Rimini ready to shine: The 2024 World Skate Games of Artistic Skating kick off

Sitting on the sparkling Adriatic Sea, the city of Rimini, Italy, will provide the perfect setting for the Artistic Skating section of the 2024 World Skate Games.

From September 8 to 21, skaters from 41 countries will compete for the title of World Champion. It will be two weeks of intense competition with 21 gold medals at stake at the Rimini Fiera.

Nearly 1,000 artistic skaters will soon arrive in Italy for the 68th time the world gathers to witness the best of the best. Some athletes will try to break world records, others will aim for personal bests, but every skater will show why artistic skating is a sport not to be missed.

What to Expect: 2024 World Skate Games

In Free Skating, we can expect new faces on the podium. With both the 2023 Men’s and Women’s Senior World Champions retired, fierce battles will determine who will end up holding the title of best in the world. Hector Diez of Spain, currently ranked No.1, comes fresh off a gold medal at the European Championships in Men’s Senior. In Women’s Senior, expect a completely new podium. After a spectacular first place at the Artistic International Series, Yené Soro of Côte d’Ivoire is among the contenders to bring home a medal for the African continent. Scores could skyrocket in the Free Skating events. Currently No.1 in the World Skate Ranking, Madalena Costa of Portugal aims to defend her Junior Women’s Free Skating World Champion title with high scores. In recent years, triple/triple jump combinations have become the norm in both Junior and Senior events, adding big numbers to the technical scores. In the Inline Free Skating events, we expect to be dazzled by these unique skaters. It will be in these events that Moldova will make its artistic skating debut at a World Championship.

There’s no doubt the host country, Italy, is planning to continue its long-standing tradition as the best pair skaters in the world. However, in sports, anything can happen. With the resurgence of pairs skating in the Americas, all athletes will fight for every point with the goal of reaching the podium. Pair events are special. It is during these moments that unison, skill, and artistry come together. Current World Champions Alice Esposito and Federico Rossi of Italy aim to delight the home crowd with their exceptional talent and flying elements. With Pairs, anything is possible, as limits seem non-existent and these dedicated skaters reach for the sky.

The Solo Dance will bring technique, style, and incredible competitions. Throughout the season, margins of fractions of a point separated the winners in the Women’s Senior events. Reigning 2023 Senior Women’s Champion Roberta Sasso of Italy will enter the medal battle with Spain, Brazil, Paraguay, and others. For the men, it will be power, drama, and speed in the elements. In Men’s Senior, former World Champion and currently No.1 in the World Skate Rankings, Brayan Carreño of Colombia, and former Junior World Champion Gherardo Altieri of Italy will mix with new faces showing why they deserve to be among the best in the world. Will it be a step, a thought, or an emotion that brings the skaters to the podium? The competition will be fierce, and the audience will be on the edge of their seats to see which flags will wave. Sasso and Altieri will also look to defend their title in the Senior Couples Dance.

The Couples Dance will take the audience and judges to places they’ve never seen before. With exquisite beauty, these events will be a display of complex technique, near-perfect elements with breathtaking choreography and partnerships. In Junior Couples, reigning World Champions and No.1-ranked Jeshua Felleco and Maria Muñoz of Colombia hope for a repeat. Felleco is also ranked No.1 in Junior Men’s Solo Dance. If the season is any indication, it’s clear the level of the field is rising. Keep an eye on the Allegranti brothers of Italy in the dance events. Raoul and Yuri will compete in three events in Rimini, hoping to medal in all.

The Show, Quartet, and Precision events will be when the theater comes to life. These events will delight the audience. This is where dreams become reality. Costumes, music, and stunning choreography will bring stories to life on the skating floor. Energy will explode through the Rimini Fiera in ways that were never thought possible.

“The World Skate Games will be an extraordinary competition. I’m proud to say we are reaching a historic milestone with 41 countries competing. Seeing artistic skating spread around the world is very important. It will be two weeks of exceptional competition,” said Nicola Genchi, Chairman of the World Skate Artistic Technical Committee.

Artistic Skating is perhaps one of the most unique sports in the world. It is an extraordinary fusion of highly skilled athletes with unparalleled artistry. 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 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’ve dedicated on and off the rink to prove why they deserve to be at the 2024 World Skate Games.

Get ready!

The competition will begin on Sunday, September 8, at 5:30 PM CET with the Junior and Senior Inline Short Programs at Rimini Fiera.