History
The men's singles European championship first took place in Hamburg in 1891, while the ladies' singles and pair skating European championships started in Vienna in 1930. The ice dancing championship was held for the first time in Bolzano in 1954.
The skating association of Germany and Austria joined in one club "Deutscher und Österrreichischer Eislaufverband" organised the first European Championships in figure skating as well as in speed skating in Hamburg, German Empire in 1891 even before the International Skating Union (ISU) was found. The ISU decided in 1892 to continue to hold European Championships in figure skating each year. 1895 it was decided to hold World Championships instead of Europeans. Therefore the Europeans were discontinued until 1898.
Up until 1948, skaters representing any ISU Member could enter the European Championships. After Canadian Barbara Ann Scott and American Dick Button won the singles titles that year, entries were restricted to skaters representing European countries. At the time, the North American Figure Skating Championships existed as a North Americans-only senior-level competition. This competition was contested for the last time in 1971. The Four Continents Figure Skating Championships was established by the ISU in 1999 as the equivalent competition for skaters from non-European countries.
Read more about this topic: European Figure Skating Championships
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“As History stands, it is a sort of Chinese Play, without end and without lesson.”
—Henry Brooks Adams (1838–1918)
“While the Republic has already acquired a history world-wide, America is still unsettled and unexplored. Like the English in New Holland, we live only on the shores of a continent even yet, and hardly know where the rivers come from which float our navy.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“The second day of July 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more”
—John Adams (1735–1826)