Tallinn Trophy
The Tallinn Trophy is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union, organized and hosted in Tallinn, Estonia, by the Estonian Skating Union. It debuted in 2002 as a regional competition before expanding as an international event in 2011 and joining the ISU Challenger Series in 2015. Medals are awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance; and when the event is part of the Challenger Series, skaters earn ISU World Standing points based on their results.
Aleksandr Selevko of Estonia holds the record for winning the most Tallinn Trophy titles in men's singles, while Stanislava Konstantinova of Russia and Josefin Taljegård of Sweden are tied for winning the most titles in women's singles. No one team holds the record in pair skating or ice dance, as there have been unique champions each time the event has been held.
History
The Tallinn Trophy debuted in 2002. In the beginning, it was exclusively a regional competition. It debuted as an international skating competition in 2011; Sarkis Hayrapetyan of Armenia won the men's event, Yulia Starikova of Russia won the women's event, and Irina Štork and Taavi Rand of Estonia won the ice dance event.The ISU Challenger Series was introduced in 2014. It is a series of international figure skating competitions sanctioned by the International Skating Union and organized by ISU member nations. The objective is to ensure consistent organization and structure within a series of international competitions linked together, providing opportunities for senior-level skaters to compete at the international level and also earn ISU World Standing points. When an event is held as part of the Challenger Series, it must host at least three of the four disciplines and representatives from at least ten different ISU member nations. The minimum number of entrants required for each discipline is: eight skaters, five teams, and six teams. Each ISU member nation is eligible to enter up to three skaters or teams per discipline in each competition, although the Estonian Skating Union may enter an unlimited number of entrants to their own event. Each skater or team is limited to participating in at most three Challenger Series events each season.
The Tallinn Trophy was a Challenger Series event from 2015 through 2018, and again in 2024. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Tallinn Trophy was held exclusively for skaters in Estonia.