Sitting on the glistening Adriatic Sea, the city of Rimini, Italy will provide the perfect setting for the Artistic Skating portion of the 2024 World Skate Games.
From September 8th through 21st skaters from 41 countries will be on the quest for the title of World Champion. It will be two weeks of intense competition with 21 gold medals at stake at Rimini Fiera.
Nearly 1000 artistic skaters will soon arrive in Italy for the 68th time the world has gathered to see the best of the best. Some athletes will be looking to break World Record scores, other athletes will be looking for Personal Best but each and every skater will be proving why artistic skating is a sport not to be missed.
What to Look For: 2024 World Skate Games
In Free Skating expect new faces on the podium. With the retirement of both the 2023 Senior Mens and Ladies World Champions there will be fierce battles to see who ends up holding the title of the best in the world. Hector Diez of Spain, currently ranked #1, is fresh off a gold medal win at Europeans in Senior Men. In Senior Ladies look for a completely new podium. After a spectacular first place finish at the Artistic International Series Yené Soro of Ivory Coast is on the radar to bring home a medal for the continent of Africa. Scores could skyrocket in the Free Skating events. Currently #1 in the World Skate Rankings Madalena Costa of Portugal is eyeing to defend her Junior Ladies Free Skating World Champion title with big numbers. In recent years triple/triple jump combinations have become the norm in the Junior and Senior events adding great numbers to the technical scores. In the Inline Free Skating events await to be dazzled by these unique skaters. It is in these events the country of Moldova will be making its artistic skating debut at a World Championship.
There is no doubt that the host country of Italy is planning to continue their longstanding legacy as the best Pairs skaters on earth. However in sport anything can happen. With the resurgence of pairs in the Americas, all the athletes will fight for every point with a goal of a podium step. Pairs events are special. It is during these moments where unison, skill and art combine. Defending World Champions Alice Esposito and Federico Rossi of Italy are looking to delight the hometown audience with their exceptional engaging talent and high flying elements. With Pairs anything is possible as the boundaries seem limitless as these dedicated skaters reach the sky.
Solo Dance will bring technique, flair and incredible competitions. Throughout the season there have been mere fractions of a single point separating the winners in the Senior Ladies events. Defending 2023 Senior Ladies Champion of Italy Roberta Sasso will join in a battle for medals with Spain, Brazil, Paraguay and more. For the Men it will be power, drama and speed in the elements. In Senior Men former World Champion and #1 in the World Skate Rankings Brayan Carreño of Colombia and former Junior World Champion Gherardo Altieri of Italy will mix with new faces proving why they belong among the best in the world. Will it be a step, a thought or an emotion that leads the skaters to the podium? Competition will be intense and the audience will be on the edges of their seats to see what flags will wave. Sasso and Altieri will also be looking to defend their title in Senior Couples Dance.
Couples Dance will take the audience and judges places they have never been before. With exquisite beauty, these events will be a display of complex technique, elements bordering near perfection with choreography and partnership that will blow the minds. In Junior Couples it is #1 Ranked and defending World Champions Jeshua Felleco and Maria Muñoz of Colombia hoping for a repeat. Felleco is also #1 Ranked in Junior Mens Solo Dance. If the season is any indication it is clear to see the level of the field is rising. Take note of the Allegranti brothers of Italy in the dance events. Raoul and Yuri will be competing in three events in Rimini, hoping to medal in all.
Show, Quartet and Precision events will be where theatre comes to life. These events delight. This is where dreams become a reality. Costuming, music and splendid choreography let stories play out on the skating floor. The energy will burst through the Fiera de Rimini in ways not thought possible.
“The World Skate Games will be an outstanding competition. I am proud to say we are reaching a historic high with 41 countries competing. Seeing artistic skating reach around the globe is very important. It will be two weeks of exceptional competition,” said Nicola Genchi, Chair of the World Skate Artistic Technical Committee.
Artistic Skating is perhaps one of the most unique sports in the World. It is an extraordinary blend of highly skilled athletes with unparalleled art. Heroes and legends always emerge from a World Championship and the 2024 book is waiting to be written with their names.
This is sport and in sport there are no guarantees. One thing is for certain, the athletes are ready. Emotions will be high, nerves will be tense and the skaters will be ready. Ready to show the thousands of hours of work they have been putting in on and off the floor to show why they belong at the 2024 World Skate Games.
Get ready for it!
Competition kicks off Sunday, September 8th at 17:30 CET with Junior and Senior Inline Short Programs at Rimini Fiera.