2012 World Figure Skating Championships
The 2012 World [Figure Skating Championships] was an international figure skating competition in the 2011–12 [figure skating season|2011–12 season]. The event determined the World Champions in men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. It was held between March 26 and April 1 in Nice, France.
Host
In November 2009, the International Skating Union named Nice, France as the provisional host. In early 2011, it was announced that Montpellier was also under consideration; however, in May 2011, Nice's Palais des Expositions was confirmed as the event venue. The nearby Jean Bouin Center was the practice rink. The cost was estimated at USD $10 million. The competition rink, practice rink, and athletes' accommodation facilities are within 60 yards of each other, with an efficient transportation system also boosting Nice's bid.The event determined the number of entries a country could send to the 2013 World Championships.
Qualification
The event was open to figure skaters from ISU member nations who reached the age of 15 by July 1, 2011. Based on the results of the 2011 World Championships, each country was allowed between one and three entries per discipline. National associations selected their entries based on their own criteria but those skaters had to achieve a minimum technical elements score at an international event prior to the World Championships. The minimum TES for each discipline and segment were:| Discipline | SP / SD | FS / FD |
| Men | 20 | 35 |
| Ladies | 15 | 25 |
| Pairs | 17 | 30 |
| Ice dancing | 17 | 27 |
Countries which qualified more than one entry per discipline:
| Spots | Men | Ladies | Pairs | Dance |
| 3 | | | | |
| 2 | | | | |
Entries
Member nations submitted the following entries:| Country | Men | Ladies | Pairs | Ice dancing |
| Slavik Hayrapetyan | ||||
| Brendan Kerry | Chantelle Kerry | Danielle O'Brien / Gregory Merriman | ||
| Viktor Pfeifer | Kerstin Frank | Stina Martini / Severin Kiefer | Barbora Silná / Juri Kurakin | |
| Julia Zlobina / Alexei Sitnikov | ||||
| Vitali Luchanok | Lubov Bakirova / Mikalai Kamianchuk | Lesia Valadzenkava / Vitali Vakunov | ||
| Kevin van der Perren | Isabelle Pieman | |||
| Damjan Ostojič | ||||
| Kevin Alves | ||||
| Manol Atanassov | Daniela Stoeva | Elizabeta Makarova / Leri Kenchadze | Alexandra Chistiakova / Dimitar Lichev | |
| Patrick Chan Kevin Reynolds | Amelie Lacoste | Jessica Dube / Sebastien Wolfe Meagan Duhamel / Eric Radford | Tessa Virtue / Scott Moir Kharis Ralph / Asher Hill Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje | |
| Song Nan | Zhang Kexin | Pang Qing / Tong Jian Sui Wenjing / Han Cong | Huang Xintong / Zheng Xun | |
| Jordan Ju | Melinda Wang | |||
| Michal Březina Tomáš Verner | Eliška Březinová | Gabriela Kubová / Dmitri Kiselev | ||
| Justus Strid | Karina Johnson | |||
| Jelena Glebova | Irina Shtork / Taavi Rand | |||
| Ari-Pekka Nurmenkari | Alisa Mikonsaari Juulia Turkkila | Henna Lindholm / Ossi Kanervo | ||
| Florent Amodio Brian Joubert | Yrétha Silété | Vanessa James / Morgan Ciprès | Pernelle Carron / Lloyd Jones Nathalie Péchalat / Fabian Bourzat | |
| Elene Gedevanishvili | ||||
| Peter Liebers | Sarah Hecken | Maylin Hausch / Daniel Wende Aliona Savchenko / Robin Szolkowy Mari Vartmann / Aaron Van Cleave | Nelli Zhiganshina / Alexander Gazsi | |
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The men's free skating was held the next evening. Chan won his second World title, Takahashi won silver, and Yuzuru Hanyu won the bronze medal in his senior World debut. Chan was the first men's single skater to win consecutive World titles since Stéphane Lambiel of Switzerland. The event was the first time Japan had two men on the World podium. 33 skaters competed in the ladies' preliminary round and the top twelve – led by Jenna McCorkell, Jelena Glebova, and Sonia Lafuente – advanced to the short program. The top three skaters in the short program were Alena Leonova, Kanako Murakami, and Carolina Kostner. Kostner was first in the free skating, followed by Akiko Suzuki and Ashley Wagner. Kostner became Italy's first ladies' World champion, silver medalist Leonova was the first Russian to reach the ladies' World podium since 2005, and Suzuki won the bronze. Kostner was the first European lady since 2005 to win the gold medal at Worlds. Kostner said: "It is my tenth season at senior level, and in each season I've learned something. Today was my day and my competition. I would have been happy with second place, but I thought ‘keep on dreaming to the end’." Eleven couples competed in the pairs' preliminary round and the top eight – led by Sui Wenjing / Han Cong, Vanessa James / Morgan Cipres, and Mari Vartmann / Aaron Van Cleave – advanced to the short program. Russian pairs Yuko Kavaguti / Alexander Smirnov and Vera Bazarova / Yuri Larionov collided during their first practice session on March 26 but were not injured. Aliona Savchenko / Robin Szolkowy took the lead in the short program, followed by Pang Qing / Tong Jian and Narumi Takahashi / Mervin Tran. After falls on previous competition attempts, Savchenko/Szolkowy landed the rare throw triple Axel for the first time in their career but her free foot touched the ice. Some skaters expressed concerns about the ice quality. Maxim Trankov said: "It is soft in some places, brittle in others. I guess it is ok if you skate right after ice resurfacing, but if you are the last one to skate in the second group, it is quite another story." Alexander Smirnov said: "Sometimes it simply crushes under your blades like glass." Volosozhar / Trankov placed first in the free skating, Savchenko / Szolkowy were second and Takahashi / Tran were third. Savchenko / Szolkowy won their fourth World title – becoming the fifth pair in the post-World War II period to do so – Volosozhar / Trankov repeated as silver medalists, and Takahashi / Tran won bronze – the first ever World pairs medal for Japan. 23 couples competed in the ice dancing preliminary round and the top ten – led by Elena Ilinykh / Nikita Katsalapov, Huang Xintong / Zheng Xun, and Irina Shtork / Taavi Rand – advanced to the short dance. Viktor Kovalenko – who qualified with his partner Anna Nagornyuk in 9th place – received his visa on the morning of March 26 and arrived at the arena ten minutes before they were due to compete in the preliminary round. Gregory Merriman's blade broke off his heel a minute before the end of the performance but he and his partner, Danielle O'Brien, were also able to qualify. Tessa Virtue / Scott Moir took the lead in the short dance, followed by Meryl Davis / Charlie White and Nathalie Pechalat / Fabian Bourzat. The top three were the same in the free dance. Virtue / Moir won their second World title, while the 2011 World Champions, Davis / White, took silver, and Pechalat / Bourzat won bronze, their first World medal for overall placement. ResultsMenLadiesPairsIce dancingMedals summaryMedalistsMedals for overall placement:Small medals for placement in the short segment: Small medals for placement in the free segment: Medals by countryTable of medals for overall placement: |