Figure skating is one of the most popular sports at the Winter Olympics, but which famous ice skaters are favorites to take home a medal at this year’s Olympic Games in Beijing? In some areas, the playing field is plenty even. In other areas, there are clear favorites and underdogs.
When you think of the Winter Olympics, figure skating is one of the first sports you think of. It has been a mainstay at the Olympics for 115 years, first appearing in the Summer Olympic Games in 1908 and 1920 before being transferred to the Winter Olympic program in 1924.
The United States, Russia, and the Soviet Union have dominated the figure skating scene since its early days, but Austria, Canada, and Great Britain have also had success. All in all, the US has the most gold medals (15), silver medals (16), bronze medals (20), and total medals (51).
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Famous Ice Skaters to Watch in 2022
The opening ceremony for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing is set to begin on February 4, 2022, at the Beijing National Stadium. This will be our first look at all the talented athletes competing in this year’s Olympics, including some of the most famous ice skaters in the world.
Much like we’ve seen the past three Olympic Games, there will be a total of five-figure skating events – men’s singles, women’s singles, pair skating, ice dance, and team event. That means there are a total of 15 medals up for grabs and events will begin right away on February 4th.
While there are plenty of famous ice skaters to keep an eye on this year, there are several former Olympic standouts not included in this year’s games, including the German pair Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot (retired). Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva won’t be included in Russia’s national team – they won gold and silver in 2018, respectively.
With that said, let’s take a look at some of the famous ice skaters you won’t want to miss this year!
10. Sui Wenjing & Han Cong – China
Sui Wenjing and Han Cong have been skating together as a pair since 2007. The two famous ice skaters represent China and were inspired by watching Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo at the 2002 Winter Olympics. They have been a power duo in the sport for quite some time now.
Wenjing and Cong made their senior debut at the 2010 Cup of China after having won the World Junior Figure Skating Championship for the first time. They would go on to win the World Junior Figure Skating Championship three consecutive years in 2010, 2011, and 2012.
The pair have won a lot of medals at the senior level since then. They’re two-time winners of the Junior Grand Prix Final, six-time winners of the Four Continents Championships, two-time winners of the World Championships, and one-time winners of the Grand Prix Final.
They’ve also won a silver medal at the 2011 Asian Winter Games, a silver and two bronze medals at the Grand Prix Final, three silver medals at the World Championships, and a silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics. They’ve made a career out of podium finishes.
After a successful 2021 campaign that included wins at the Asian Open Figure Skating, ISU GP Skate Canada International, and the ISU GP Gran Premio D’Italia, look for them to impress a lot of people in pair skating at the 2022 Winter Olympics as they represent the host country.
9. Satoko Miyahara – Japan
Known as ‘The Tiny Queen,’ Satoko Miyahara was born in Kyoto, Japan, and started skating at an early age when she moved to the United States. By the age of seven, she had moved back to her home city of Kyoto and was skating under the direct guidance of Mie Hamada.
Miyahara made her junior debut in 2011 and was a two-time Japanese national junior champion, one-time Asian Figure Skating Trophy winner, one-time Junior Grand Prix US champion, and one-time Junior Grand Prix Poland silver medalist. She won her first senior medal in 2013.
Since then, she has won a gold medal, two silver medals, and a bronze medal at the Four Continents Championships, a silver and bronze medal at the World Championships, two silver medals at the Grand Prix Final, and a bronze medal at the World Team Trophy.
She competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, finishing fifth in the mixed team event and fourth place in the women’s singles event. She most recently finished fifth at the ISU GP Gran Premio D’Italia and seventh at the ISU GP Guaranteed Rate Skate America in 2021.
Look for Satoko Miyahara to improve upon her finishes at the 2018 Winter Olympics. She represents Japan well, alongside another Japanese skater Rika Kahira – another name to watch at this year’s Winter Olympics!
8. Uno Shoma – Japan
Uno Shoma was born in Nagoya, Japan and started skating at just five years old. He was inspired by Daisuke Takahashi, but it was Mao Asada that convinced him to start skating and took him under his wing. By 2010, he won a bronze medal at the Japan Junior Championships.
Shoma made his Junior Grand Prix debut in 2011 and won a bronze medal at the JGP Tallinn Cup in Estonia. He also won a silver medal and gold medal at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics. In his career, he has won six gold medals, seven silver medals, and four bronze medals.
He won gold medals at the Four Continents Championships in 2019, the 2017 World Team Trophy, the 2017 Asian Winter Games, the 2015 World Junior Championships, and the Junior Grand Prix Final. He also competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics, taking home a silver medal.
Shoma would love to improve upon that silver medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. As one of Japan’s most famous ice skaters, he once successfully landed a quadruple flip in an international competition – the only skater in figure skating history to ever accomplish that.
He’ll have a lot of competition this year in the men’s singles, but he should have enough in the tank to finish on the podium. Of course, only time will tell where he finishes on that podium.
7. Anastasia Mishina & Aleksandr Galliamov – Russia
Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov are a pair that will be representing Russia at the 2022 Winter Olympics. The two have been skating as a pair since 2017 and have won five gold medals and two bronze medals together. They’re currently coached by Tamara Moskvina.
Mishina was born in Saint Petersburg and started skating in 2006. She was originally a singles skater until being convinced by her mother to change to pairs skating in 2012. She has skated with Maxim Kudryavtsev and Vladislav Mirzoev before teaming up with Galliamov in 2017.
Galliamov was born in Berezniki and began skating in 2005. Originally a singles skater, he began pairs skating when he moved to Saint Petersburg in 2014. He has skated with Alexandra Polishchuk and Nika Osipova in the past before teaming up with Mishina in February 2017.
Since joining hands, Galliamov and Mishina have won gold medals at the 2019 Junior Grand Prix Final, the 2019 World Junior Championships, the 2021 World Team Trophy, the 2021 World Championships, and the 2022 European Championships. They definitely perform well together.
This will be their first Winter Olympic appearance, so nerves will certainly come into play. With that said, they have the talent to really impress some people and will make the most of their opportunities. Expect them to compete hard for a podium finish in Beijing this year.
6. Kamila Valieva – Russia
Kamila Valieva was born in Kazan, Russia in 2006 and began taking figure skating seriously at the age of five. She heavily admires the work of Nathan Chen, who we’ll discuss later down this list. Outside of her figure skating career, she hopes to one day become a psychologist.
Although Valieva has only been competing internationally since the 2018-19 season, she has already gained worldwide praise for her one-of-a-kind abilities. She already holds numerous records and has done things no one has ever done before in the figure skating community.
For example, she holds the current world record women’s short program, free skating and total scores, becoming the first woman to break 250, 260, and 270 points in total score, the first woman to break 170 and 180 points in the free skate, and first to break 90 points in the short program.
She’s also just one of two female skaters to land a quadruple toe loop. Since 2019, she has won the Junior Grand Prix Final, the Junior World Championships, the Rostelecom Cup, the Skate Canada International, the Russian National Championship, and the European Championships.
In what will be her first ever Winter Olympic appearance, look for Valieva to impress a lot of people in the women’s singles event. There’s no shortage of competition this year, but she has the skill and the talent for a podium finish. Who knows, she might continue breaking records too.
5. Alexandra Trusova – Russia
Speaking of famous ice skaters that represent Russia, we can’t forget about Kamila Valieva’s teammate Alexandra Trusova. We mentioned how Valieva was one of two female skaters to ever land a quadruple toe loop – well, Trusova was the first to do it, but that’s not all she did.
Trusova is also the first female skater to land a quad Lutz and quad flip, the second female skater to land a quad Salchow, and the first female skater to land two and three ratified quads in free skate. In addition to all of that, she currently holds four Guinness World Records.
Born in Ryazan in 2004, Trusova began skating at just four years old and won her first World Junior Championships at just 13 years old in 2018. In fact, she would win her second World Junior Championships one year later in 2019. She also won the 2018 Junior Grand Prix Final.
In addition to her gold medal finishes, Trusova has won a silver medal at the 2019 Junior Grand Prix Final, a bronze medal at the 2020 Grand Prix Final, a bronze medal at the 2021 World Championships, and two bronze medals at the 2020 and 2022 European Championships.
This will be her first ever Winter Olympic appearance and there’s a lot of hope that she can finish atop the podium for Russia. She’s currently the second-ranked women’s singles skater by the International Skating Union, so she’s certainly one of the skaters to beat in Beijing.
4. Gabriella Papadakis & Guillaume Cizeron – France
Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron are currently the favorites to win the ice dance event. They represent France and have been skating together since they were around 9 or 10 years old. Their chemistry together is unmatched as they dance with elegance and grace.
The two made their Junior Grand Prix debut during the 2009-10 season and placed 22nd at the 2010 World Junior Championships. They then placed 12th at the 2011 World Juniors, fifth at the 2012 World Juniors, and second at the 2013 World Juniors before making their senior debut.
Since joining the senior circuit, the French pair have dominated the ice dance scene. They’re four-time World Champions, five-time European Champions, two-time Grand Prix Final winners, two-time Cup of China winners, and six-time Internationaux de France winners.
The pair have also won the Gran Premio d’Italia, the NHK Trophy, the Autumn Classic International, the Finlandia Trophy twice, and the International Cup of Nice. They know how to win and they do it often, but they’ve also hinted at this possibly being their final year together.
With their senior careers possibly coming to an end, you know they’re going to give it their all at the 2022 Winter Olympics. They already withdrew from the European Championships in preparation for their Olympic run, which should end with a gold medal at the ice dance event.
3. Anna Shcherbakova – Russia
Anna Shcherbakova is currently the No. 1 ranked female skater, according to the International Skating Union. If you’re looking for a female skater to watch at the 2022 Winter Olympics, she’s one of the ones to keep an eye on – along with her Russian teammates Trusova and Valieva.
Shcherbakova was born in Moscow in 2004 and is one of three Russian female skaters making her Olympic debut in 2022 – the two others are listed above. She began skating at the age of three under the leadership of Oksana Bulycheva and she deeply admires Nathan Chen.
She originally planned on making her Junior Grand Prix debut during the 2017-18 season, but missed most of the year due to a broken leg she suffered at practice. She finally ended up competing at the 2018 Russian Junior Championships, where she finished in 13th place.
Since 2019, she has won gold medals at the 2019 European Youth Olympic Festival, the 2021 World Team Trophy, and the 2021 World Championships. She also has silver medals at the Grand Prix Final, World Junior Championships, and European Championships (twice).
Although this is her first Olympic appearance, Shcherbakova is one of the favorites to take home a medal. She’s a consistent skater that isn’t afraid to take chances. She’s the first senior female skater to land a quad Lutz and landed two of them in the same program.
2. Yuzuru Hanyu – Japan
No man has won three consecutive men’s singles titles at the Winter Olympic Games since 1928 when Gillis Grafström achieved the feat. At the 2022 Winter Olympics, Yuzuru Hanyu will have an opportunity to join Grafström, having won gold at the 2014 and 2018 Olympics.
Hanyu is the man to beat in the men’s singles and for good reason. He’s one of the greatest and most famous ice skaters of all-time, having medaled at seven World Championships since 2012 – one of two male skaters to achieve that feat, next to German figure skater Jan Hoffmann.
Not only that, but Hanyu is the only male skater to ever win a Super Slam – winning all major competitions as both a senior and junior. He finished the Super Slam when he won the 2020 Four Continents Championships, where he had three silver medals in 2011, 2013, and 2017.
In addition to his two Olympic gold medals, Hanyu is also a two-time World Champion, one-time Four Continents Champion, four-time Grand Prix Final winner, one-time World Team Trophy winner, one-time World Junior Champion, and one-time Junior Grand Prix Final winner.
As the favorite in men’s singles, Hanyu is certainly an ice skater to tune into when the Winter Olympics begin on February 4th. He has a strong technique that combines both mature and versatile artistry. Many people regard him as the most complete athlete in figure skating history.
1. Nathan Chen – United States
Hanyu is the clear favorite in men’s singles, but that’s not stopping Nathan Chen from renewing their rivalry as his main competitor. Chen might not have the Olympic resume that Hanyu has, but he has just as good of a senior resume outside of the Olympics. The rivalry runs deep.
Chen was born in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1999 and began skating at the age of three. He currently attends Yale University and is majoring in Statistics and Data Science. He entered his first competition in 2003 and made his Junior Grand Prix debut during the 2012-13 season.
After finishing with a bronze medal at the 2014 World Junior Championships and Junior Grand Prix Final, he achieved a gold medal at the 2016 Junior Grand Prix. He eventually made his senior debut during the 2016-17 season and has been lighting up the figure skating scene since.
Chen is a one-time World Team Trophy winner (2019), three-time Grand Prix Final winner (2018, 2019, 2020), one-time Four Continents Champion (2017), and three-time World Champion (2018, 2019, 2021). He also won a bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
The bronze Olympic medal came in the team event, but he also placed fifth in a disappointing men’s singles finish. Chen is, however, the world record holder in free skate and combined score. He hopes to avenge himself in 2022 with a better Olympic performance in Beijing.
Who Are the Most Famous Ice Skaters of All-Time?
The Winter Olympics is where all the greatest and most famous ice skaters display their talent on the world’s biggest stage. It’s where we marvel at some of the amazing things these athletes can do on ice skates. There’s a reason why it’s one of the most watched events at the games.
And while the names above are the ones to watch in 2022, it’s important not to forget those that came before them. For example, you can’t forget about Gillis Grafström, Evgeni Plushenko, Sonja Henie, Irina Rodnina, Artur Dmitriev, Brian Boitano, Michelle Kwan, and Kurt Browning.
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Some of the most famous pairs include Andrée and Pierre Brunet, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, Oleg and Ludmila Protopopov, and Barbara Underhill and Paul Martini.
20 Male Figure Skaters That Have Dominated Throughout History
While everyone has their eyes on March Madness, some of the best male figure skaters in the world have been competing at the 2022 World Figure Skating Championships. Men take the ice on March 24th for the short program and March 26th for the free skate in Montpellier, France.
This time of year is an exciting time for male figure skaters, but the excitement is intensified as some of these athletes recently returned from the 2022 Winter Olympics – which came to an end on February 20th. Nathan Chen miraculously won a gold medal in the men’s singles event.
With the Winter Olympics behind us and the ISU World Championships underway, male figure skaters have been at the forefront of the sports and entertainment community. That means these athletes have an opportunity to write their name among the greatest to ever do it.
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Who Are the Greatest Male Figure Skaters of All-Time?
Figure skating dates back as far as 3,000 B.C., but it wasn’t until the 14th century that athletes started using sharpened steel blades – allowing for more speed, control, and balance. By the 18th century, the technicality of the sport started to evolve with disciplines and regulations.
In the late-1880s, figure skating started spreading to the United States as recreational and competitive figure skating clubs drew more interest worldwide. The first ISU Championships were held in 1896 and the sport continued to grow from there. Today, it’s more popular than ever.
Throughout the history of figure skating, there have been a number of male figure skaters that have written their name among the greatest of all-time. Some of them were the sport’s first stars, some of them recently retired, and some of them are still competing to this day.
Let’s take a look at our top-20 greatest male figure skaters of all-time!
20. Toller Cranston
Toller Cranston was a Canadian figure skater that began skating at the age of seven after giving ballet lessons a try. By the age of 13, he was diagnosed with Osgood–Schlatter disease and told he may never skate again. A month later, he won the Canadian Junior Championship.
Cranston won his first Canadian Championship during the 1970-71 competitive season. He went on to win the event six years in a row until the end of the 1975-76 season. He also won a bronze medal at the 1974 World Championships and a bronze medal at the 1976 Winter Olympics.
19. Willy Böckl
Figure skating wouldn’t be what it is today if it weren’t for the efforts of Willy Böckl in the early 1900s. The Austrian figure skater captured his first national title in 1913 when he won the Austrian Championships. That same year, he won a silver medal at the World Championships.
Over the next 10 years, Böckl won two more national titles and a European Championship in 1922 and 1923. Between 1924 and 1928, he won four-straight World titles, four-straight European Championships, an Austrian Championship, and two Olympic silver medals.
18. Evan Lysacek
Evan Lysacek was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2016, which goes to show how dominant he was during the 2000s. He began skating at the age of eight and initially wanted to be a hockey player. Once he learned how to skate, he knew what his calling was.
He had a lot of success in his junior career before making his international senior debut in 2004. From that point forward, he won a gold medal at the 2010 Olympics, a World Championship in 2009, a Grand Prix Final in 2010, and two Four Continents Championships in 2005 and 2007.
17. Ulrich Salchow
Ulrich Salchow is a legendary figure skater from the late-1890s and early 1900s. He is widely regarded as the sport’s first star and while he was born in Denmark, Salchow represented Sweden in competition. He created a move called the Salchow jump, which is still used today.
Salchow won three-straight Swedish Championships from 1895-1897 and three-straight European Championships from 1898-1900. Over the next 13 years, Salchow won a record 10 World Championships, six more European Championships, and an Olympic gold medal.
16. Karl Schäfer
Karl Schäfer was an Austrian figure skater that has won 17 international gold medals and seven national gold medals. At the national level, he won seven Austrian Championships in an eight-year period between 1929 and 1936. He also had a silver medal in 1927 and 1928.
Also between 1929 and 1936, Schäfer won the European Championships every single year (eight times) and the World Championships seven times – every year except 1929, when he won silver. He also won a gold medal at the 1932 Winter Olympics and 1936 Winter Olympics.
15. Patrick Chan
Patrick Chan is one of the most elegant and artistic figure skaters the sport has ever seen. He held several world records in his day, including world records in the short program and free skate in 2011. He made history by scoring above a 100.00 in the short and over 200.00 in the free skate.
Chan appeared in three Winter Olympics and won three medals as a result – one gold and two silvers. He was the No. 1 figure skater in the world between 2011 and 2014. He’s a three-time World Champion, three-time Four Continents Champion, and two-time Grand Prix Final winner.
14. Brian Orser
Brian Orser is a former Canadian figure skater, much like Patrick Chan. He made two Winter Olympics appearances, winning a silver medal in both the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. After the 1988 Olympics, he toured with Stars on Ice (a figure skating tour) for the next two decades.
In addition to his Olympic success, Orser is a one-time World Champion (1987) and an eight-time national champion (Canada) – winning each year between 1981 and 1988. He has also coached Yuzuru Hanyu to two Olympic gold medals and Yuna Kim to one Olympic gold.
13. Alexei Yagudin
Alexei Yagudin is a former Russian figure skater that dominated the sport at the turn of the 21st century. He made two appearances at the Winter Olympics and one a gold medal in the men’s singles event in 2002. He turned pro in 2003 and toured the world with various programs.
Between 1998 and 2002, Yagudin won four World Championships, three European Championships, and two Grand Prix Finals. He became the only figure skater in history to achieve a Golden Slam by winning a gold medal at the Olympics, World Championships, European Championships, and Grand Prix Final all in the same year (2001).
12. John Curry
John Curry is a former British figure skater that was known for incorporating ballet and modern dance styles into his routines. He made two appearances at the Winter Olympics and won a gold medal in 1976 – making him the first British male figure skater to win an Olympic gold.
That same year, Curry also won a gold medal at the World Championships and European Championships. He likely would have achieved a Golden Slam, but the event didn’t start until the late-1990s. He skated professionally on Broadway after his successful run in 1976.
11. Scott Moir
Scott Moir is a former Canadian figure skater that competed in the ice dance discipline with Tessa Virtue. The two are currently the most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history, making three appearances and winning five medals – three gold medals and two silvers.
With his ice dance partner, Moir also won eight Canadian Championships, three World Championships, three European Championships, and one Grand Prix Final. They’re the greatest ice dance team of all-time and the only ice dance team to achieve a Super Slam in their career.
10. Sergei Grinkov
Sergei Grinkov is a former Russian pairs skater who formed a powerful duo with his wife, Ekaterina Gordeeva. The two made two appearances at the Winter Olympics, winning a gold medal each time – one for Russia and one for the Soviet Union. Their daughter could also skate.
In addition to their Olympic success, Grinkov and Gordeeva won the European Championships in 1988, 1990, and 1994. They also won four four World Championships, doing so back-to-back in 1986 and 1987, and back-to-back in 1989 and 1990. They almost won five-straight, but won a silver medal in 1988.
9. Scott Hamilton
Scott Hamilton is a former American figure skater who dominated the sport in the early-1980s. He made two Winter Olympics appearances and won a gold medal in the men’s singles event in 1984. Hamilton is perhaps best known for his very rare ability to perform a backflip on the ice.
In addition to his lone gold at the Olympics, Hamilton won four-consecutive gold medals at the World Championships and four-consecutive US Championships between 1981 and 1984. In 1986, Hamilton co-founded Stars on Ice and was a performer for 15 years before retiring.
8. Brian Boitano
Brian Boitano is a former American figure skater that competed during the late-1980s. He made three Winter Olympics appearances and won a gold medal in the men’s singles event in 1988. His arch rival, Brian Orser, won silver in what became known as the “Battle of the Brians.”
Boitano also won two gold medals at the World Championships in men’s singles in 1986 and 1988. After the 1988 season, Boitano turned professional and found a lot of success before returning to competition in 1993. He placed sixth in his Olympic return, which came in 1994.
7. Elvis Stojko
Elvis Stojko is a former Canadian figure skater and before you ask, his parents did name him after the singer Elvis Presley – both of his parents were fans of the King of Rock and Roll. Little did they know their son would gain fame of his own, albeit on the court instead of the stage.
Most of Stojko’s success came in the 1990s. He made four Winter Olympics appearances, winning a silver medal in 1994 and 1998. He also won three World Championships, one Four Continents Championships, and one Grand Prix Final. He’s a Canadian figure skating legend.
6. Kurt Browning
Kurt Browning is a former American figure skater who became the first figure skater to land a quadruple jump during a competition. Although he made three Winter Olympics appearances in his career, he failed to secure a podium finish – the highest he ever placed was fifth in 1994.
With that said, he had a lot of podium success at the World Championships where he won four gold medals (1989-91, 1993) and one silver medal (1992) in a five-year period. He also won a Canadian national title and has choreographed for a wide range of successful figure skaters.
5. Gillis Grafström
Gillis Grafström is a former Swedish figure skater who was one of the sport’s first stars – along with legends Willy Böckl and Ulrich Salchow. Grafström won three consecutive Swedish Championships between 1917 and 1919 before winning the Nordic Championships in 1920.
Grafström is one of just a few athletes to compete in the Summer and Winter Olympics (figure skating was originally in the Summer Olympics. He’s also one of two athletes to win a gold medal at both Olympics, winning three and almost winning a fourth before winning silver in 1932.
4. Nathan Chen
Nathan Chen continues to climb up this list and very well could be at the top by the time he retires. Of course, that’s a long way away since Chen is just 22 years old. Since the 2018 season, Chen has been the No. 1 ranked male figure skater in the entire world each season.
Chen currently holds the world record for the short program (113.97), free skate (224.92), and combined total (335.30). He has won three Olympic medals (including one gold), three World Championships, one Four Continents Championships, and three Grand Prix Finals.
3. Yuzuru Hanyu
Yuzuru Hanyu is a Japanese figure skater that has been Chen’s arch rival for several years. He was once coached by Brian Orser and was the No. 1 ranked male figure skater in the world between 2013 and 2017 – which is when Chen took over. Hanyu is currently 27 years old.
Hanyu held the world record for the short program, free skate, and combined total before Chen broke them. He’s a two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time World Champion, one-time Four Continents Champion, and even won four consecutive Grand Prix Finals from 2014-2017.
2. Evgeni Plushenko
Evgeni Plushenko is a former Russian figure skater who dominated the sport throughout the 2000s. He holds the record for most titles on the Grand Prix circuit with 22 and once held a record for most medals by a figure skater, which has since been passed by Moir and Virtue.
Plushenko made four Winter Olympics appearances during his career, winning a gold medal in 2006 and 2014, and a silver medal in 2002 and 2010. He’s also a three-time World Champion, seven-time European Champion, four-time Grand Prix Final winner, and 10-time Russian Champion.
1. Dick Button
Dick Button is a former American figure skater that helped revolutionize the sport in many ways. He was the first figure skater to land a double axel jump, as well as a triple jump (loop), in competition. He also invented the ‘Button camel,’ which is now known as the camel spin.
In 1948, Button won his first and only European Championship – becoming the first and only non-European to accomplish that. He also won two Olympic gold medals in two appearances, five World Championships, and three North American Championships during his career.
Who Are the Greatest Male Figure Skaters Today?
When looking at male figure skaters today, there are two that stand above the rest and we mentioned both of them above – Nathan Chen and Yuzuru Hanyu. Unfortunately, figure skating fans won’t get to see them at the 2022 World Championships since both withdrew due to injury.
Yuma Kagiyama and Shoma Uno are two male figure skaters to keep an eye on at this year’s championships. They recently won the silver and bronze medals, respectively, at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Neither of them have won a gold at Worlds, but they have both won a silver.
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Vincent Zhou is another one of the male figure skaters that can earn a medal. He earned a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships, but would love to make his return to the podium. Ivan Shmuratko, who’s representing Ukraine, will look to make his country proud.
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