2023-2024 Figure Skating Season in Review

We look back at our highlights from the ’23-’24 figure skating season, talk about the World’s exhibition gala, conjecture on possible retirements and team changes, examine the state of figure skating and FS fandom, and hand out our season-end Gold in Our Hearts awards.

 

The 2023-2024 figure skating season is over — now what?! Before we settle into the off-season, let’s recap some of the best moments of the season and dig into some thoughts on what’s to come in the sport we love.

Whether it was the Quad God Ilia Malinin claiming his first World title in World Record fashion, or the volatile rise of Adam Siao Him Fa, it’s easy to see why the men’s discipline has been probably the most exciting of the season.

The men from Japan alone proved they could have a competition as compelling as the World Championships with their two top men — the glorious Shoma Uno and sublime Yuma Kagiyama — leading a field of so many medal contenders its sad to see any get left off the World team.

Now that we’re halfway through the Olympic quadrennial, things are about to get even more interesting — and more serious for everyone. What may we see next year? Maybe the first quint? It’s very possible.

Outside of the men’s division, though, it’s been a great if unpredictable season for the women. Queen Kaori Sakamoto’s three-peat World victory was historic and not surprising, but many of the other women seemed to struggle to find their consistency this year.

However, the rise of Ava Marie Ziegler from the United States, Hana Yoshida from Japan, and Nina Pinzarrone of Belgium lit up the sport and gave us some enthusiasm for the future.

Also, after such an up and down year, it was heart-warming to see Isabeau Levito fight for her first World silver and remind us all that she’s a force in this sport.

The dance discipline held true to its standard of being the most predictable, with the same top teams from last season remaining on top. However, we saw some hints that a changing of the guard may soon be on the horizon.

For all our love of Chock & Bates, admiration of Gilles & Poirier, and awe at Guignard & Fabbri, we’re slowly starting to see a shift in Ice Dance that may lift teams like Lajoie & Lagha, Fear & Gibson, and maybe even Carreira & Ponomarenko to the podium. How that will rollout over the next season is TBD, but it’ll be interesting to watch.

Last but NEVER least, the pairs discipline saw the biggest emotional moment of the season with Deanna Stellato-Dudek & Maxime Deschamps finishing the season is storybook fashion by winning their first World title on home ice. Rarely have we seen a moment in the sport as inspiring as this one, and it will be remembered for years to come.

That said — outside of them, Japan’s Riku Miura & Ryuchi Kihara, Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase & Nikita Volodin, and several other notable top teams — the pairs discipline is where we hope to see the most improvement going into next year. There are many teams with potential, but few making big strides. We hope to see bigger and better — and just more — from them next season.

All in all, its been a great ride this year — and we cannot wait to see what you all have in store for us this fall!

Follow Scoreography:

• Website — https://scoreography.show
• Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/scoreography
• Threads — https://www.threads.net/@scoreography
• BlueSky — https://bsky.app/profile/scoreography.show