Short Program medal at worlds

[pat c]

When did the ISU start rewarding a medal for the short program at worlds?

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

When did the ISU start rewarding a medal for the short program at worlds?

I know they awarded short program / short dance medals at Four Continents in 2009. But I'm pretty sure that tradition started years earlier.

 

[Sylvia]

I don't know the answer but does anyone recall when the first public ceremony was held for the awarding of ISU small medals for the FS/FD? I remember them happening at 2009 Worlds in Los Angeles. Did they take place earlier?

Relevant excerpt from Rule 134 in ISU Constitution and General Regulations 2016:

3. Award of medals [ISU Championships: Worlds, Europeans, Four Continents, Junior Worlds]
...
f) In Figure Skating the Referee shall present after the completion of each segment (Short Program and Free Skating for Ladies, Men, Pairs and in Synchronized Skating and Short Dance and Free Dance for Ice Dance) a small ISU gold medal to the winner of each event and small silver and bronze medals to the second and third in each discipline, but no anthem shall be played or flags hoisted. The ceremony cannot be held on the ice and/or in the kiss and cry area.

 

[overedge]

I would have to check but I think since the mid-80s at least. I seem to recall Brian Orser in his autobiography talking about the figures, short and long program medals, because he won a few in some of the years when he didn't win Worlds.

 

[Debbie S]

Maybe they stopped and restarted? I remember reading an announcement about the ISU starting to award small medals...I think it was in the mid-2000s but maybe it was earlier.

 

[Eislauffan]

Exactly. I remember small medals being awarded in the past, then for some time it was discontinued and then the ISU brought it back. But I don't know the timeline - when small medals originally started, when they stopped and when they were reintroduced.
I think "small medals" (which now that the ISU made all their medals bigger are not that small anymore) are a nice thing. More skaters get a chance to have a medal at an event if they do well in a segment.
Obviously, there are no small medals at the Olympic Games, though, since this is not an ISU event.

 

[Japanfan]

When did the ISU start rewarding a medal for the short program at worlds?

I would have to check but I think since the mid-80s at least. I seem to recall Brian Orser in his autobiography talking about the figures, short and long program medals, because he won a few in some of the years when he didn't win Worlds.

Do they have some sort of ceremony for the short program medals?

 

[DobrinFan]

Do they have some sort of ceremony for the short program medals?

Yes, for both short and long.

 

[honey]

I don't know the answer but does anyone recall when the first public ceremony was held for the awarding of ISU small medals for the FS/FD? I remember them happening at 2009 Worlds in Los Angeles. Did they take place earlier?

I want to say that at Vancouver worlds in 2001 there were some outdoor ceremonies for the small medals? Can anyone else confirm?

 

[overedge]

I want to say that at Vancouver worlds in 2001 there were some outdoor ceremonies for the small medals? Can anyone else confirm?

I went to as many events as I could at that worlds, including the "fan fest" area or whatever it was called, and I don't remember any mention of this. That doesn't mean it never happened, but I certainly would have gone to this if I'd known about it.

 

[libecha]

At this past Worlds, they did the short program medals right before the press conference and the free skate medals the following morning on an outdoor stage in a tent with the skaters in their street clothes.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

I'd like to see medals awarded for highest segment TES and PCS, too.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Back in the day, I almost won a small bronze at our school's egg and spoon race.

If only I hadn't missed the required double egg spoon toss combination.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

I went to as many events as I could at that worlds, including the "fan fest" area or whatever it was called, and I don't remember any mention of this. That doesn't mean it never happened, but I certainly would have gone to this if I'd known about it.

Gosh, I attended 2001 Worlds. Tickets practically sold out in a day.

The pavilion next door to GM Place had a reproduction kiss and cry stand, too.

 

[pat c]

I went to as many events as I could at that worlds, including the "fan fest" area or whatever it was called, and I don't remember any mention of this. That doesn't mean it never happened, but I certainly would have gone to this if I'd known about it.

I looked through my media guide and all the other junk I kept, and I don't see anything to do with a small medal presentation. But I have bells ringing in my mind - something to do with a pairs thing out in the fan fest area. But I don't know if it was an autograph signing or something in that line.

 

[honey]

I looked through my media guide and all the other junk I kept, and I don't see anything to do with a small medal presentation. But I have bells ringing in my mind - something to do with a pairs thing out in the fan fest area. But I don't know if it was an autograph signing or something in that line.

I recall the pairs outside as well. They were all presented with jackets I think? I had thought the small medals for the FS were presented then as well, but maybe I am mistaken.

 

[barbk]

I recall the pairs outside as well. They were all presented with jackets I think? I had thought the small medals for the FS were presented then as well, but maybe I am mistaken.

I remember those jackets, and Irina with an expression wondering exactly how big they thought female figure skaters were? (The jackets drowned Kwan, Slutskaya and Hughes.)

 

[mysticchic]

I don't know the answer but does anyone recall when the first public ceremony was held for the awarding of ISU small medals for the FS/FD? I remember them happening at 2009 Worlds in Los Angeles. Did they take place earlier?

Relevant excerpt from Rule 134 in ISU Constitution and General Regulations 2016:

3. Award of medals [ISU Championships: Worlds, Europeans, Four Continents, Junior Worlds]
...
f) In Figure Skating the Referee shall present after the completion of each segment (Short Program and Free Skating for Ladies, Men, Pairs and in Synchronized Skating and Short Dance and Free Dance for Ice Dance) a small ISU gold medal to the winner of each event and small silver and bronze medals to the second and third in each discipline, but no anthem shall be played or flags hoisted. The ceremony cannot be held on the ice and/or in the kiss and cry area.

i know they gave out small medals back in the 50s. A lady down the street I grew up on had small medals from the Os and worlds for winning the FS.

 

[SmallFairy]

I went to Worlds in 1999 and Euros from 2001-2005... Back then we went to every practice, every competition, everything possible, one year we even went to the skaters party, but I can't recall any talk about small medals ceremony, nor can I find any info about it in the detailed schedules from back then. But of course, it could have taken place at some draw or something, that was not public? I will not say it was not small medals those years for sure...

 

[Skate Talker]

The first time I actually heard about the existence of small medals was when it a mentioned that Kurt Browning had won a small medal for his Free Skate at 1988 Worlds, the year he completed the first ratified quad. The way it was mentioned made it obvious the small medals were not something new but no specific info was given.

 

[vesperholly]

I went to Worlds in 1999 and Euros from 2001-2005... Back then we went to every practice, every competition, everything possible, one year we even went to the skaters party, but I can't recall any talk about small medals ceremony, nor can I find any info about it in the detailed schedules from back then. But of course, it could have taken place at some draw or something, that was not public? I will not say it was not small medals those years for sure...

I believe they are usually done right before the press conference, so possibly not open to the public.

 

[VGThuy]

I remember seeing Kwan with her small SP and LP medals at 2005 Worlds because it must have felt weird for Kwan to be collecting bronze medals for both the SP and the LP at the competition and yet still place 4th overall and see Kostner collect the real bronze medal. Of course, the qualifying rounds were part of the total score back then so I'm sure it has happened before.

 

[tony]

2001 Worlds definitely had small medal ceremonies. It was either Blades on Ice or more likely IFS Magazine that had a pic of Kwan, Slutskaya, and Butyrskaya (who was 4th overall) receiving their LP small medals.

 

[Coco]

It's hilarious that I remember this but I recall talk of Michelle Kwan showing up to a medal ceremony in Vancouver wearing red leather pants.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

The first time I actually heard about the existence of small medals was when it a mentioned that Kurt Browning had won a small medal for his Free Skate at 1988 Worlds, the year he completed the first ratified quad. The way it was mentioned made it obvious the small medals were not something new but no specific info was given.

I believe he talks about it in his autobiography, too.

Back in the day, there was a combined freestyle standing for the short and long. So maybe the reasoning was, small medals were introduced for skaters who were better freestyle skaters than figures specialists, too.

 

[skatesindreams]

Small medals have existed since at least the 1970's.

Toller Cranston was World Free Skating Champion 3 times during his career (combined SP and FP results).
I'm sure he isn't the only example; and that those medals are cherished by those who earned/have them!

 

[UGG]

So I guess Ashley must have a few small Worlds LP medals in addition to her overall silver? Wasn’t she 3rd in the LP in 2012 and 2015? And Gracie was well, I think her LP was 2nd in 2015 and she won the short program in 2016.

 

[skatingfan5]

So I guess Ashley must have a few small Worlds LP medals in addition to her overall silver? Wasn’t she 3rd in the LP in 2012 and 2015? And Gracie was well, I think her LP was 2nd in 2015 and she won the short program in 2016.

Yes, Ashley has two LP bronze small medals (and a silver one too) in addition to her 2016 podium finish.