The International Challenge Cup is an annual figure skating competition, organized by the Royal Dutch Skating Federation (Dutch: Koninklijke Nederlandsche Schaatsenrijders Bond) and held at the IJssportcentrum Tilburg in Tilburg, Netherlands. Originally known as the Ennia Challenge Cup, the first installment was held in Heerenveen in 1976, and featured only an event for women. The following year, the competition relocated to The Hague, and in addition to the men's, women's, and ice dance events, it featured a team award. The competition in 1984 was the last for many years. It returned in 2007, and since 2017, the Dutch Figure Skating Championships have been contested as part of the International Challenge Cup; the top Dutch competitors are then recognized as the Dutch national champions.
Medals are awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance at the senior and junior levels, although each discipline may not necessarily be held every year due to a lack of participants. Brian Joubert of France holds the record for winning the most titles in men's singles (with two), while four skaters are tied for winning the most titles in women's singles (also with two each): Rika Kihira of Japan, Carolina Kostner of Italy, Kaori Sakamoto of Japan, and Katarina Witt of East Germany. Three teams are tied for winning the most titles in pair skating (with two each): Sara Conti and Niccolò Macii of Italy, Larisa Selezneva and Oleg Makarov of the Soviet Union, and Irina Vorobieva and Igor Lisovsky of the Soviet Union. Loïcia Demougeot and Théo le Mercier of France hold the record in ice dance (with three).
History
Originally known as the Ennia Challenge Cup, the first installment of this competition was held in November 1976 at the Thialf in Heerenveen. It was sponsored by the Heerenveen Figure Skating Club and the Ennia insurance company, and was a competition only for women. Eleven women representing Australia, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, West Germany, as well as the Netherlands, competed. Jel Geldof, secretary of the Heerenveen Figure Skating Club, explained that Ennia wanted to sponsor the competition in order to give figure skating more prominence in the Netherlands. However, as planning began late, it was not included on the calendar of the International Skating Union, and it was too late for many nations, especially those in the Eastern Bloc, to schedule their skaters.[1] Though the competition was considered a success, Ennia made certain demands in exchange for their continued sponsorship: the competition in 1997 had to be expanded to include the men's and pairs events, be placed on the official ISU calendar and scheduled such that it didn't conflict with the Richmond Trophy in Great Britain, and it had to attract top-tier skaters, including those from Eastern Europe.[2]
In 1977, the Ennia Challenge Cup was relocated to The Hague. Herman van Laer, chairman of the Royal Dutch Skating Federation, cited Dianne de Leeuw as the source of inspiration for a resurgence of interest in skating in the Netherlands, and hoped to capitalize on that with an international skating competition. It was the first such competition in Dutch history. In addition to events in men's singles, women's singles, and ice dance, a special event was staged on the last day of the competition, where team members from the different disciplines competed together to accumulate points based on their performances.[3]
Due to a request from the ISU, the Ennia Challenge Cup omitted compulsory figures and compulsory dances from the competition beginning in 1978. The ISU explained that the omission was a trial experiment to help guide future decision-making.[4] Compulsory figures were discontinued internationally after the 1990 World Figure Skating Championships.[5] At the 1978 competition, Denise Biellmann of Switzerland, winner of the women's event, had her name given to a new strain of tulip, and a bouquet of her namesake tulips was presented to her by Queen Juliana of the Netherlands.[6]
In 1983, Ennia announced a merger with AGO to form Aegon; the competition was renamed the Aegon Challenge Cup.[7] However, the 1984 event was the last for several years. The competition – now called the International Challenge Cup – returned in 2007, and instead of being held in the fall, it was now held in the spring. It also featured events for junior-level skaters, but did not include the team event.[8] Since 2017, the Dutch Figure Skating Championships have been held in conjunction with the International Challenge Cup, and the top Dutch competitors are recognized as the Dutch national champions.[9] In 2023, the competition was relocated to Tilburg.[10]
Senior medalists
Men's singles
Women's singles
Pairs
Ice dance
Team event
Junior medalists
Men's singles
Women's results
Pairs
Junior pairs' event medalists
| Year
|
Location
|
Gold
|
Silver
|
Bronze
|
Ref.
|
| No junior pairs competitions prior to 2012
|
| 2012
|
The Hague
|
|
|
|
[21]
|
| 2013
|
No junior-level competition held
|
[22]
|
| 2014
|
- Jessica Lee
- Robert Hennings
|
|
|
[23]
|
| 2015
|
|
|
- Gabriella Marvaldi
- Cody Dolkiewicz
|
[24]
|
| 2016
|
No competition held
|
[20]
|
| 2017–18
|
No junior pairs competitions
|
| 2019
|
|
No other competitors
|
[27]
|
| 2020–22
|
No junior pairs competitions
|
| 2023
|
Tilburg
|
|
|
- Katalin Janne Salatzki
- Lukas Röseler
|
[10]
|
| 2024
|
|
No other competitors
|
[31]
|
| 2025
|
- Romane Télémaque
- Lucas Coulon
|
- Sofia Jarmoc
- Luke Witkowski
|
- Elizabeth Hansen
- William Church
|
[32]
|
| 2026
|
|
- Anita Mapelli
- Noah Quesada Grau
|
- Sofia Jarmoc
- Luke Witkowski
|
[33]
|
Ice dance
Junior ice dance event medalists
| Year
|
Location
|
Gold
|
Silver
|
Bronze
|
Ref.
|
| 2007
|
The Hague
|
No junior ice dance competitors
|
[8]
|
| 2008
|
- Kaylin Patitucci
- Karl Edelman
|
|
|
[18]
|
| 2009–22
|
No junior ice dance competitions
|
| 2023
|
Tilburg
|
- Ambre Perrier-Gianesi
- Samuel Blanc-Klaperman
|
- Sofiia Beznosikova
- Max Leleu
|
|
[10]
|
| 2024
|
- Beatrice Ventura
- Stefano Fransca
|
- Vittoria Petracchi
- Daniel Basile
|
- Enna Kesti
- Oskari Liedenpohja
|
[31]
|
| 2025
|
|
|
- Anita Straub
- Andreas Straub
|
[32]
|
| 2026
|
|
- Jasmine Robertson
- Chase Rohner
|
|
[33]
|
Records
Records
| Discipline
|
Most titles
|
| Skater(s)
|
No.
|
Years
|
Ref.
|
| Men's singles
|
|
2
|
2012–13
|
[43]
|
| Women's singles
|
|
2
|
2019–20
|
[44]
|
|
|
2012–13
|
[45]
|
|
|
2023–24
|
[46]
|
|
|
1981,
1983
|
[15]
[35]
|
| Pairs
|
|
2
|
2023–24
|
[47]
|
|
|
1982,
1984
|
[17]
|
|
|
1978–79
|
[12]
|
| Ice dance
|
|
3
|
2024–26
|
[48]
|
Cumulative medal count (senior medalists)
Men's singles
Women's singles
Pairs
Ice dance
Total medals
References
- ^ "Kunstrijtoernooi op „Thialf" met elf rijdsters" [Figure skating tournament at Thialf with eleven skaters]. Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 25 November 1976. p. 29. Retrieved 7 May 2026 – via Delpher.
Ennia wil er zeer intensief aan meewerken het kunstrijden in Nederland wat meer reliëf te geven. Ennia wil dat onder meer doen via het organiseren van 'n toernooi, dat voor vol wordt aangekeken door de internationale kunstrijwereld en 'n vaste plaats krijgt op de kalender van de International Skating Union, de ISU.
[Ennia is committed to working intensively to give figure skating in the Netherlands a higher profile. Ennia intends to achieve this, among other ways, by organizing a tournament that is highly regarded by the international figure skating community and secures a permanent place on the calendar of the International Skating Union (ISU).]{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
- ^ a b c d "Kunstrijdster Bibiana Pruyn wint Ennia Challenge-Cup" [Figure skater Bibiana Pruyn wins Ennia Challenge Cup]. Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 29 November 1976. p. 22. Retrieved 7 May 2026 – via Delpher.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
- ^ "Top kunstrijden present in Den Haag" [Top figure skaters present in The Hague]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 6 October 1977. p. 23. Retrieved 6 May 2026 – via Delpher.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
- ^ "Verplichte figuren afgeschaft bij strijd om Challenge Cup" [Compulsory figures abolished in battle for Challenge Cup]. Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). 28 October 1978. p. 19. Retrieved 7 May 2026 – via Delpher.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
- ^ Johnson, Susan A. (April 1991). "And then there were none" (PDF). Skating. pp. 11–17. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 May 2026. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ^ "People in sports". The Moncton Times. Vol. 102, no. 87. 20 November 1978. p. 16. Retrieved 6 May 2026 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d "Orser wereldtopper; Van Kampen faalde" [Orser a world-class performer; Van Kampen failed]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 14 November 1983. p. 21. Retrieved 6 May 2026 – via Delpher.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
- ^ a b c d e f "2007 Challenge Cup". Tracings. Archived from the original on 9 December 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ^ "Challenge Cup & NK Kunstschaatsen" [Challenge Cup & Dutch National Figure Skating Championships]. Royal Dutch Skating Federation (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 24 January 2026. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
Dit evenement wordt gecombineerd met het Nederlands Kampioenschap.
[This event is combined with the Dutch National Championships.]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "2023 Challenge Cup". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 18 August 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Ice Abroad" (PDF). Skating. Vol. 55, no. 1. January 1978. p. 13. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 March 2025. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
- ^ a b c d "Opmerkelijke kür Bielmann" [Bielmann's remarkable free skate]. De Volkskrant (in Dutch). 20 November 1978. p. 15. Retrieved 7 May 2026 – via Delpher.
- ^ "Forbes second". Victoria Times. Vol. 96, no. 135. 19 November 1979. p. 18. Retrieved 6 May 2026 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e Bass, Howard (February 1981). "Ice Abroad: U.S. Team Win Ennia Cup in The Hague" (PDF). Skating. Vol. 58, no. 2. pp. 4–6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 March 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
This fifth annual Ennia meeting...
- ^ a b c d e f Bass, Howard (January 1982). "Ice Abroad: Ennia Challenge Cup" (PDF). Skating. Vol. 59, no. 1. pp. 13–15. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 May 2026. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ^ a b c d e "Kunstrijden: De Challenge cup in Den Haag" [Figure skating: Challenge Cup in The Hague]. NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). 15 November 1982. p. 11. Retrieved 11 May 2026 – via Delpher.
- ^ a b c d e f "Ice Abroad" (PDF). Skating. Vol. 62, no. 1. January 1985. pp. 45–46. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ^ a b c d e "2008 Challenge Cup". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 5 February 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ^ a b c d "2009 Challenge Cup". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 22 May 2026. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Challenge Cup". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 22 May 2026. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ^ a b c d e "2012 Challenge Cup". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 22 May 2026. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f "2013 Challenge Cup". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 22 May 2026. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f "2014 Challenge Cup". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 22 May 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f "2015 Challenge Cup". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 22 May 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ^ a b c "2017 Challenge Cup". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ^ a b c d e "2018 Challenge Cup". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 22 May 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f "2019 Challenge Cup". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 5 February 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f "2020 Challenge Cup". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f "2021 Challenge Cup". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 9 November 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f "2022 Challenge Cup". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "2024 Challenge Cup". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 12 November 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "2025 Challenge Cup". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 17 August 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "2026 Challenge Cup". Skating Scores. Archived from the original on 7 May 2026. Retrieved 5 May 2026.
- ^ "De 16-jarige Renate Baierova uit Tsjechoslowakije heeft dit weekeinde de internationale kunstrijwedstrijden in de Uithof in Den Haag gewonnen" [16-year-old Renate Baierova from Czechoslovakia won the international figure skating competition at De Uithof in The Hague this weekend.]. De Waarheid (in Dutch). 19 November 1979. p. 6. Retrieved 22 May 2026 – via Delpher.
- ^ a b "Erfolg für Katarina Witt" [Success for Katarina Witt]. Neues Deutschland (in German). Vol. 38, no. 268. 14 November 1983. p. 7. Retrieved 6 May 2026 – via Berlin State Library.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
- ^ "Успех ленинградского дуэта" [Success for Leningrad duo]. Sovetsky Sport (in Russian). Vol. 264, no. 9783. 17 November 1979. p. 1. Retrieved 22 May 2026 – via Arcanum Newspapers.
- ^ "Erneuter Erfolg für Lorenz und Schubert" [Another success for Lorenz and Schubert]. Neues Deutschland (in German). Vol. 38, no. 267. 12 November 1983. p. 15. Retrieved 6 May 2026 – via Berlin State Library.
- ^ "Van het scorebord" [From the scoreboard]. NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). 17 November 1978. p. 8. Retrieved 22 May 2026 – via Delpher.
- ^ "Van het scorebord" [From the scoreboard]. NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). 19 November 1979. p. 11. Retrieved 8 May 2026 – via Delpher.
- ^ "Denise Biellmann weergaloos" [Denise Biellmann unrivaled]. De Waarheid (in Dutch). 20 November 1978. p. 6. Retrieved 22 May 2026 – via Delpher.
- ^ "Van onze speciale verslaggever" [From our special correspondent]. De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 19 November 1979. p. 21. Retrieved 11 May 2026 – via Delpher.
- ^ a b "Challenge Cup 2017". Royal Dutch Skating Federation. 26 February 2017. Archived from the original on 8 August 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ^ "Competition Results – Brian Joubert". International Skating Union. 27 July 2014. Archived from the original on 22 April 2025. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
- ^ "Competition Results – Rika Kihira". International Skating Union. 4 April 2026. Archived from the original on 11 March 2026. Retrieved 4 April 2026.
- ^ "Competition Results – Carolina Kostner". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 24 April 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ "Competition Results – Kaori Sakamoto". International Skating Union. 24 December 2025. Archived from the original on 5 December 2025. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
- ^ "Competition Results – Sara Conti/Niccolo Macii (ITA)". International Skating Union. 4 May 2026. Archived from the original on 16 February 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- ^ "Competition Results – Loicia Demougeot/Theo Le Mercier (FRA)". International Skating Union. 4 May 2026. Archived from the original on 22 May 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
External links