Europe’s top figure skaters gather early in the New Year for the 2024 European Championships in Kaunas, Lithuania which is hosting the event for the first time.

When is it on?

The European Championships begin Wednesday, 10 January with the pairs short programme and conclude Sunday, 14 January with the exhibition gala.

Who is skating?

Adam Siao Him Fa (FRA) is the reigning European champion and earlier this season became the first European man to exceed 300 points in a competition at Grand Prix de France. Aside from a fourth place finish at last month’s Grand Prix Final, the Frenchman is otherwise undefeated in 2023/2024. Kevin Aymoz (FRA) has been his usual mercurial self this season. He qualified for the Grand Prix Final, but wound up a very distant sixth and then only placed seventh at French Nationals. Who knows if he will finally bag a European medal in Kaunas? 2023 medallists Matteo Rizzo (ITA) and Lukas Britschgi (SUI) are also back again as is 2022 bronze medallist Deniss Vasiljevs (LAT).

Loena Hendrickx (BEL) once more comes into the European Championships as the overwhelming favourite. Last year in Espoo, Finland the weight of expectation clearly affected her and even though she won her first European medal her performance was clearly a personal disappointment. There might be another Belgian woman joining Hendrickx on the podium. Nina Pinzarrone (BEL) qualified for the Grand Prix Final for the first time this season where she finished fourth. Defending champion Anastasiia Gubanova (GEO) has been having a subpar season and could only manage sixth place at each of her Grand Prix assignments. Having said that the Georgian is coming into Europeans with the fourth highest total score in 2023/2024 so a podium place again is not beyond the realms of possibility. 2023 bronze medallist Kimmy Repond (SUI) will be attempting to repeat her success once more.

The pairs event is set to be a battle between Germany and Italy. Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin (GER) are only in their first season together competing internationally, but were crowned Grand Prix Final champions last month in China. The Germans edged out Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii (ITA) in Beijing by less than a point and the defending champions will no doubt be keen to reverse that result and retain their title. Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava (GEO) dominated at the Junior Grand Prix Final winning by more than 30 points and could become the first Georgian pair to medal at Europeans. 2023 silver medallists Rebecca Ghilardi and Filippo Ambrosini (ITA) and 2023 bronze medallists Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel (GER) will also be in contention to step onto the podium.

Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri (ITA) became only the third team from Italy to win a European ice dance title last year. The Italians then went on to pick up a silver medal at Worlds and also took silver at the Grand Prix Final last month. The surprise of the season occurred at NHK Trophy when Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson (GBR) defeated Guignard and Fabbri. Technical errors at the Grand Prix Final prevented the British from showing if their victory had been a one-off. It will be fascinating to see how things will play out in Kaunas this weekend. Local fans will be hoping that Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius (LTU) can capture a medal which would be the first for Lithuania since 2006. Standing in their way will be 2023 bronze medallists Juulia Turkkila and Matthias Versluis (FIN).

Everything you need to know (and some things you did not) about the skaters, the competition schedule and results can be viewed here.

When is the skating on?

Morning till the afternoon in North America, lunchtime till evening in Europe and evening till early morning in Asia. The times listed for the European Championships are local and if you want to know what the time difference is between where you are and Kaunas then this link is your friend.

Where can I watch the pretty skaters?

This season’s European Championships can be viewed on the Skating ISU YouTube channel. Geographic restrictions apply.

What are the hashtags?

#EuroFigure #FigureSkating