Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
John Nicks Pairs Challenge
International figure skating competition From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
The John Nicks Pairs Challenge is an annual pairs figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), organized and hosted by the Skating Club of New York and U.S. Figure Skating at the Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers in New York City, New York, in the United States.[1] The competition debuted in 2021 and is named in honor of John Nicks, a retired British figure skater who worked as a figure skating coach in the United States for nearly four decades. In 2024, it became part of the ISU Challenger Series.[2] Medals are awarded in pair skating at the senior and junior levels; and as part of the Challenger Series, skaters earn ISU World Standing points based on their results.
Remove ads
History
Summarize
Perspective
The competition is named in honor of John Nicks,[3] a retired figure skater who competed for Great Britain in single skating and later pair skating with his sister Jennifer.[4] They are four-time World Championship medalists (gold in 1953, silver in 1950, and bronze in 1951 and 1952);[5] four-time European Championship medalists (gold in 1953, silver in 1952, and bronze in 1950 and 1951);[6] and six-time British national champions.[7] After the crash of Sabena Flight 548 in 1961, in which most of the U.S. national figure skating team was killed,[8] Nicks chose to emigrate to the United States to work as a coach and help rebuild the American skating program. He had been impressed by the American skaters he watched at the 1948 Winter Olympics, and this helped influence his decision to move to the United States.[4] Nicks was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2000.[3] He coached an estimated 1,200 skaters during a career than spanned over four decades,[4] including Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner,[9] JoJo Starbuck and Kenneth Shelley,[4] Jenni Meno and Todd Sand,[10] Sasha Cohen,[11] and Ashley Wagner.[4]
The inaugural edition of the John Nicks Pairs Challenge was held in 2021. Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier of the United States were the champions.[12] In 2024, the John Nicks Pairs Challenge – now called the John Nicks International Pairs Competition – was the second event of the ISU Challenger Series,[13] a series of international figure skating competitions sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU). 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.[14] The most recent iteration of this competition was held in 2025.[15]
Remove ads
Senior medalists
The 2025 John Nicks International Pairs Competition gold and silver medalists: Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps of Canada (gold); and Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov of the United States (silver)
Remove ads
Junior medalists
Cumulative medal count (senior medalists)
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads