Viktoria Helgesson

Viktoria Helgesson
Personal information
Full name Viktoria Helgesson
Country represented  Sweden
Born September 13, 1988 (1988-09-13) (age 23)
Tibro
Height 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)
Coach Regina Jensen
Christina Helgesson
Choreographer Susanne Seger
Catarina Lindgren
Skating club Tibro KK
Current training locations Tibro, Skara, Lidköping, Chicago, Boston
Began skating 1991
World standing 14 (As of 16 June 2011 (2011 -06-16))[1]
Season's bests 31 (2010–2011)[2]
19 (2009–2010)[3]
73 (2008–2009)[4]
ISU personal best scores
Combined total 161.79
2010 Worlds
Short program 56.32
2010 Worlds
Free skate 105.47
2010 Worlds

Viktoria Helgesson (born September 13, 1988 in Tibro, Sweden) is a Swedish figure skater. She is a four-time (2008–2011) Nordic champion, 2011 Skate America bronze medalist, and six-time (2007–2011) Swedish national champion. Viktoria's 6th place at the 2011 European Championships is the best finish by a Swedish figure skater since 1932.[5] Her bronze medal at 2011 Skate America is the first Grand Prix medal by a Swedish skater.[6]

Contents

Career

Helgesson began skating at the age of three, following in the footsteps of her mother, a former competitive skater who competed at the European Championships. She and her younger sister Joshi are both coached by their mother.[7][8] At the age of 12, she landed her first triple jump.

Helgesson competed at the 2004 World Junior Championships, where she came in 22nd. In 2007, she won the Swedish national title for the first time at the senior level. She again competed at Junior Worlds, finishing 28th.

In 2008, Helgesson made her European Championships and World Championships debut, and came in 18th at both events. She improved upon her result at the 2009 European Championships, but failed to qualify for the free skate at that season's Worlds, and was thus unable to qualify an Olympic berth for Sweden.

In 2010, Helgesson finished 11th at the Europeans. Two months later, she improved her personal best by 19 points to finish tenth at Worlds.[9] She consequently received two Grand Prix assignments in the 2010-11 season, the first of her career; she finished 9th at the 2010 NHK Trophy and 6th at that season's Skate America. She medalled at two international events, the 2010 Nebelhorn Trophy and the 2010 Merano Cup, and improved to 6th at the Europeans, the best finish by a Swedish figure skater since 1932.[5] She was 17th at Worlds.

Helgesson began the 2011-12 season at the 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy, where she finished 5th. In October 2011, she won the bronze medal at the 2011 Skate America, her first medal at a Grand Prix event, as well as the first by any Swedish skater.[6] She is also assigned to the 2011 Trophee Eric Bompard.[10]

Programs

Season Short program Free skating
2011–2012 My Funny Valentine
performed by Ahn Trio
Sunset Boulevard
by Andrew Lloyd Webber
2010–2011 Fuori Dal Mondo
from This Is England
by Ludovico Einaudi

Nessun dorma
from Turandot
Giacomo Puccini
The Drummer
by Trey Lee
Sad Romance
by Thao Nguyen Xanh
August Rhapsody
from August Rush
by Mark Mancina
2009–2010 Fuori Dal Mondo
from This Is England
by Ludovico Einaudi
One Moment in Time
by Albert Hammond & John Bettis
performed by Vanessa-Mae

Finale di un concerto interotto per violin
from Canone Inverso
by Ennio Morricone
2007–2008 The Rose
(Bette Midler soundtrack)

Competitive highlights

Post-2007

Event 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12
World Championships 18th 27th 10th 17th
European Championships 18th 14th 11th 6th
Swedish Championships 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st
Nordic Championships 1st 1st 1st 1st
Skate America 6th 3rd
NHK Trophy 9th
Trophée Eric Bompard 5th
International Challenge Cup 5th 1st
Coupe de Nice 8th
Finlandia Trophy 11th 9th
Golden Spin of Zagreb 5th
Karl Schäfer Memorial 5th
Merano Cup 5th 1st
Nebelhorn Trophy 2nd 5th
NRW Trophy 10th 1st
Junior Grand Prix, Bulgaria 4th
Junior Grand Prix, Austria 8th

Pre-2007

Event 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07
World Junior Championships 22nd 28th
Swedish Championships 1st J. 3rd J. 2nd 1st
Nordic Championships 2nd J. 6th J. 6th
Coupe de Nice 3rd
Junior Grand Prix, Slovakia 16th
Junior Grand Prix, Germany 17th
Junior Grand Prix, Hungary 14th
Junior Grand Prix, Czech Republic 12th
Gardena Spring Trophy 4th J.
Mladost Trophy 5th J.
Copenhagen Trophy 1st J. 5th J.
Golden Bear of Zagreb 4th J.
J. = Junior level

References

  1. ^ "ISU World Standings for Single & Pair Skating and Ice Dance : Ladies". International Skating Union. June 16, 2011. http://www.isuresults.com/ws/ws/wsladies.htm. Retrieved June 17, 2011 2011. 
  2. ^ "ISU Judging System – Season Bests Total Scores 2010/2011 : Ladies". International Skating Union. April 30, 2011. http://www.isuresults.com/isujsstat/sb2010-11/sbtslto.htm. Retrieved June 17, 2011. 
  3. ^ "ISU Judging System – Season Bests Total Scores 2009/2010 : Ladies". International Skating Union. March 27, 2010. http://www.isuresults.com/isujsstat/sb2009-10/sbtslto.htm. Retrieved June 17, 2011. 
  4. ^ "ISU Judging System – Season Bests Total Scores 2008/2009 : Ladies". International Skating Union. April 18, 2009. http://www.isuresults.com/isujsstat/sb2008-09/sbtslto.htm. Retrieved June 17, 2011. 
  5. ^ a b Björn, Thomas (February 9, 2011). "Viktoria Helgesson laddar inför the Nordics med nya skridskor [Viktoria Helgesson gears up for the Nordics with new skates]" (in Swedish). Swedish Figure Skating Association. http://iof2.idrottonline.se/SvenskaKonstakningsforbundet/Media/Nyhetsarkiv/ViktoriaHelgessonladdarinfortheNordicsmednyaskridskor/. Retrieved October 27, 2011. 
  6. ^ a b Rutherford, Lynn (October 23, 2011). "Czisny edges Kostner for first Skate America title". Icenetwork. http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20111023&content_id=25765796&vkey=ice_news. Retrieved October 24, 2011. 
  7. ^ Mittan, Barry (March 18, 2008). "Following in Her Mothers’ Footsteps". SkateToday. http://www.skatetoday.com/2008/03/18/following-in-her-mothers-footsteps/. Retrieved August 6, 2011. 
  8. ^ Jangbro, Eva Maria (April 26, 2011). "The Helgesson sisters Viktoria and Joshi: Alike but Different". AbsoluteSkating. http://absoluteskating.com/index.php?cat=interviews&id=2011thehelgessons. Retrieved May 4, 2011. 
  9. ^ Kondakova, Anna (March 27, 2010). "Asada recaptures World title". Golden Skate. http://www.goldenskate.com/2010/03/asada-recaptures-world-title/. Retrieved October 27, 2011. 
  10. ^ Jangbro, Eva Maria (October 23, 2011). "Viktoria Helgesson: "Why not try something new"". Absolute Skating. http://absoluteskating.com/index.php?cat=interviews&id=2011vhelgesson. Retrieved October 27, 2011. 

External links