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Finland will host for the first time a Challenger Series event


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The Challenger Series' stage will be held in the Gatorade Center in Turku. (Credits: Google Street View)

The city of Turku, located in south-western Finland, will host next January a Challenger Series competition. This will be the first time that this country, which nevertheless figures in the World Top of Synchronized Skating, will organized this kind of event.

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For the first time, the International Skating Federation (ISU) has awarded Finland a stage of the next Challenger Series competition. Up to 900 figure skaters will gather in Turku from 14 to 17 January 2021.

Who will organize the event?

The event will be hosted by the Finnish Figure Skating Association and the Figure Skating Club of Kaarina.

"It is great that the ISU gave such an important competition to the Finnish Figure Skating Association. We are also happy that we can bring the event to Turku and that we will receive local assistance in our arrangements," said Laura Raitio, president of the Finnish Figure Skating Association.

Salla Sergelius, the chairman of the Figure Skating Club of Kaarina, is also pleased with the arrival of such competitions in Finland. "We will create a high-level framework for the world's top teams and for this competition. This is also a good occasion to show our beautiful city of Turku!"

Famous synchro teams come from Turku

Founded in 2003, Kaarina Figure Skating Skates has about 350 skaters, and half of whom skate in Kaarina and Paimio. The club has a total of seven synchro teams, two competing in Beginners (Mini Edges and Little Edges), one in Novices (Sparkle Edges), one in Juvenile (Golden Edges), one in Advanced Novices (Diamond Edges), one in Juniors (Dream Edges) and one in the Adult division (Vintage Edges).

"We want to develop as a club in organizing competitions and raise the level of activity by making bigger and more relevant events," Salla Sergelius continues.

Up to 11,000 seats in the Gatorade Center

About 30 teams are expected to compete in Turku. The crowd is expected to fill the Gatorade Center, which will be set as a competitive arena. 

"It is great that the event is organized in good partnership with the local club and the Finnish Figure Skating Association. The top-level competition will be perfect in the middle of the Turku winter season and will have a lot of positive effects on the economy for the whole region," added Antti Kirkkola, from the city of Turku.

Although Finland remains one of the countries with the highest number of synchronized skating teams, there is no tradition in hosting such international synchronized skating events.

So, this event will be historic! Let’s hope that by then the coronavirus has stopped its spread so that the world of sport can again allow the organization of events.

Check out the other stages of the Challenger Series 2020-21