luis Enrique Hernandes Wocker (MEX)

WD. Oliver Dechert (FRG)

WD. András Száraz (HUN)

Women:

1. Natalia Gorbenko (SOV)

2. Holly Cook (USA)

3. Katrien Pauwels (BEL)

4. Yvonne Pokorny (AUT)

5. Tamara Téglássy (HUN)

6. Evelyn Grossmann (GDR)

7. Angie Folk (CAN)

8. Michèle Claret (SUI)

9. Ann-Marie Söderholm (SWE)

10. Isabelle Grausaz (SUI)

11. Mirella Gawłowska (POL)

12. Constanze Jesse (FRG)

13. Iveta Voralová (CZE)

14. Jacqueline Soames (GRB)

15. Anita Thorenfeldt (NOR)

16. Aurora Kufaas (NOR)

17. Susanne Reindl (AUT)

18. Sophie Paradis (FRA)

19. Astrid Winkelman (HOL)

20. Christine Dekitsch (AUT)

21. Diana Marcos (MEX)

WD. Paolo Tossi (ITA)

Ice Dance:

1. Natalia Annenko and Genrikh Sretenski (SOV)

2. Kathrin and Christoff Beck (AUT)

3. Corinne Paliard and Didier Courtois (FRA)

4. Stefania Calegari and Pasquale Camerlengo (ITA)

5. Honorata Górna and Andrzej Dostatni (POL)

6. Sophie Moniotte and Pascal Lavanchy (FRA)

7. Karen Knieriem and Leif Erickson (USA)

8. Penny Mann and Richard Perkins (CAN)

9. Anna Croci and Luca Mantovani (ITA)

10. Krisztina Kerekes and Csaba Szentpéteri (HUN)

11. Julie and Graham Linney (GRB)

12. Diane Gerencser and Bernard Columberg (SUI)

13. Jana Pospisilová and Michal Mrva (CZE)

1988 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL (Vienna, Austria, October 10-13, 1988)

Men:

1. Viacheslav Zagorodniuk (SOV)

2. Rico Krahnert (GDR)

3. Mark Mitchell (USA)

4. Peter Johansson (SWE)

5. Ralph Burghart (AUT)

6. Stéphane Yvars (CAN)

7. Przemysław Noworyta (POL)

8. Alessandro Riccitelli (ITA)

9. Péter Kovács (HUN)

10. Jan Erik Digernes (NOR)

11. Armin Withalm (AUT)

12. Geoffrey Blee (AUS)

Women:

1. Nancy Kerrigan (USA)

2. Evelyn Grossmann (GDR)

3. Tamara Téglássy (HUN)

4. Mirella Gawłowska (POL)

5. Željka Čižmešija (YUG)

6. Leslie White (CAN)

7. Susanne Reindl (AUT)

8. Sabrina Moreth (AUS)

9. Petra Vonmoos (SUI)

10. Marta Andrella (ITA)

11. Anita Thorenfeldt (NOR)

12. Jeltje Schulten (HOL)

13. Assia Alexieva (BUL)

Ice Dance:

1. Larisa Fedorinova and Evgeni Platov (SOV)

2. Krisztina Kerekes and Csaba Szentpéteri (HUN)

3. Jodie Balogh and Jerod Swallow (USA)

4. Sophie Moniotte and Pascal Lavanchy (FRA)

5. Anna Croci and Luca Mantovani (ITA)

6. Kimberly Weeks and Jeff Fish (CAN)

7. Désirée Schlegel and Patrick Brecht (SUI)

8. Birgit Pleninger and Michael Steiner (AUT)

9. Ursula and Herbert Holik (AUT)

10. Barbara Levinska and Andrzej Sząszor (POL)

1989 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL (Vienna, Austria, October 16-19, 1989)

Men:

1. Viacheslav Zagorodniuk (SOV)

2. Elvis Stojko (CAN)

3. Ronny Winkler (GDR)

4. Igor Pashkevich (SOV)

5. Daniel Doran (USA)

6. Yuri Tsymbalyuk (SOV)

7. Frédéric Lipka (FRA)

8. Henrik Walentin (DEN)

9. Oula Jääskeläinen (FIN)

10. Stephen Carr (AUS)

11. Przemysław Noworyta (POL)

12. Pavel Vančo (CZE)

13. Armin Withalm (AUT)

14. Emanuel Ancorini (SWE)

WD. Kay Lembert (FRG)

Women:

1. Josée Chouinard (CAN)

2. Tanja Krienke (GDR)

3. Holly Cook (USA)

4. Sandra Garde (FRA)

5. Stéfanie Schmid (SUI)

6. Iveta Voralová (CZE)

7. Tamara Téglássy (HUN)

8. Susanne Seger (SWE)

9. Anja Geissler (FRG)

10. Natalie Crothers (AUS)

11. Maria Fuglsang (DEN)

12. Sandrine Goes (BEL)

13. Mateja Aubrecht (YUG)

14. Milena Marinović (BUL)

15. Melanie Graupner (AUT)

16. Romina Baron (ITA)

WD. Yvonne Pokorny (AUT)

Ice Dance:

1. Lyudmila Berezova and Vladimir Fedorov (RUS)

2. Monika Mandiková and Oliver Pekár (CZE)

3. Penny Mann and Richard Perkins (CAN)

4. Elizabeth McLean and Ari Leib (USA)

5. Michaela Cesaro and Carlo Soave (ITA)

6. Christine Chadufaux and Karim Zeriahem (FRA)

7. Katarzyna Dlugoszewska and Andrzej Sząszor (POL)

8. Petra Zietemann and Frank Ladd-Oshiro (FRG)

9. Monica MacDonald and Duncan Smart (AUS)

10. Aliz Veres and Gyula Szombathelyi (HUN)

11. Monka Müksch and Bernd Hatzl (AUT)

12. Karin and Rolf Galle (AUT)

1990 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL - not held

1991 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL (Vienna, Austria, September 27-29, 1991)

Men:

1. Dmitri Dimetrenko (UKR)

2. Shepherd Clark (USA)

3. Henrik Walentin (DEN)

4. Roman Kudriavtsev (SOV)

5. Ingo Steuer (GER)

6. Ralph Burghart (AUT)

7. Michael Tyllesen (DEN)

8. Marius Negrea (ROM)

9. Alexandre Orset (FRA)

10. Claudio Fico (ITA)

11. Luiz-Mariano Taifas (ROM)

12. Nicolas Karlsson (SWE)

13. Tomasz Tombkowski (POL)

14. Balaze Grenczer (HUN)

Women:

1. Nicole Bobek (USA)

2. Tanya Bingert (CAN)

3. Kateřina Beránková (CZE)

4. Ekaterina Silnitskaia (SOV)

5. Cecile Tribolet (FRA)

6. Irena Zemanová (CZE)

7. Krisztina Czakó (HUN)

8. Kristina Lipko (SOV)

9. Sabrina Tschudi (SUI)

10. Mojca Kopač (SLO)

11. Mila Kajas (FIN)

12. Helene Persson (SWE)

13. Andrea Westenhuber (FRG)

14. Maria Fuglsang (DEN)

15. Zuzanna Szwed (POL)

16. Andrea Kus (AUT)

17. Suzanne Otterson (GRB)

18. Jeltje Schulten (HOL)

19. Romina Baron (ITA)

Ice Dance:

1. Amy Webster and Leif Erickson (USA)

2. Pascale Vrot and David Quinsac (FRA)

3. Isabelle Laboissière and Mitchell Gould (CAN)

4. Melanie Bruce and Andrew Place (GRB)

5. Virginie Soustelle and David Molina (FRA)

6. Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas (SOV)

7. Dana Solfronská and Tomas Morbacher (CZE)

8. Agnieszka Domańska and Marcin Głowacki (POL)

9. Valérie Le Tensorer and Jörg Kienzle (SUI)

10. Daria and Ihor Maritczak (AUT)

11. Barbara Fusar-Poli and Martteo Borfa (ITA)

12. Aliz Veres and Gyula Szombathelyi (HUN)

WD. Elena Kustarova and Oleg Ovsiannikov (SOV)

1992 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL (Vienna, Austria, September 24-27, 1992)

Men:

1. Dmitri Dimetrenko (UKR)

2. Igor Pashkevich (RUS)

3. Konstantin Kostin (LAT)

4. Thierry Cerez (FRA)

5. Jaroslav Suchy (CZE)

6. Ryan Hunka (USA)

7. Alexandr Abt (RUS)

8. Besarion Tsintsadze (GEO)

9. Henrik Walentin (DEN)

10. Brent Frank (CAN)

11. Ivan Dinev (BUL)

12. Luiz-Mariano Taifas (ROM)

13. Tomislav Čižmešija (CRO)

14. Simon Briggs (GRB)

15. Thomas Dörmer (GER)

16. Szabolcs Vidrai (HUN)

17. Fumihiro Oikawa (JPN)

18. Marius Negrea (ROM)

19. Balazs Grenczer (HUN)

Women:

1. Tatiana Rachkova (RUS)

2. Nancy Lemieux (CAN)

3. Yvonne Pokorny (AUT)

4. Nadezda Kovalevskaya (RUS)

5. Nathalie Krieg (SUI)

6. Irena Zemanová (CZE)

7. Mojca Kopač (SLO)

8. Krisztina Czakó (HUN)

9. Susanne Mildenberger (GER)

10. Sarah Abitbol (FRA)

11. Viktoria Dimitrova (BUL)

12. Yulia Lavrenchuk (UKR)

13. Jennifer Ito (USA)

14. Mari Kobayashi (JPN)

15. Emma Warmington (GRB)

16. Andrea Kus (AUT)

17. Melita Juratek (CRO)

18. Eva Sonnleitner (AUT)

Ice Dance:

1. Dara Bailey and Rock Lemay (CAN)

2. Olga Pershankova and Peter Tchernyshev (RUS)

3. Elena Grushina and Ruslan Goncharov (UKR)

4. Virginie Soustelle and David Molina (FRA)

5. Sylvie Pecheur and Fabienne Coulon (FRA)

6. Agnieszka Domańska and Marcin Głowacki (POL)

7. Mimi Wacholder and Collin Sullivan (USA)

8. Viera Poráčová and Pavol Poráč (CZE)

9. Angelika Führing and Peter Wilczek (AUT)

10. Eva and Stephen Possart (GER)

11. Enikő Berkes and Szilárd Tóth (HUN)

WD. Lynn Burton and Duncan Lenard (GRB)

1993 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL(Vienna, Austria, September 23-26, 1993)

Men:

1. Michael Chack (USA)

2. Zsolt Kerekes (HUN)

3. Bessarion Tsintsadze (GEO)

4. Roman Ekimov (RUS)

5. Ravi Walia (CAN)

6. Thierry Cerez (FRA)

7. John Martin (GRB)

8. Patrick Meier (SUI)

9. Zbigniew Komorowski (POL)

10. Szabolcs Vidrai (HUN)

11. Stanick Jeannette (FRA)

12. Florian Tuma (AUT)

13. Patrick Schmit (LUX)

14. Jan Čejvan (SLO)

15. Ladislav Vince (SLO)

16. Margus Hernits (EST)

Women:

1. Krisztina Czakó (HUN)

2. Tanja Szewczenko (GER)

3. Olga Markova (RUS)

4. Jutta Cossette (CAN)

5. Irena Zemanová (CZE)

6. Nathalie Krieg (SUI)

7. Kateřina Beránková (CZE)

8. Anna Rechnio (POL)

9. Marie-Pierre Leray (FRA)

10. Malika Tahir (FRA)

11. Mojca Kopač (SLO)

12. Ivana Jakupčević (CRO)

13. Elaine Zayak (USA)

14. Zsófia Kulcsár (HUN)

15. Silvia Fontana (ITA)

16. Julia Lautowa (AUT)

17. Ingrida Zenkevičiūtė (LIT)

18. Jenni Numminen (FIN)

19. Eva Sonnleitner (AUT)

Ice Dance:

1. Agnieszka Domańska and Marcin Głowacki (POL)

2. Nathalie Gillet and Oliver Lores (FRA)

3. Marie James and Philip Askew (GRB)

4. Janet Emerson and Steve Kavanagh (CAN)

5. Angelika Führing and Peter Wilczek (AUT)

6. Isabelle Pecheur and Remi Jacquemard (FRA)

7. Enikő Berkes and Szilárd Tóth (HUN)

1994 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL (Vienna, Austria, September 22-25, 1994)

Men:

1. Rudy Galindo (USA)

2. Zsolt Kerekes (HUN)

3. Ilia Kulik (RUS

4. Szabolcs Vidrai (HUN)

5. Igor Senutin (RUS)

6. Nicolas Petorin (FRA)

7. Michael Tyllesen (DEN)

8. Robert Grzegorczyk (POL)

9. Gabriel Monnier (FRA)

10. Patrick-Rene Reinhardt (GER)

11. Matthew Smith (CAN)

12. Luiz-Mariano Taifas (ROM)

13. Jan Čejvan (SLO)

14. Margus Hernits (EST)

15. Rastislav Vnučko (SVK)

WD. Florian Tuma (AUT)

Women:

1. Zuzanna Szwed (POL)

2. Krisztina Czakó (HUN)

3. Maria Butyrskaya (RUS)

4. Elena Ivanova (RUS)

5. Kateřina Beránková (CZE)

6. Jennifer Robinson (CAN)

7. Chrisha Leann Gossard (USA)

8. Julia Lautowa (AUT)

9. Véronique Fleury (FRA)

10. Astrid Hochstetter (GER)

11. Mojca Kopač (SLO)

12. Zvetelina Abrasheva (BUL)

13. Martina Kus (AUT)

14. Katharzyna Przystal (AUT)

15. Janine Bur (SUI)

16. Zsófia Kulcsár (HUN)

17. Maria Fuglsang (DEN)

18. Laëtitia Bajot (FRA)

19. Jane Rolek (AUS)

20. Liina-Grete Lilender (EST)

21. Katja Avesani (ITA)

22. Eva Babicova (SVK)

23. Paula Stephenson (SAF)

Ice Dance:

1. Michelle Fitzgerald and Vincent Kyle (GRB)

2. Agnes Jacquemard and Alexis Gayet (FRA)

3. Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio Margaglio (ITA)

4. Allison MacLean and Konrad Schaub (AUT)

5. Josée Piché and Pascal Denis (CAN)

6. Sylwia Nowak and Sebastian Kolasiński (POL)

7. Galit Chait and Maxime Sevostianov (ISR)

8. Isabelle Pecheur and Remi Jacquemard (FRA)

9. Nathalie Gillet and Oliver Lores (FRA)

10. Nicole Dumonceaux and John Reppucci (USA)

11. Oksana Yaryshkina and Alexander Isheev (RUS)

12. Sandra and Markus Blume (GER)

13. Lucie Jeřábková and Martin Andrasovsky (CZE)

14. Kornélia Bárány and Gyula Szombathelyi (HUN)

WD. Anita Chaudhuri and Hans T'Hart (HOL)

1995 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL (Vienna, Austria, October 11-14, 1995)

Men:

1. Daniel Hollander (USA)

2. Patrick Meier (SUI)

3. Roman Ekimov (RUS)

4. Jens Ter Laak (GER)

5. Francis Gastellu (FRA)

6. Matthew Hall (CAN)

7. Szabolcs Vidrai (HUN)

8. Robert Grzegorczyk (POL)

9. Michael Hopfes (GER)

10. Cyril Deplace (FRA)

11. David Ings (GRB)

12. Jaroslav Suchy (CZE)

13. Rastislav Vnučko (SVK)

14. Petr Jaros (CZE)

15. Roland Burghart (AUT)

WD. Jan Čejvan (SLO)

Women:

1. Krisztina Czakó (HUN)

2. Julia Lautowa (AUT)

3. Júlia Sebestyén (HUN)

4. Anna Rechnio (POL)

5. Jessica Mills (USA)

6. Anna Zorina (RUS)

7. Vanessa Gusmeroli (FRA)

8. Kateřina Beránková (CZE)

9. Mila Kajas (FIN)

10. Angela Derochie (CAN)

11. Mojca Kopač (SLO)

12. Angela Tuska (AUT)

13. Andrea Kus (AUT)

14. Roberta Piazzini (SUI)

15. Miriam Manzano (AUS)

16. Ana Ivancic (CRO)

17. Katharzyna Przystal (AUT)

18. Eva Babicova (SVK)

19. Denise Jaschek (AUT)

WD. Paula Stephenson (SAF)

Ice Dance:

1. Iwona Filipowicz and Michał Szumski (POL)

2. Barbara and Alexandre Piton (FRA)

3. Allison MacLean and Konrad Schaub (AUT)

4. Marianne and Romain Haguenauer (FRA)

5. Josée Piché and Pascal Denis (CAN)

6. Clair Wileman and Andrew Place (GRB)

7. Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovski (ISR)

8. Šárka Vondrková and Lukáš Král (CZE)

9. Elisabeth Buhl and Augustine Dibella (USA)

10. Andrea Sopper and Pavel Skulec (AUT)

11. Tina and Wayne Lai (TPE)

12. Christine Seydel and Duncan Smart (AUS)

1996 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL (Vienna, Austria, October 9-12, 1996)

Men:

1. Szabolcs Vidrai (HUN)

2. Ivan Dinev (BUL)

3. Damon Allen (USA)

4. Evgeny Pliuta (UKR)

5. Roman Serov (RUS)

6. Gabriel Monnier (FRA)

7. Patrick Schmit (LUX)

8. Sven Meyer (GER)

9. Collin Thompson (CAN)

10. Francis Gastellu (FRA)

11. Derrick Delmore (USA)

12. Florian Tuma (AUT)

13. Nicolas Binz (SUI)

14. Christo Turlakov (BUL)

15. Margus Hernits (EST)

16. Jan Čejvan (SLO)

17. Radek Horák (CZE)

18. Juraj Sviatko (SVK)

19. Marek Sząszor (POL)

20. Shin Amano (JPN)

21. Zoltan Köszegi (HUN)

22. Karel Nekola (CZE)

WD. Vakhtang Murvanidze (GEO)

Women:

1. Julia Lautowa (AUT)

2. Anna Rechnio (POL)

3. Amber Corwin (USA)

4. Karen Kwan (USA)

5. Julia Soldatova (RUS)

6. Elena Pingacheva (RUS)

7. Diána Póth (HUN)

8. Krisztina Czakó (HUN)

9. Astrid Hochstetter (GER)

10. Zvetelina Abrasheva (BUL)

11. Lucinda Ruh (SUI)

12. Miriam Manzano (AUS)

13. Silvia Fontana (ITA)

14. Zuzana Paurová (SVK)

15. Mojca Kopač (SLO)

16. Anna Wenzel (AUT)

17. Martine Dagenais (CAN)

18. Kateřina Blohonová (CZE)

19. Karoline Höferova (CZE)

20. Ana Ivancic (CRO)

21. Ana Dimova (BUL)

22. Liina-Grete Lilender (EST)

23. Angela Tuska (AUT)

WD. Andrea Kus (AUT)

WD. Janie Ja-Lin Weng (TPE)

Pairs:

1. Kyoko Ina and Jason Dungjen (USA)

2. Olga Semkina and Andrei Chuvilyaev (RUS)

3. Samantha Marchant and Chad Hawse (CAN)

4. Sara Ward and Lance Travis (USA)

5. Elena Belouuvskaya and Stanislav Morozov (RUS)

6. Irina Mladenova and Stojan Kazakov (BUL)

7. Ekaterina Nekrassova and Valdis Mintals (EST)

Ice Dance:

1. Olga Sharutenko and Dmitri Naumkin (RUS)

2. Dominique Deniaud and Martial Jaffredo (FRA)

3. Anne Chaigneau and Olivier Chapuis (FRA)

4. Cheryl Demkowski and Greg Maddalone (USA)

5. Francesca Fermi and Andrea Baldi (ITA)

6. Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon (CAN)

7. Jolanta Bury and Łukasz Zalewski (POL)

8. Chantal Loyer and Justin Bell (AUS)

9. Sinead Kerr and Jamie Ferguson (GRB)

10. Kornélia Bárány and András Rosnik (HUN)

11. Andrea Sopper and Pavel Skulec (AUT)

12. Alena Kramplová and Jan Nerad (CZE)

13. Anna Mosenkova and Dmitri Kurakin (EST)

WD. Katri Kuusniemi and Jamie Walker (FIN)

1997 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL (Vienna, Austria, October 15-18, 1997)*

Men:

1. Dan Hollander (USA)

2. Anthony Liu (AUS)

3. Ivan Dinev (BUL)

4. Ruslan Novoseltsev (RUS)

5. Jayson Dénommée (CAN)

6. Patrick Meier (SUI)

7. Gilberto Viadana (ITA)

8. Róbert Kažimír (SVK)

9. Yuri Litvinov (KAZ)

10. Patrick Schmit (LUX)

11. Robert Grzegorczyk (POL)

12. Sven Meyer (GER)

13. Markus Leminen (FIN)

14. David Liu (TPE)

15. Kyu-Hyun Lee (KOR)

16. Alexei Kozlov (EST)

17. Jan Čejvan (SLO)

18. Radek Horák (CZE)

19. Jordi Pedro Roya (SPN)

20. Ferdi Skoberla (SAF)

WD. Vahktang Murvanidze (GEO)

WD. Zoltan Köszegi (HUN)

Women:

1. Lu Chen (CHN)

2. Tonia Kwiatkowski (USA)

3. Yulia Vorobieva (AZE)

4. Miriam Manzano (AUS)

5. Tatiana Pliusheva (RUS)

6. Zoe Jones (GRB)

7. Silvia Fontana (ITA)

8. Eva-Maria Fitze (GER)

9. Sabina Wojtala (POL)

10. Diána Póth (HUN)

11. Helena Grundberg (SWE)

12. Marta Andrade (SPN)

13. Zuzana Paurová (SVK)

14. Ivana Jakupčević (CRO)

15. Shirene Human (SAF)

16. Anna Wenzel (AUT)

17. Sofia Penkova (BUL)

18. Susan Humphreys (CAN)

19. Hyung-Kyung Choi (KOR)

20. Jekaterina Golovatenko (EST)

21. Helena Pajović (YUG)

22. Janie Ja-Lin Weng (TPE)

23. Marta Chisu (ROM)

Pairs:

1. Elena Belouuvskaya and Stanislav Morozov (UKR)

2. Danielle and Steven Hartsell (USA)

3. Kateřina Beránková and Otto Dlabola (CZE)

4. Lesley Rogers and Michael Aldred (GRB)

5. Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin (RUS)

6. Samantha Marchant and Chad Hawse (CAN)

7. Inga Radionova and Alexander Anichenko (AZE)

8. Elaine Asanakis and Joel McKeever (GRE)

9. Maria Krasiltseva and Alexander Chestnikh (ARM)

10. Oľga Beständigová and Jozef Beständig (SVK)

11. Svetlana Plachonina and Dmitri Kaploun (BEL)

Ice Dance:

1. Tatiana Navka and Nikolai Morozov (BLS)

2. Ekaterina Davydova and Roman Kostomarov (RUS)

3. Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovski (ISR)

4. Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski (BUL)

5. Marika Humphreys and Philip Askew (GRB)

6. Xenia Smetanenko and Samvel Gezalian (ARM)

7. Elizaveta Stekolnikova and Dmitri Kazarlyga (KAZ)

8. Zuzana Merzová and Tomas Morbacher (CZE)

9. Angelika Führing and Bruno Ellinger (AUT)

10. Christine Fuller and Steve Kavanagh (CAN)

11. Kornelia Barany and Andre Rosnik (HUN)

12. Šárka Vondrková and Lukáš Král (CZE)

13. Eliane and Daniel Hugentobler (SUI)

14. Kristina Kalesnik and Alexander Terentjev (EST)

15. Jolanta Bury and Łukasz Zalewski (POL)

16. Sophie Simon and Steven François (FRA)

WD. Debbie Koegel and Oleg Fediukov (USA)

In 1997, this competition was used as a qualifying event for the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan.

1998 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL (Vienna, Austria, October 7-10, 1998)

Men:

1. Anthony Liu (AUS)

2. Trifun Živanović (USA)

3. Sven Meyer (GER)

4. Robert Grzegorzyk (POL)

5. Róbert Kažimír (SVK)

6. Ryan Jahnke (USA)

7. Radek Horák (CZE)

8. Clive Shorten (GRB)

9. Clemens Jonas (AUT)

10. David Del Pozo (MEX)

WD. Gabriel Monnier (FRA)

WD. Louis Taifas (ROM)

WD. Jordi Pedro Roya (SPN)

Women:

1. Laëtitia Hubert (FRA)

2. Amber Corwin (USA)

3. Zuzana Paurová (SVK)

4. Laura Nordström (FIN)

5. Mojca Kopač (SLO)

6. Nicole Skoda (SWI)

7. Jubilee-Jenna Mandl (AUT)

8. Anna Wenzel (AUT)

9. Julia Lautowa (AUT)

WD. Roxana Luca (ROM)

WD. Marta Andrade (SPN)

Pairs:

1. Danielle Hartsell and Steve Hartsell (USA)

2. Kateřina Beránková and Otto Dlabola (CZE)

3. Oľga Beständigová / Jozef Beständig (SVK)

4. Marsha Poluliaschenko and Andrew Seabrook (GRB)

5. Maron Haas and Bjorn Lobenwein (AUT)

Ice Dance:

1. Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski (BUL)

2. Alia Ouabdelsam and Benjamin Delmas (FRA)

3. Angelika Führing and Bruno Ellinger (AUT)

4. Agata Błażowska and Marcin Kozubek (POL)

5. Kornélia Bárány and András  Rosnik (HUN)

6. Bianca Szíjgyártó and Tamás Sári (HUN)

7. Zuzana Ďurkovská and Marian Mesároš (SVK)

1999 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL (Vienna, Austria, October 6–9, 1999)

Men:

1. Vincent Restencourt (FRA)

2. Andrejs Vlascenko (GER)

3. Justin Dillon (USA)

4. Patrick Schmit (LUX)

5. Vakhtang Murvanidze (GEO)

6. Robert Grzegorczyk (POL)

7. Don Baldwin (USA)

8. Radek Horák (CZE)

9. Róbert Kažimír (SVK)

10. Christian Horvath (AUT)

11. Clemens Jonas (AUT)

12. Michael Amentas (AUS)

13. Angelo Dolfini (ITA)

14. Panagiotis Markouizos (GRE)

Women:

1. Sarah Hughes (USA)

2. Krisztina Czakó (HUN)

3. Júlia Sebestyén (HUN)

4. Brittney McConn (USA)

5. Sabina Wojtala (POL)

6. Marta Andrade (ESP)

7. Anna Wenzel (AUT)

8. Zuzana Paurová (SVK)

9. Veronika Dytrtová (CZE)

10. Klara Bramfeldt (SWE)

11. Helena Pajović (YUG)

WD. Anna Chatziathanassiou (GRE)

WD. Angela Tuska (AUT)

Ice Dance:

1. Julie Keeble and Łukasz Zalewski (GRB)

2. Aleksandra Kauc and Filip Bernadowski (POL)

3. Kateřina Kovalová and David Szurman (CZE)

4. Véronique Delobel and Olivier Chapuis (FRA)

5. Crystal Beckerdite and Matt Healey (USA)

6. Andrea Hackl and Tamás Sári (HUN)

7. Linda Tarjani and Krisztian Zsibrita (HUN)

8. Zuzana Durkovska and Marian Masaros (SVK)

9. Portia Duval‑Rigby and Francis Rigby (AUS)

10. Ana Galic and Andrei Griazev (BIH)

WD. Angelika Führing and Bruno Ellinger (AUT)

WD. Jenny Dahlen and Igor Lukanin (AZE)

2000 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL (Vienna, Austria, October 4–7, 2000)

Men:

1. Vakhtang Murvanidze (GEO)

2. Jeffrey Langdon (CAN)

3. Derrick Delmore (USA)

4. Gheorghe Chiper (ROM)

5. Stefan Lindemann (GER)

6. Juraj Sviatko (SVK)

7. Fabien Millasseau (FRA)

8. Róbert Kažimír (SVK)

9. Ulf Bökeler (GER)

10. Konstantin Kostin (LAT)

11. Angelo Dolfini (ITA)

12. Andre Kaden (GER)

13. Gabriel Monnier (FRA)

14. Bartosz Domański (POL)

15. Christian Horvath (AUT)

16. Joni Juvonen (FIN)

Women:

1. Julia Soldatova (BLR)

2. Deanna Stellato (USA)

3. Sabina Wojtala (POL)

4. Caroline Gülke (GER)

5. Anne-Sophie Calvez (FRA)

6. Anna Wenzel (AUT)

7. Tiina Weckman (FIN)

8. Anastasia Gimazetdinova (UZB)

9. Klara Bramfeldt (SWE)

10. Lucia Starovicová (SVK)

11. Céline Masson (FRA)

12. Barbora Ulehlová (CZE)

13. Diana Janostaková (SVK)

14. Helena Pajović (YUG)

15. Selma Duyn (NED)

WD. Kaja Hanevold (NOR)

Pairs:

1. Laura Handy and Jonathan Hunt (USA)

2. Tiffany Scott and Philip Dulebohn (USA)

3. Sabrina Lefrancois and Jérôme Blanchard (FRA)

2001 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL (Vienna, Austria, October 10–13, 2001)

Men:

1. Sergei Davydov (BLR)

2. Vakhtang Murvanidze (GEO)

3. Jeffrey Buttle (CAN)

4. Frédéric Dambier (FRA)

5. Gabriel Monnier (FRA)

6. Gheorghe Chiper (ROM)

7. Juraj Sviatko (SVK)

8. Róbert Kažimír (SVK)

9. Tomáš Verner (CZE)

10. Filip Stiller (SWE)

11. Vitali Danilchenko (UKR)

12. Bartosz Domański (POL)

13. James Black (GRB)

WD. Andrejs Vlascenko (GER)

WD. Florian Just (GER)

WD. Zoltan Toth (HUN)

Women:

1. Vanessa Gusmeroli (FRA)

2. Júlia Sebestyén (HUN)

3. Irina Lukianenko (UKR)

4. Åsa Persson (SWE)

5. Idora Hegel (CRO)

6. Júlia Lautowa (AUT)

7. Miia Marttinen (FIN)

8. Roxana Luca (ROM)

9. Zoya Douchine (GER)

10. Vanessa Giunchi (ITA)

11. Anna Wenzel (AUT)

12. Ellen Mareels (BEL)

13. Katalin Szakal (HUN)

14. Lucia Starovicová (SVK)

15. Anja Beslic (SLO)

16. Tatiana Durkovská (SVK)

WD. Eva-Maria Fitze (GER)

Ice Dance:

1. Sylwia Nowak and Sebastian Kolasiński (POL)

2. Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali (ITA)

3. Alla Beknazarova and Jurij Kocherzhenko (UKR)

4. Anastasia Belova and Illia Isaev (RUS)

5. Veronika Morávková and Jiří Procházka (CZE)

6. Pamela O’Connor and Jonathan O’Dougherty (GRB)

7. Roxane Petetin and Mathieu Jost (FRA)

8. Caroline Truong and Sylvain Longchambon (FRA)

9. Nora Köber and Viktor Devenyi (HUN)

WD. Agata Błazowska and Marcin Kozubek (POL)

WD. Alissa de Carbonnel and Alexander Malkov (BLS)

WD. Patricia Pavuk and András Rosnik (HUN)

WD. Jessica Huot and Juha Valkama (FIN)

2002 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL (Vienna, Austria, October 15–19, 2002)

Men:

1. Stanislav Timchenko (RUS)

2. Frédéric Dambier (FRA)

3. Trifun Zivanovic (YUG)

4. Ryan Bradley (USA)

5. Silvio Smalun (GER)

6. Juraj Sviatko (SVK)

7. Hristo Turlakov (BUL)

8. Rohene Ward (USA)

9. Hugh Yik (CAN)

10. Konstantin Tupikov (UKR)

11. Tomáš Verner (CZE)

12. Maciej Kuś (POL)

13. Ulf Böckeler (GER)

14. Michail Matloch (CZE)

15. Jan Čejvan (SLO)

16. Krzysztof Komosa (POL)

17. Stuart Beckingham (AUS)

Women:

1. Galina Maniachenko (UKR)

2. Miriam Manzano (AUS)

3. Sabina Wojtala (POL)

4. Idora Hegel (CRO)

5. Susanne Stadlmüller (GER)

6. Amber Czísny (USA)

7. Kelsey Drewel (USA)

8. Mojca Kopač (SLO)

9. Anna Jurkiewicz (POL)

10. Nicole Watt (CAN)

11. Lucie Krausová (CZE)

12. Irina Lukjanenko (UKR)

13. Julia Lautowa (AUT)

14. Tamara Dorofejev (HUN)

15. Lucia Starovicová (SVK)

16. Jessica Söderlind (SWE)

17. Jubilee-Jenna Mandl (AUT)

18. Anni Luftensteiner (AUT)

Ice Dance:

1. Marika Humphreys and Vitaliy Baranov (GRB)

2. Emilie Nussear and Mathew Gates (USA)

3. Natalia Gudina and Alexei Beletski (ISR)

4. Judith Longpré and Shea Zukinsky (CAN)

5. Tara Doherty and Tyler Myles (CAN)

6. Phillipa Towler-Green and Robert Burgerman (GRB)

2003 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL (Vienna, Austria, October 15–19, 2003)

Men:

1. Frédéric Dambier (FRA)

2. Scott Smith (USA)

3. Nicholas Young (CAN)

4. Kristoffer Berntsson (SWE)

5. Samuel Contesti (FRA)

6. Gregor Urbas (SLO)

7. Juraj Sviatko (SVK)

8. Lukáš Rakowski (CZE)

9. Filip Stiller (SWE)

10. Andre Kaden (GER)

11. Michael Villarreal (USA)

12. David Hartley (GRB)

13. Yon García (SPN)

14. Michal Matloch (CZE)

15. Nicolas Beaudelin (FRA)

16. Aidas Reklys (LIT)

17. Bertalan Zágonyi (HUN)

18. Stuart Beckingham (AUS)

19. Clemens Brummer (GER)

Ladies:

1. Julia Lautowa (AUT)

2. Diana Póth (HUN)

3. Lucie Krausová (CZE)

4. Lesley Hawker (CAN)

5. Caroline Gülke (GER)

6. Zuzana Babiaková (SVK)

7. Miriam Manzano (AUS)

8. Anja Bratec (SLO)

9. Tuğba Karademir (TUR)

10. Andrea Kreuzer (AUT)

11. Anna Gabriel (AUT)

12. Martine Zuiderzwyk (NED)

Ice Dance:

1. Anastasia Grebenkina and Vazgen Azroyan (ARM)

2. Sinead Kerr and John Kerr (GRB)

3. Hilary Gibbons and Justin Pekarek (USA)

4. Julia Rey and Philipp Rey (USA)

5. Sabrina Granata and Michael Fawcett (CAN)

6. Eve Bentley and Cédéric Pennet (FRA)

7. Barbara Herzog and Dimitry Matsjuk (AUT)

8. Amadine Borsi and Fabrice Blondel (FRA)

9. Agnieszka Dulej and Sławomir Janicki (POL)

10. Klara Nilsson and Daniel Gal (SWE)

11. Danika Bourne and Alexandre Pavlov (AUS)

2004 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL (Vienna, Austria, October 13–16, 2004)

Men:

1. Andrey Lenzin (RUS)

2. Stanick Jeannette (FRA)

3. Nicholas Young (CAN)

4. Shinya Yoshida (JPN)

5. Maciej Kuś (POL)

6. Trifun Živanović (SCG)

7. Alexander Kondakov (RUS)

8. Filip Stiller (SWE)

9. Silvio Smalun (GER)

10. Martin Liebers (GER)

11. Patrick Meier (SUI)

12. Aidas Reklys (LIT)

13. Yon García (SPN)

14. Bradley Santer (AUS)

15. Przemysław Domański (POL)

16. Lukáš Rakowski (CZE)

17. Tomáš Janecko (CZE)

18. Vitali Danilchenko (UKR)

19. Tristan Cousins (GRB)

20. Christian Rauchbauer (AUT)

21. Florian Mistelbauer (AUT)

22. Adrian Alvarado (MEX)

23. Maciej Lewandowski (POL)

Women:

1. Viktoria Volchkova (RUS)

2. Diana Póth (HUN)

3. Joanne Carter (AUS)

4. Tuğba Karademir (TUR)

5. Valentina Marchei (ITA)

5. Petra Lukaciková (CZE)

6. Christiane Berger (GER)

7. Chika Suguri (JPN)

8. Andrea Kreuzer (AUT)

9. Michele Cantu (MEX)

10. Shirene Human (RSA)

11. Lucia Starovicová (SVK)

12. Jaqueline Belenyesiová (SVK)

13. Teodora Postic (SLO)

14. Roxana Luca (ROM)

15. Karen Venhuizen (HOL)

16. Gintare Vostrecovaite (LIT)

17. Anni Luftensteiner (AUT)

2005 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL (Vienna, Austria, October 12-16, 2005)

Men:

1. Tomáš Verner (CZE)

2. Gregor Urbas (SLO)

3. Vakhtang Murvanidze (GEO)

4. Jong In Han (PRK)

5. Viktor Pfeifer (AUT)

6. Vitali Danilchenko (UKR)

7. Zoltán Tóth (HUN)

8. Igor Matsypura (SVK)

9. Trifun Živanović (SCG)

10. John Hamer (GBR)

11. Aidas Reklys (LTU)

12. Ari-Pekka Nurmenkari (FIN)

13. Zeus Issariotis (GRE)

14. Andrei Dobrokhodov (AZE)

15. Gareth Echardt (SAF)

16. Sean Carlow (AUS)

17. Miguel Ángel Moyrón (MEX)

18. Juan Legaz (SPN)

19. Alper Uçar (TUR)

20. Dong-Whun Lee (KOR)

21. Joel Watson (NZL)

Women:

1. Yan Liu (CHN)

2. Yong-suk Kim (PRK)

3. Fleur Maxwell (LUX)

4. Elene Gedevanishvili (GEO)

5. Elena Glebova (EST)

6. Roxana Luca (ROM)

7. Anastasia Gimazetdinova (UZB)

8. Sara Falotico (BEL)

9. Tuğba Karademir (TUR)

10. Martine Zuiderwijk (NED)

11. Ji-eun Choi (KOR)

12. Andrea Kreuzer (AUT)

13. Daria Timoshenko (AZE)

14. Hristina Vasileva (BUL)

15. Petra Lukaciková (CZE)

16. Jenna-Anne Buys (RSA)

17. Jacqueline Belenyesiová (SVK)

18. Laura Fernández (ESP)

19. Candice Didier (FRA)

20. Michele Cantu (MEX)

21. Jenna McCorkell (GBR)

22. Olga Zadvornova (LAT)

23. Diane Chen (TPE)

Pairs:

1. Tatiana Volosozhar and Stanislav Morozov (UKR)

2. Anabelle Langlois and Cody Hay (CAN)

3. Tiffany Vise and Derek Trent (USA)

4. Marylin Pla and Yannick Bonheur (FRA)

5. Eva-Maria Fitze and Rico Rex (GER)

6. Dominika Piątkowska and Dmitri Khromin (POL)

7. Rumiana Spassova and Stanimir Todorov (BUL)

8. Mi Hyang Sung and Yong-hyok Jong (PRK)

9. Diana Rennik and Aleksei Saks (EST)

10. Marina Aganina and Artem Knyazev (UZB)

11. Oľga Beständigová and Vladimir Futas (SVK)

12. Emma Brien and Stuart Beckingham (AUS)

Ice Dance:

1. Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas (LIT)

2. Kristin Fraser and Igor Lukanin (AZE)

3. Christina Beier and William Beier (GER)

4. Nozomi Watanabe and Akiyuki Kido (JPN)

5. Kimberley Navarro and Brent Bommentre (USA)

6. Anastasia Grebenkina and Vazgen Azrojan (ARM)

7. Pernelle Carron and Mathieu Jost (FRA)

8. Nora Hoffmann and Attila Elek (HUN)

9. Alexandra Kauc and Michał Zych (POL)

10. Laura Munana and Luke Munana (MEX)

11. Fang Yang and Chongbo Gao (CHN)

12. Kamila Hajková and David Vincour (CZE)

13. Alla Beknazarova and Vladimir Zuev (UKR)

14. Barbora Silná and Dmitri Matsjuk (AUT)

15. Natalie Buck and Trent Nelson-Bond (AUS)

16. Olga Akimova and Alexander Shakalov (UZB)

WD. Pamela O’Connor and Jonathon O’Dougherty (GRB)

 

2006 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL (Vienna, Austria, October 11-14, 2006)

Men:

1. Andrei Lutai (RUS)

2. Tomáš Verner (CZE)

3. Kristoffer Berntsson (SWE)

4. Karel Zelenka (ITA)

5. Gregor Urbas (SLO)

6. Dennis Phan (USA)

7. Michael Villarreal (USA)

8. Andrei Lezin (RUS)

9. Igor Macypura (SVK)

10. Przemysław Domański (POL)

11. Martin Liebers (GER)

12. John Hamer (GRB)

13. Tomáš Janěčko (CZE)

14. Viktor Pfeifer (AUT)

15. Michal Matloch (CZE)

16. Maciej Cieplucha (POL)

17. Clemens Brummer (GER)

18. Ivan Kincík (SVK)

19. Henri Rautiainen (FIN)

WD. Yoann Deslot (FRA)

WD. Panagiotis Markouizos (GRE)

WD. Trifun Živanović (SER)

Women:

1. Elene Gedevanishvili (GEO)

2. Danielle Kahle (USA)

3. Radka Bartová (SVK)

4. Valentina Marchei (ITA)

5. Kathrin Freudelsperger (AUT)

6. Lina Johansson (SWE)

7. Gwendoline Didier (FRA)

8. Kristin Wieczorek (GER)

9. Kerstin Frank (AUT)

10. Anna Jurkiewicz (POL)

11. Tuğba Karademir (TUR)

12. Karen Venhuizen (HOL)

13. Martine Zuiderwijk (HOL)

14. Sarah Mooslechner (AUT)

15. Ivana Hudziecová (CZE)

16. Kristine Y. Lee (HKG)

17. Alisa Kireeva (UKR)

WD. Michele Cantú Félix (MEX)

Ice Dance:

1. Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin (RUS)

2. Anastasia Platonova and Andrei Maximishin (RUS)

3. Kimberly Navarro and Brent Bommentre (USA)

4. Caitlin Mallory and Brent Holdburg (USA)

5. Barbora Silná and Dmitri Matsjuk (AUT)

6. Kamila Hájková and David Vincour (CZE)

7. Phillipa Towler-Green and Philip Poole (GRB)

8. Anastasia Yakovleva and Ivan Mavelov (RUS)

9. Nicolette Amie House and Aidas Reklys (LTU)

WD. Ashley Taylor and Ramil Sarkulov (UZB)

2007 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL - not held

2008 KARL SCHÄFER MEMORIAL (Vienna, Austria, October 14-17, 2008)

Men:

1. Nobunari Oda (JPN)

2. Samuel Contesti (ITA)

3. Tomáš Verner (CZE)

4. Martin Liebers (GER)

5. Viktor Pfeifer (AUT)

6. Igor Macypura (SVK)

7. Tommy Steenberg (USA)

8. Konstantin Tupikov (POL)

9. Boris Martinec (CRO)

10. Zoltan Kelemen (ROU)

11. Mikael Redin (SUI)

12. Gregor Urbas (SLO)

13. Wesley Campbell (USA)

14. Severin Kiefer (AUT)

15. Manuel Koll (AUT)

16. Maxim Shipov (ISR)

17. Tigran Vardanyan (HUN)

18. Evgeni Krasnopolski (ISR)

WD. Michal Březina (CZE)

Women:

1. Carolina Kostner (ITA)

2. Elena Glebova (EST)

3. Annette Dytrt (GER)

4. Tamar Katz (ISR)

5. Viktoria Helgesson (SWE)

6. Molly Oberstar (USA)

7. Isabelle Pieman (BEL)

8. Oksana Gozeva (RUS)

9. Kristin Wieczorek (GER)

10. Angelica Olsson (SWE)

11. Roxana Luca (ROM)

12. Katherine Hadford (HUN)

13. Svetlana Issakova (EST)

14. Belinda Schönberger (AUT)

15. Elisabeth Stern (PHI)

16. Emma Gadzhiyeva (AZE)

17. Maria-Elena Papasotiriou (GRE)

18. Andrea Kreuzer (AUT)

19. Hana Charyparová (CZE)

20. Teodora Postic (SLO)

21. Dora Strabić (CRO)

WD. Franka Vugec (CRO)

WD. Nella Simaová (CZE)

Ice Dance:

1. Pernelle Carron and Matthieu Jost (FRA)

2. Lynn Kriengkrairut and Logan Giulietti-Schmitt (USA)

3. Charlotte Maxwell and Nick Traxler (USA)

4. Lucie Myslivečková and Matěj Novák (CZE)

5. Kamila Hájková and David Vincour (CZE)

6. Caitlin Mallory and Kristjan Rand (EST)

7. Zoé Blanc and Pierre-Loup Bouquet (FRA)

8. Louise Walden and Owen Edwards (GBR)

9. Christa-Elizabeth Goulakos and Bradley Yaeger (GRE)

WD. Barbora Silná and Dmitri Matsjuk (AUT)

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, Bluesky, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering one of eight fascinating books highlighting the history of figure skating: https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.   

A Champion Lost Too Soon: The Sergei Volkov Story

Sergei Nikolayevich Volkov was born on April 19, 1949, in Moscow, which was then part of the Soviet Union. He took his first steps on the ice at the age of three and began seriously pursuing figure skating at the age of six. When his first coach Pyotr Petrovich Tikhonov retired when he was eight, he was passed along to Viktor Nikolayevich Kudryavtsev, then a relatively inexperienced coach. He was soon identified as one of the Spartak Moscow school's most talented young prospects.

In an interview for the newspaper "Sport Express", Viktor Kudryavstev recalled, "I loved working with him. Sergei's parents had nothing to do with sports and did not really deal with their son. They were too busy. His grandmother brought him to the rink. Later, I began to notice how much this affected the formation of the character of Sergei. He grew up very right and in a sense old-fashioned. Serious, quiet. He was respected by everyone who somehow intersected with him. First of all, because Volkov had an increased sense of justice. Any lie instantly infuriated him. Sergey was distinguished by one more quality - tremendous work capacity. In those days, it was fundamentally important: compulsory exercises - the 'school' - required the athlete to have great patience and perseverance... They had to work at least two and a half hours daily on this. I am sure that Volkov, with his ability to analyze and draw conclusions, could [have] become a very good coach. Although jumping was extremely difficult for him."

Photo courtesy "Skating" magazine

By all accounts, Sergei was a unique figure in the Soviet figure skating world at the time he was skating. Soft-spoken and quiet with almost snow white hair, he excelled in gymnastics and football and devoted much of his free time to collecting, of all things, daggers. He was stronger at school figures than in free skating, which suffered due to the fact that he had bad knees and suffered from a seemingly never-ending list of injuries.

When Sergei was sixteen, he actually decided to quit skating altogether to pursue his dream of being a pilot. He failed his admission test to the Rostov-on-Don flight school a total of four times because his knees gave out during parachute landings. He returned to skating and in 1968, was selected to represent the Soviet Union at the Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble, France. A virtual unknown, he placed eighteenth.

Left: Sergei Volkov skating a school figure. Photo courtesy "Skating" magazine. Right: Sergei Volkov at the boards.

Over the next four years, Sergei won four medals at the Soviet Championships and won the prestigious Prize of Moscow News competition. He wracked up three top ten finishes at the European Championships and at both the 1970 and 1972 World Championships, placing lower in free skating than in figures. At the latter event in Calgary, his teammates Sergei Chetverukhin and Vladimir Kovalev - both known as stronger free skaters - were second and third to his eighth in figures as well. That same year, he married pairs skater Lyudmila Olekhova. The couple had a son, Alexander, but later divorced. He later remarried and became a father of twin girls.

Top: Sergei Volkov, Jan Hoffmann and John Curry at the 1974 European Championships. Bottom: Sergei Volkov saying 

"Zdravstvuyte"

After Sergei Chetverukhin's retirement, Sergei won the Soviet title and finished second at the European and World Championships. His successes in 1974 were remarkable in that he was competing with a broken toe against a field of far more consistent free skaters. The following year, he lost the Soviet title to Yuri Ovchinnikov and arrived in Colorado Springs for the World Championships nursing a very serious knee injury. Amazingly, he performed what many considered to be the finest figures of his career to take a lead in the first phase of the competition. Though he placed only sixth in the compulsory short program and fourth in free skating, he shocked many by taking the gold by a considerable margin. Many claimed he only won because John Curry and Vladimir Kovalev hadn't skated their best, but in fact, he was so far ahead after the figures that his free skating result was largely irrelevant. Though he made history as the first Soviet skater to win a World title in singles skating and was made an Honored Master of Sports of the USSR, the press took little interest in his victory.

Stanislav Zhuk and Sergei Volkov.

Declining an operation for his knee injury, Sergei left Viktor Kudryavstev and began training with Stanislav Zhuk in the lead-up to the 1976 Winter Olympic Games in Innsbruck. Though he managed to reclaim the Soviet title, he finished a disappointing fifth at the European Championships in Geneva. He won the figures in Innsbruck, but not by the same margin he had the year prior at the World Championships. A disastrous showing in the free skating (one judge had him as low as fourteenth) dropped him to fifth overall. Because of his age and introspective personality, recalled one of his teammates, he was considered the "black sheep" of the Soviet team, with very few friends in the sport. He failed to make the World team the following two seasons and retired in 1978 at the age of twenty-eight. 

Sergei spent four years coaching young skaters with the All-Union Council on Physical Culture and Sports. In 1982, he began teaching skaters at the Sokolniki Ice Palace in Moscow for the DSO Spartak school. He worked with Tatiana Rachkova and a young Alexandr Abt and was Alexandr Fadeev's coach at the height of his success.

In February of 1990, Sergei took a position teaching skating in Austria. He returned that June in very ill health and was soon diagnosed with a potentially terminal illness. He initially refused an operation and when he agreed to have it, it was too late. 

Sergei was taken to Kharkov to seek an alternative medicine treatment. In an interview in "Sovetsky Sport", his sister Elena Buryak, who went on to be an international judge, recalled, "We, on the advice of friends, drove him to Ukraine, near [Kharkiv], where a psychic lived, capable of, as we were told, stopping metastases. Of course, this was a step of despair, the last straw that they tried to grab to save him, but a miracle, unfortunately, did not happen." He passed away at the age of forty-one on August 31, 1990. 

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, Bluesky, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering one of eight fascinating books highlighting the history of figure skating: https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.

The 1949 European Figure Skating Championships

Photo courtesy Palazzo del Ghiaccio Archives

Hollywood legend Tyrone Power married Linda Christian in Rome, just two days after the first Emmy Awards were held. France's de facto recognition of the State of Israel was international news. Italian-American singer Frankie Laine had an international hit with 'Shine", and Luigi Einaudi was Italy's Prime Minister. 

The year was 1949, and from January 28 to 30, Milan played host to the European Figure Skating Championships. The event was a historic first - never before had Italy played host to a major ISU Championship event. The competition was held under the auspices of the Federazione Italiana di Pattinaggio su Ghiaccio.

Photo courtesy Národní muzeum

Three key figures in the event's organization were the Federation's President Remo Vigorelli, its Secretary Nino Fresia and Dr. Gianni Fustinoni, a respected banker and businessman who was affiliated with the Gondrand Mangili Societa del Magazzini Refrigeranti e del Ghiaccio Artificiale and served as the director of the venue, the Palazzo del Ghiaccio. Many raved about the facility's modern facilities, but it had actually been around since the roaring twenties and was celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary. A considerable amount of money had been put into renovating the rink after it had been badly damaged in air raids during World War II.

Photo courtesy Palazzo del Ghiaccio Archives

In "Skating World" magazine, Swiss sportswriter Nigel Brown remarked, "The European Championships taking place in the Lombard capital... was a great sporting occasion. Since the end of the War, Italy was one of the first countries to offer hospitality to foreign sportsmen, and in spite of almost insurmountable financial difficulties, has in the three years since the Armistice staged a number of international sporting events, of which these current international championships are the latest expression. Warm Italian hearts and proverbial hospitality were outstretched full-length to embrace and make all of the skaters who came feel so much at home, and so welcome in a foreign land."

The 1949 European Championships were the first to be held under a new ISU rule, which restricted entries to skaters from European countries. This rule had been put into place in response to the successes of North American skaters Barbara Ann Scott, Dick Button and Gretchen Van Zandt Merrill at the Europeans in 1947 and 1948. Scott had won the event in both 1947 and 1948, and since she'd since turned professional, would not have been returning to defend her title anyway. Those who watched the event at the Palazzo del Ghiaccio were excited to see the title be awarded to a European woman for the first time since before the War. 

How did things play out in Milan? Let's hop in the trusty old time machine and take a trip down memory lane!

THE PAIRS COMPETITION

Andrea Kékesy and Ede Király. Photo courtesy "Skating" magazine.

There were twelve entries from eleven countries in the pairs event. As the reigning Olympic Gold Medallists and World and European Champions Micheline Lannoy and Pierre Baugniet had retired, there was considerable discussion about which team would succeed them in Milan. The favourites, Hungarians Andrea Kékesy and Ede Király, did not disappoint, turning in an equally difficult but more refined performance than the won that earned them the silver medal at the previous year's World Championships in Davos. They received first-place marks from all but the Belgian judge, who placed his own pair first. All of the other judges had them between fourth and sixth. A very narrow margin separated the two sibling pairs in second and third, Hungary's Marianna and László Nagy and Austria's Herta and Emil Ratzenhofer. Great Britain's two entries, Jennifer and John Nicks and Pamela Davis and Peter Scholes, placed sixth and eleventh. In ninth were Grazia Barcellona and Carlo Fassi, Italy's representatives, who both also competed in the singles events.

A report in "The Skater" magazine noted, "No one will dispute the pair skating superiority of the much improved Hungarian combination... whose speedy, coordinated artistry, incorporating some very impressive lifts left little to be desired. Their compatriots, László and Marianna Nagy, who skated last, were less spectacular but proficient enough in a quieter way to secure second place. One of the most pleasing performances, so far as the crowd were concerned, was that of the stylish Belgians, Susanne Gheldorf and Jacques Renard, finishing in fifth position to just beat the British Champions, Jennifer and John Nicks, who skated well in spite of their final placing."

THE WOMEN'S COMPETITION

Photo courtesy Bildarchiv Austria

The women's school figures were held on the first day of the competition. Fog permeated into the rink from outside, and this, coupled with chilly temperatures that got worse through the day, made for unpleasant conditions for the skaters. Austria's Eva Pawlik took the lead on the first figure and managed to narrowly maintain it by six points through the other five. She earned first-place marks from five of the seven judges, with the British and Czechoslovakian judges patriotically giving first-place marks to their own skaters, Jeannette Altwegg and Ája Zanová. Czechoslovakia's Jiřína Nekolová and Great Britain's Bridget Shirley Adams rounded out the top five.

Four thousand, five hundred spectators packed the Palazzo del Ghiaccio - a record capacity for the rink - to see which of the leaders would walk away as the new European Champion. Ája Zanová had an unfortunate fall on a double loop attempt. Jeannette Altwegg gave a speedy, confident effort, wowing the crowd with her trademark toeless 'Diesel' Lutz and Eva Pawlik gave a very fine performance with lovely spins. Four judges had Zanová first, two voted for Pawlik, and the British judge tied the two. Eva Pawlik's lead in the figures was more than enough for her to win by a comfortable margin overall. Zanová and Altwegg tied in ordinal placings, but the Czechoslovakian skater's win for the free skating helped secure her the silver. Jiřína Nekolová remained in fourth, and a third Czechoslovakian entry, Dagmar Lerchová, moved up to fifth.

Eva Pawlik. Photo courtesy Bildarchiv Austria.

In winning, Eva Pawlik was the first Austrian woman to claim the European title since Fritzi Burger in 1930... and the fact she skated at all, let alone so well, was very remarkable. Immediately after the event, it was reported that she was rushed to the hospital with a case of appendicitis. Her son Dr. Roman Seeliger recalled, "It was perhaps the most wonderful day of her amateur career. To be first despite the illness proved her to be Europe's best skater by far. As there was no dangerous competitor for her from outside Europe, that meant she was also the World's best skater by far in 1949."

One young skater who gained considerable attention in Milan was Jacqueline du Bief of France, who finished fourth in the free skating but only seventh overall due to low marks in the figures. In "Skating World" magazine, Nigel Brown raved, "Two years ago, Gretchen Merrill and Barbara Ann Scott introduced to Europe a theatrical element into championship programmes. The following winter, Marilyn [Ruth] Take, of Canada, took a bolder step in presenting a programme of ballet movements, and interpreting them to music, at the same time retaining all the classical athletic difficulties, such as jumps, double jumps and combination spins that represent the pure expression of skating. Jacqueline du Bief presented a musical interpretation of Rossini's 'Semiramus' and Offenbach's 'Orfeo all' inferno' and translated - this is the word - the difficulties of skating to the music, and so creating a complete harmony throughout the programme that embraced some of the most difficult and complicated combinations. Although she touched down slightly in the double Salchow and loop jumps, she was the only girl to do the double Lutz, and her spin in the centre of the rink that rises and descends four times to perfect timing was a delight to see. She possesses a light, springy take-off in jumping, and uses her free leg to the best advantage.. The crowd thundered their applause and the judges approved, for she jumped three places from her school figure position." In her book "Thin Ice", du Bief recalled, "About the rink they began to talk of the little French girl who was not good in figures but who did all the double jumps (on her good days) and whose skating was different from the others. It was even whispered that in a few years, she would have a chance of winning. So many words, so many hopes, and consequently so much more energy to resume the daily training on the following day."

THE MEN'S COMPETITION

The men's school figures were a close contest between the two Eastern European skaters who had placed third and fourth at the previous year's Europeans in Prague. Austria's Edi Rada, who placed third in 1948, came out on top in a three-two split of the judging panel, with the Czechoslovakian and Hungarian judges voting for pairs winner Ede Király. 

Edi Rada. Photo courtesy Bildarchiv Austria.

Edi Rada won the free skate five judges to one, with the Norwegian judge placing Ede Király first, expanding upon his lead in the figures and winning the gold. The bronze went to Rada's young Austrian teammate Hellmut Seibt. Rada was criticized for lacking speed and pep but praised for his sureness and the variety of his contents. Király lost points when he fell on his opening jump, but delivered a fast, dynamic performance. Carlo Fassi placed fourth, ahead of Czechoslovakian skaters Ladislav Čáp and Zdeněk Fikar, who Nigel brown lamented gave "little thought to artistry, either in design of programme or in appeal to musical interpretation."

Medal awarded to all participants in the 1949 European Championships

After the competition, skaters and officials were treated to apéritifs at a morning reception at Milan's city hall and a delicious meal and banquet at one of the city's finest restaurants, hosted by Mayor Antonio Greppi. ISU President Herbert J. Clarke said in his closing speech that the competition would go down in history as one of "the most successful events ever staged."

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, Bluesky, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering one of eight fascinating books highlighting the history of figure skating: https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.

Launch Day: Your Ultimate Guides to the World & European Figure Skating Championships

Think you know figure skating history? Think again.

I'm thrilled to launch a brand-new Collector's Edition Set lovingly compiled for figure skating fans to want to take a deep dive into the history of the World and European Figure Skating Championships. 

Together, these two books are the ultimate references for fans, historians, and anyone who loves the sport. These books are the result of meticulous research of original sources, capturing details that you simply can’t find online.

Sure, you can search for past results on the internet - but early records are often incomplete and  sometimes inaccurate. If you want to learn the real history of the oldest continuous international figure skating competitions in the world, these are the books for you.

Why You’ll Love This Set:

- Every Result, Every Champion - From the very first World and European Figure Skating Championships in the 19th Century to today's stars, every competition is documented with complete results, facts and firsts.

- Rare Photos - Curated black & white photographs highlight the evolution of figure skating over the decades.

- Stories Behind the Scores - Trivia, anecdotes, and historical context about the two oldest continuous international figure skating competitions in the world.

This Collector's Edition set is a wonderful keepsake for anyone passionate about the sport who wants to fully understand the history and evolution of the two of the most decorated figure skating competitions in the world.

Order Your Set Today! Available in paperback and hardcover formats where books are sold.