Grand Slam (GS) is a term used in figure skating for the winning all three major annual senior-level international competitions (World Championships, Grand Prix Final, and European Championships or Four Continents Championships) within a single season within one of the four disciplines: men's singles, women's singles, pairs, and ice dance. Winning all three major annual senior-level international competitions at any point during the course of a career is called a "Career Grand Slam". In pair skating and ice dancing, one team may accomplish a Career Grand Slam skating together or one skater may achieve it with different partners.
Winning the gold medal at the Olympic Games in addition to the three major annual senior-level international competitions in a single season is called a "Golden Grand Slam" or "Golden Slam". A skater who wins all three major annual senior-level international competitions and the Olympic gold medal during his or her career is said to have achieved a "Career Golden Grand Slam" or "Career Golden Slam".
Winning both major junior-level international competitions (World Junior Championships, Junior Grand Prix Final) and all four major senior-level international competitions at any point during the course of a career is called a "Career Super Grand Slam" or "Super Slam".
History
The first World Figure Skating Championships ("WC") was held in 1896. The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final ("GPF", formerly Champions Series Final) was inaugurated in 1995. The European Figure Skating Championships ("EC"), open to skaters from European countries, first took place in 1891. The International Skating Union (ISU) established the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships ("4CC") in 1999 to provide skaters representing non-European countries. So the possibility of being the reigning champion of all three major annual senior-level international competitions (WC, GPF, and EC or 4CC) did not exist until the 1995–96 season.
Figure skating was first contested in the Olympic Games ("OG") in 1908. The first World Junior Figure Skating Championships ("JWC") were held in 1976. The Junior Grand Prix Final ("JGPF", formerly ISU Junior Series Final) was established in the 1997–98 season. So the possibility of being the super reigning champion of both major junior-level international competitions (JWC and JGPF) and all four major senior-level international competitions (OG, WC, GPF, and EC or 4CC) did not exist until the 1997–98 season.
On 29 June 2011, a report by CNN used the term Grand Slam to figure skating to describe the achievement of winning the Grand Prix Final, the Four Continents Championships, and the World Championships. On 1 April 2012, in a news report on the women's event of the 2012 World Figure Skating Championships by Sina Sports in the Chinese language, the term Grand Slam (大满贯) was used to describe the winning of the Grand Prix Final, the European Championships, and the World Championships. On 11 December 2016, a news report by Sina Sports on the ice dance event of the 2016–17 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in the Chinese language used the term Super Slam (超级大满贯) to describe the achievement of winning the World Junior Championships, the Junior Grand Prix Final, the Four Continents Championships, the World Championships, the Grand Prix Final, and the Olympic Games.
On 9 February 2020, a report by the International Skating Union (ISU) used the term Golden Slam to describe the achievement of winning all four major senior-level international competitions (Winter Olympics, World Championships, Grand Prix Final, and Four Continents Championships). On the same day, a report by the Olympic Channel, which is operated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), used the term Super Slam to figure skating to describe the achievement of winning both major junior-level international competitions (JWC and JGPF) and all four major senior-level international competitions (OG, WC, GPF, and 4CC).
Grand Slam
The remainder of this section is a complete list, by discipline, of all skaters who have completed the Grand Slam ordered chronologically, the numbers of Grand Slams by nation, and the first (or youngest/oldest) skater who achieved the Grand Slam.
Men's singles
Chronological
Four men's single skaters have completed the Grand Slam. Of these skaters, two have accomplished the feat twice: Alexei Yagudin and Evgeni Plushenko.
Totals by nation
The following table shows the numbers of Grand Slams by nation.
Records
The following table shows the first (or youngest/oldest) skater who achieved the Grand Slam.