Viktoria Helgesson

Viktoria Helgesson (born 13 September 1988) is a retired Swedish figure skater. She is the 2011 Skate America bronze medalist, a five-time (2008–11, 2013) Nordic champion, and an eight-time (2007–12, 2014–15) Swedish national champion. She placed fifth at three European Championships. Her bronze medal at 2011 Skate America is the first Grand Prix medal by a Swedish skater.[1]

Viktoria Helgesson
Helgesson at the 2013–14 Swedish Championships.
Born (1988-09-13) 13 September 1988
Tibro, Sweden
Height1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Figure skating career
CountrySweden
Skating clubTibro KK
Began skating1991
RetiredApril 2015

She and her sister Joshi are the only siblings to finish together in the top 5 of a major championship as single skaters, a feat achieved during the 2015 European Championships.

Personal life

Viktoria Helgesson was born in Tibro, Sweden.[2] Her younger sister, Joshi Helgesson, and their mother, Christina, have also competed in figure skating at the European Championships.[3][4][5] She also has an older brother named Lukas and a father named Lenart.[6]

Career

Helgesson began skating at the age of three, following in the footsteps of her mother.[3] She is coached by her mother and Regina Jensen.[4][5] At the age of 12, she landed her first triple jump, a Salchow.[3]

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.[7] 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 European Championships, the best finish by a Swedish figure skater since 1932.[8] She was 17th at the 2011 World Championships.

In addition to Sweden, Helgesson also trained in Colorado and Boston.[9][10] She began the 2011–12 season at the 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy, where she finished 5th. In October 2011, Helgesson 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.[1] She achieved a career-best European placement, 5th, at the 2012 and 2013 European Championships.

Helgesson represented Sweden at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.[11] She placed fifth at the 2015 European Championships in Stockholm, Sweden. In April 2015, she retired from competition.[12]

Programs
Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2014–2015
[2]
2013–2014
[13]
  • Harem Cobra Goddess
    by Les Baxter
  • Harem Silks from Bombay
2012–2013
[14]
  • Poinciana
2011–2012
[15]
  • My Funny Valentine
    performed by Ahn Trio
2010–2011
[16]
2009–2010
[17]
  • Fuori Dal Mondo
    (from This Is England)
    by Ludovico Einaudi
2008–2009
[18]
  • One Moment in Time
  • Finale di un concerto interotto per violin
2007–2008
[3][19]
2006–2007
[20]
  • Assassin's Tango
  • Pasha
  • Assassin's Tango
2005–2006
[21]
  • Nothing Else Matters
    by Metallica
    performed by Apocalyptica
  • Paganini's Caprice
  • Despues De Ti Que
    by Christian Castro, Raul di Blasio
  • Paganini's Caprice
2004–2005
[22]
2003–2004
[23]
  • Lawrence of Arabia
    by Maurice Jarre

Competitive highlights
Helgesson at the 2010 World Championships

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series (began in the 2014–15 season); JGP: Junior Grand Prix

International[24]
Event 02–03 03–04 04–05 05–06 06–07 07–08 08–09 09–10 10–11 11–12 12–13 13–14 14–15
Olympics27th
Worlds18th27th10th17th11th14th
Europeans18th14th11th6th5th5th14th5th
GP Bompard5th7th
GP Cup of China7th
GP NHK Trophy9th
GP Rostelecom8th
GP Skate America6th3rd8th8th
GP Skate Canada11th
CS Lombardia8th
CS Nepela Trophy4th4th
Challenge Cup5th1st4th
Cup of Nice3rd8th
Finlandia11th9th
Golden Spin5th
Karl Schäfer5th
Merano Cup5th1st
Nebelhorn2nd5th6th
Nordics2nd J.6th J.6th1st1st1st1st1st2nd
NRW Trophy10th1st3rd
International: Junior[24]
Junior Worlds22nd28th
JGP Austria8th
JGP Bulgaria4th
JGP Czech Rep.12th
JGP Germany17th
JGP Hungary14th
JGP Slovakia16th
Copenhagen1st J.5th J.
Gardena4th J.
Golden Bear4th J.
Mladost Trophy5th J.
National[24]
Swedish Champ.1st J.3rd J.2nd1st1st1st1st1st1st2nd1st1st
J. = Junior level; WD = Withdrew

References
  1. Rutherford, Lynn (23 October 2011). "Czisny edges Kostner for first Skate America title". IceNetwork. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  2. "Viktoria HELGESSON: 2014/2015". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 10 April 2015.
  3. Mittan, Barry (18 March 2008). "Following in Her Mothers' Footsteps". SkateToday. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
  4. Jangbro, Eva Maria (26 April 2011). "The Helgesson sisters Viktoria and Joshi: Alike but Different". Absolute Skating. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  5. Luchianov, Vladislav (6 July 2012). "Sweden's Helgessons keep it all in the family". IceNetwork.
  6. Jonsson, Jan. "Seg fotskada stör drömmen om EM". Sydsvenskan. Sydsvenskan. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  7. Kondakova, Anna (27 March 2010). "Asada recaptures World title". Golden Skate. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  8. Björn, Thomas (9 February 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. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  9. Jangbro, Eva Maria (23 October 2011). "Viktoria Helgesson: "Why not try something new"". Absolute Skating. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  10. Jangbro, Eva Maria (20 January 2012). "Viktoria Helgesson "I know I have a great skating foundation now"". Absolute Skating.
  11. "Viktoria HELGESSON". Organizing Committee of the XXII Olympic Winter Games. Archived from the original on 20 March 2014.
  12. Ek, Elin (8 April 2015). "Viktoria Helgesson lägger skridskorna på hyllan" [Viktoria Helgesson retires from competition]. Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish).
  13. "Viktoria HELGESSON: 2013/2014". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014.
  14. "Viktoria HELGESSON: 2012/2013". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 12 March 2013.
  15. "Viktoria HELGESSON: 2011/2012". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012.
  16. "Viktoria HELGESSON: 2010/2011". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 16 August 2011.
  17. "Viktoria HELGESSON: 2009/2010". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 5 May 2010.
  18. "Viktoria HELGESSON: 2008/2009". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 31 May 2009.
  19. "Viktoria HELGESSON: 2007/2008". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 26 May 2008.
  20. "Viktoria HELGESSON: 2006/2007". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 1 July 2007.
  21. "Viktoria HELGESSON: 2005/2006". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 23 May 2006.
  22. "Viktoria HELGESSON: 2004/2005". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 8 March 2005.
  23. "Viktoria HELGESSON: 2003/2004". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 4 June 2004.
  24. "Competition Results: Viktoria HELGESSON". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 10 April 2015.
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