Grand Slam (figure skating)
Grand Slam is a term used by fans of figure skating for the winning all three major annual senior-level international competitions within a single season within one of the four disciplines: men's singles, women's singles, pairs, and ice dance. Winning all three major annual senior-level international competitions at any point during the course of a career is called a "Career Grand Slam". In pair skating and ice dancing, one team may accomplish a Career Grand Slam skating together or one skater may achieve it with different partners.
Winning the gold medal at the Olympic Games in addition to the three major annual senior-level international competitions in a single season is called a "Golden Grand Slam" or "Golden Slam". A skater who wins all three major annual senior-level international competitions and the Olympic gold medal during his or her career is said to have achieved a "Career Golden Grand Slam" or "Career Golden Slam".
Winning all major international competitions at both junior level and senior level at any point during the course of a career is called a "Career Super Grand Slam" or "Super Slam".
History
The first World Figure Skating Championships was held in 1896. The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final was inaugurated in 1995. The European Figure Skating Championships, open to skaters from European countries, first took place in 1891. The International Skating Union established the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in 1999 to provide skaters representing non-European countries. So the possibility of being the reigning champion of all three major annual senior-level international competitions did not exist until the 1995–96 season.Figure skating was first contested in the Olympic Games in 1908. The first World Junior Figure Skating Championships were held in 1976. The Junior Grand Prix Final was established in the 1997–98 season. So the possibility of being the super reigning champion of both major junior-level international competitions and all four major senior-level international competitions did not exist until the 1997–98 season.
On 29 June 2011, a report by CNN used the term Grand Slam to figure skating to describe the achievement of winning the Grand Prix Final, the Four Continents Championships, and the World Championships. On 1 April 2012, in a news report on the women's event of the 2012 World Figure Skating Championships by Sina Sports in the Chinese language, the term Grand Slam was used to describe the winning of the Grand Prix Final, the European Championships, and the World Championships. On 11 December 2016, a news report by Sina Sports on the ice dance event of the 2016–17 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in the Chinese language used the term Super Slam to describe the achievement of winning the World Junior Championships, the Junior Grand Prix Final, the Four Continents Championships, the World Championships, the Grand Prix Final, and the Olympic Games.
On 9 February 2020, a report by the International Skating Union used the term Golden Slam to describe the achievement of winning all four major senior-level international competitions. On the same day, a report by the Olympic Channel, which is operated by the International Olympic Committee, used the term Super Slam to figure skating to describe the achievement of winning all major international competitions at both junior level and senior level
Grand Slam
The remainder of this section is a complete list, by discipline, of all skaters who have completed the Grand Slam ordered chronologically, the numbers of Grand Slams by nation, and the first skater who achieved the Grand Slam.Men's singles
ChronologicalFour men's single skaters have completed the Grand Slam. Of these skaters, two have accomplished the feat twice: Alexei Yagudin and Evgeni Plushenko.
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| 1 | 1998–99 | Alexei Yagudin | RussiaWomen's singlesChronologicalFour women's single skaters have completed the Grand Slam. Of these skaters, only one has accomplished the feat twice. She remains the only skater to ever complete two Grand Slams in a row, the only skater to win a Grand Slam during her first season as a senior, and the only skater to win two Grand Slams during her two first seasons as a senior.
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Russia
Germany
South Korea
Japan
Canadaefn |name=Grishuk