Team Amber competing in 2013The ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships (WSSC) are the world championships for the sport of synchronized skating. Held since 2000, the World Synchronized Skating Championships is an annual event organized by the International Skating Union and attracts the most elite senior-level synchronized skating teams from around the world to compete for the World Championship.
Contents
Until 2012, the top positions were mainly dominated by Sweden and Finland: the Swedish Team Surprise have won six World titles (latest in 2012), five silver medals and one bronze medal, and the Finnish Marigold IceUnity are five-time World Champions with seven silver medals and two bronze medals. Also from Finland, Helsinki Rockettes have earned four World titles, four silver medals and six bronze medals, and Team Unique have won one World title, two silver medals and one bronze medal.
Canadian teams (Les Suprêmes, NEXXICE, and black ice) have won five World titles (first in 2009), four silver medals and six bronze medals in total. Russian Team Paradise have won three World titles and two bronze medals in 2015-2019.
American teams (Haydenettes and Miami University) have won two silver and six bronze medals in total (starting in 2007).
At the 2024 World Figure Skating Championships, Les Suprêmes made history by winning three consecutive World Championships. The previous consecutive world championships were achieved in 2000-2001 by Team Surprise, 2010-2011 by Helsinki Rockettes and 2016-2017 by Team Paradise.
Although initially dominated by just a handful of teams and countries, the sport has arguably become more competitive over time, as supported by an analysis of the point 'gap' between the 1st and 10th placed teams. Starting from the 2005 WSSC (the first year the current ISU Judging System was introduced), the point 'gap' has tended to decrease over time:
| WSSC (year) | 1st vs. 10th place (∆ points) |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 85.27 [1] |
| 2006 | 77.56 [2] |
| 2007 | 77.03 [3] |
| 2008 | 63.06 [4] |
| 2009 | 48.02 [5] |
| 2010 | 56.42 [6] |
| 2011 | 52.69 [7] |
| 2012 | 38.32 [8] |
| 2013 | 55.12 [9] |
| 2014 | 56.32 [10] |
| 2015 | 50.39 [11] |
| 2016 | 53.32 [12] |
| 2017 | 53.41 [13] |
| 2018 | 40.03 [14] |
| 2019 | 63.20 [15] |
| 2020 | Event not held |
| 2021 | Event not held |
| 2022 | 66.39 [16] |
| 2023 | 61.76 [17] |
| 2024 | 56.92 [18] |
| 2025 | 58.82 [19] |
