A Complete History of the World Figure Skating Championships

by Ryan Stevens

A comprehensive encyclopedia of the World Figure Skating Championships.

This book offers a complete statistical record of fascinating facts, figures and firsts from the World Figure Skating Championships. Beautiful black and white photographs of legendary champions are interspersed with
detailed and accurate results from the World Championships, going back to the 19th Century.

Arranged in a year-by-year chronology, A Complete History of the World Figure Skating Championships is a must-have historical reference book for any figure skating fan.

Genres: Figure Skating, Nonfiction

421 pages, Paperback

First published November 18, 2025

About the author

Award-winning author Ryan Stevens is a respected authority on figure skating history. For over a decade, his popular blog Skate Guard has attracted thousands of readers worldwide. Midwest Book Review describes his work as "informative, lively, and scholarly."

Ryan has contributed to Skating magazine and U.S. Figure Skating, and his expertise has been sought by museums and broadcasters, including CBC, NBC and ITV. He is the author of Jackson Haines: The Skating King and Barbara Ann Scott: Queen of the Ice.

Ryan lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. You can follow his blog Skate Guard on Facebook @SkateGuard and Instagram @SkateGuardBlog.

For more information about Ryan and his books, visit http://www.skateguardblog.com

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, A Complete History of the World Figure Skating Championships, by Ryan Stevens, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book starts in the 1800 to present day listing the world Championship winners, thru out the years. I thought this was a good read, thought it was a little dry with just listing the winners.

[Mbhabibti · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more a compilation of records than a narrative story. I think it would make a fantastic coffee table or reference book for any avid figure skating fan, and I’d love to add it to my physical library for that reason.

I do wish there had been more photos alongside the results and brief descriptive paragraphs. That said, now that I’ve discovered this author, I fully intend to explore more of his figure skating works.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this eARC!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This chronicles the World Championships from the 1880s to the present day. Each yearly section covers where the competition was held, the competitors in order of final rankings and any interesting or unusual facts about that particular event. There was quite limited detail overall, especially for the earlier years - though as the author states, information tends to be difficult to obtain before the more rigourous organisation of the competition came into play.

Contrary to what I expected, this book does not give a narrative of the organisation and logistics of this annual event, so don't expect any insider knowledge.

My favourite elements were the 'firsts' when mentioned (first triple jumps, first time a nation was represented/won medals etc) and spotting my favourite skaters from the past 15 years.

This is a decent quick reference guide for any hardcore skating fan.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Ryan Stevens for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I’m gearing up for figure skating season on TV and thought I’d enjoy a deep dive into the history of the World Figure Skating Championships. Included in this book (according to the publisher):

Comprehensive year-by-year results for all disciplines
Rare black-and-white photographs of legendary champions
Fascinating trivia, records, and “firsts” that shaped the evolution of figure skating
Historical insights that bring the sport’s greatest moments to life
This book shows the results of the competition from its inception in the 1890s to 2025. The results for the races are listed, and every once in a while, for the first 75 years or so, there’s an occasional comment about firsts, but there are scant details about the events beyond the weather. Most of the information gleaned came from a book published in 1970 that chronicled the past decades.

There’s no cohesive narrative to the books, just the standings for the most part. There’s a short paragraph when competitions were canceled, including WWI and WWII, as well as in 1961, when the entire US skating team was killed in an airplane crash on the way to the competition. Of course, as an American I knew about the crash, but I had no idea how many people were lost until I saw the list of names.

As I cruised through the years, the names on the lists became more and more familiar. I distinctly remember the 1976 Olympics and American Dorothy Hamill winning the gold medal. She won the world’s the same year as well. But my favorite skater of all-time was Michele Kwan. She won the world championship five times but never won an Olympic gold.

This book is fun to thumb through, but there’s definitely not an interlocking story.

[Angie F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up
A Complete History of the World Figure Skating Championships by Ryan Stevens is a reference book specifically dedicated to the world championships. It is due to be published on November 18, 2025. As a big figure skating fan, I was very excited to be approved for a digital advanced reader copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

As a big fan of figure skating, I really wanted to love this book. It was made clear from the beginning that this was a reference book and it is meant for people who know about skating. It is not for the casual fan. It does not go into a lot of detail, or define many terms. As mentioned in the introduction, this book expects that the reader is knowledgeable about figure skating.

The book goes through the history of the world championships, with an introduction for each decade. Every year that the championships are held has the full results printed in the book, with maybe a bit of trivia included as well. Being the first from a country to medal or being the first to land a jump is usually noted. While a lot of this was interesting to me and I learned several things I wasn't aware of, I feel like this section could have used more detail. I think too much of the book was taken up by the results, often without being given much context for them.

The scope of this book is very broad, so there isn't much room for detail in each year. I would have preferred a narrower scope with more information included. However, as a reference book for a figure skating aficionado, who needs to know who came in 15the place in the short program of a particular year, this may be the book for you.

Thank you once again to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book. I am very glad that more books are being published centering one of my favourite sports to watch.

[Phillippa Baran · Rating 5 out of 5]

A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE WORLD FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
A COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE EUROPEAN FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
By Ryan Stevens

When someone who loves figure skating with every fibre of his being decides to document history, the result is a truly remarkable pair of books. These important chronologies provide context, atmosphere, background, and detail and still manage to balance impeccable research with profound understanding and respect for the sport. Ryan Stevens is a force. He honours those who paved the way, set the standards, and achieved the firsts. His commentary between the documented records is informed and engaging. Even though, I am well aware of the lasting impact that my brother Toller Cranston had on figure skating, even though I stood by and watched as year after year a young skater was pilloried by the judges and embraced by the fans, it is still a shock, to see the actual records in black and white, so cold and impersonal. Very few skaters other than Toller ever recorded such a great disparity between their figures mark and their free skating marks. It was unheard of—especially back in those days when figures counted for sixty percent and one had to “wait one’s turn” as year by year they might inch toward the podium. There is triumph and tragedy behind the numbers. Thanks to Ryan, the stories comes to life and live on.

These books are assembled with extraordinary patience and diligence but they absolutely live and breathe because of the author. Plus Ryan Stevens writes really well.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this fact-heavy and well-researched book about the World Figure Skating Championships, Ryan Stevens brings decades of international skating competition history to life in this detailed title. Broken down by decade and year (and accounting for gaps in the record), the book tracks competitive figure skating through the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and offers tables, scores, rankings, photos, and more throughout the book. Chronologically organized and including details about external international politics and changes in the figure skating world, this book is absolutely packed with detail and well-researched in ways which die-hard skating fans will really appreciate. Readers will definitely appreciate Stevens’ knowledge on the topic and commitment to his craft, and it offers some fantastic details that will shed light onto the sport and the evolution of international competition. Perfect for readers already familiar with figure skating competitions and the nuances of the sport, this book requires some prerequisite knowledge that the average reader may not have, but it is still well-written and well-structured beyond the initial knowledge gap. Unique, detailed, and incredibly written, this is a complex research project successfully brought to the page by Stevens’ immersion in the sport and the fascinating and storied history of competitive international figure skating.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ryan Stevens for the advance copy.

[Kenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

As an ex-figure skater, it's something that still interests me to this day and I like to think I do a good job of keeping up. When I seen this book, immediately knew I had to pick it up. This is a full history of the world figure skating championships. It lists the results from beginning to now, as well as facts, records, and images.

This was definitely well put together. It was organized into sections, which I appreciated, and each year was clearly marked. I also really enjoyed the facts and tidbits of information- Even though I thought I was well versed in figure skating, there was a lot I didn't know, especially back in the early days of the championships. Canadian skaters are also bolded, making them easier to pick out. It was fun picking out the names I recognized and ones I hadn't previously heard of.

My biggest issue with this one was that 90% of the book was simply results being listed. While it's definitely great to have all the information in one place, and I think it would make a great reference book to own, it wasn't what I expected or wanted. I would have loved to see more facts and history included, espeically about specific skaters and different milestones/records. There is so much history surrounding the world figure skating championships and I feel like a lot of that was glossed over.

[Martina Frammartino · Rating 5 out of 5]

The past disappears if we don't remember it. The events, the names, the changes that led a recreational activity intended only for the elite of a very small number of countries to become a sport capable of captivating millions of people around the world are part of us, part of our history, but they are also something that risks disappearing if there is no one to tell them. If there are not people like Ryan Stevens who patiently, meticulously research the archives, material left behind because current events have continued to move forward. Thus, in A Complete History of the World Figure Skating Championships, Stevens traces the history of a competition born over a century ago, about which, for numerous editions, information is difficult to find, and the little that is easily found is woefully incomplete.
This book, like its companion, A Complete History of the European Figure Skating Championships, combines the accuracy of complete results with short texts that contextualize the results and highlight how the sport has changed. Therefore, these are not books to be read in one sitting, but rather precious reference tools for all figure skating lovers.

[Firetruckmama · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, for which I thank them.

“A Complete History of the World Figure Skating Championships” is a reference book by Ryan Stevens. If you are looking for an introduction to figure skating, don’t pick up this book (the introduction mentions this, so I’m not dissing the book in any way). I am more of a “I know a little bit about the world of figure skating, but it’s not my ride or die” fan - so I found this book interesting with some of the history, but wished it had been a bit less dry with longer descriptive paragraphs. However, that being said, this book isn’t just an almanac of figure skating winners - if a country metaled for the first time, that was noted in the text, and there are some photos, though I wished for more. The scope of this book is very broad, which I should’ve suspected from the title, which is great if you want to know who placed when (or are studying up your figure skating history for a pub game or general knowledge). This was a great book for what it was intended for and I think Mr. Stevens did a great job compiling into one place all this information.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quite the reference work, and I definitely want to add a hardcopy to my collection. (My review is of an E-ARC.) Besides listing the competitors at each World Championship (and the world level events held before there were official world championships) and their finishing order, there was information for each year about historic firsts (first quad jump, first medalist from Japan, etc.) as well as how world events shaped a particular competition (i.e. wars, COVID). There were photos as well.

Of course it was fun looking through the years since I've been a fan, but I found earlier years interesting as well. I found the very early history particularly interesting: women competing against men, Axel Paulsen as a speedskater, and gentlemen's pair skating (so that wasn't just a thing in Blades of Glory?!?). It was interesting to see and discern the story behind the statistics.

I would recommend this reference book to fans of skating who have an interest in the history of the sport.

Thank you to the author for the early read.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

[ARC received in exchange for my honest review]

A fascinating compilation of records that cover the history of the Figure Skating World Championships from it’s inception in the Edwardian Era through to the latest completions from 2025, this book is packed full of stats from all who competed in each year, to the results. With fun facts scattered throughout, including notes of who first represented their country and who won the first medal for countries throughout the years of competition, this book is perfect for lovers of all things figure skating.
Although feeling very heavy at the beginning when faced with long lists of names, I soon found the rhythm of the writing style and enjoyed picking out names of famous figure skaters I’d heard of through the years and learning more about them and the different variations of the competition format through the years.

A huge thank you to Ryan Stevens, Victiry Editing and Netgalley for the ARC opportunity

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is of an ARC of the book. This is a very important contribution to figure skating's written history. There is information in her about the early years of the World Championships that I've rarely ever been able to find elsewhere. Much of this information is also difficult to find online or in publicly available archives. Therefore, if you like and care about the sport, this is a must-have. I also hope media organizations who cover figure skating consider buying this and having it available for their journalists and researchers -- it will mitigate the about of false information broadcast during events.

[Mike Heenan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book is a quick run-down of the history of the World Figure Skating Championships - all the way from the beginning in the late 19th century. I appreciate the small blurbs that appeared throughout giving a bit more detail on what was happening but I think it could have used more of this and less of a repetitive tone.

If you are looking purely for a historical listing of results, this will be for you, but you won't learn a ton about figure skating on top of that.

[Ais · Rating 3 out of 5]

a dense and informative reference text - well-researched, more beneficial for those with established interest in figure skating as it is quite dry and newbies may find that a bit of a hurdle. that said, it is very accessible as it doesn't assume readers will have pre-existing knowledge in the field. fulfils its purpose well!

(there is a companion text to this entitled A Complete History of the European Figure Skating Championships which I have reviewed identically, as they are formatted in the same way and serve the same purpose for different competitions).

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as a copy to review, and enjoyed it.
It is not a story, it is more along the lines of an encyclopedia of skating/skaters. Very well organized in my opinion and quite comprehensive.
The set gives you European and World history information.
If you love figure skating, I think this would be an excellent reference.

[Emma L · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who ice skated as a teenager in the UK, I have always been interested in the history. This book was detailed and it was surprising to see how the War impacted the competitions however I really enjoyed this read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy.

[Jarrett Connolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less of a history book, more of an almanac of statistics so if you’re into that? Perfect for you

[Carla Zanghellini · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find it interesting to delve into the history of the World Championships and follow their development, but I find it very odd that Canadian results are highlighted as if they were more important than others.
I like that important historical competitions like the Great International Skating Tournament in Vienna are mentioned.
I would have expected more images directly linked to the events, not scattered randomly, and featuring primarily renowned international figure skaters, as well as commentary and recognition that doesn't just focus on Canada.