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15 Greatest Ice Skaters of All Time

Since the beginning of time, audiences have been enthralled by the beauty and grace of figure skating. The most talented ice skaters in history have blended technical prowess, creative expression, and charisma to produce genuinely breathtaking performances.

We shall examine 15 of the finest ice skaters ever in this article. These skaters have taken first place in Grand Prix Finals, World Championships, and Olympic Games. With their grace, artistry, and agility, they are an awe to millions of people all over the world.

1. Evgenia Medvedeva – Russia

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One of the best figure skaters of all time is thought to be Evgenia Medvedeva. She is renowned for her elegant skating technique, strong jumps, and deft execution of challenging maneuvers. 

Medvedeva won the silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, is a two-time world champion (2016, 2017), a two-time European champion (2016, 2017), a two-time Grand Prix Final champion (2015, 2016), a silver medalist at the 2018 European Figure Skating Championships, and a bronze medalist at the 2019 World Championships. Due to a back issue, Medvedeva ended her career as a professional skater in 2021.

2. Surya Bonaly – France

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Surya Bonaly is a former French figure skater. She won the 1991 World Junior Championship, the 1993 World Silver Medal, the 1995 World Silver Medal, the 1993 World Bronze Medal, the 1995 World Gold Medal, and nine French national championships (1989–1997). 

She is the only figure skater to have successfully executed a backflip in a match. Bonaly  accomplished this at the 1998 Winter Olympics. At the age of four, Bonaly started skating, and she soon showed a natural knack for the activity. She won her first national championship at age 15.

3. Sonja Henie – Norway

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Sonja Henie, a Norwegian figure skater, set a record by winning three gold medals at the Olympics. She also won the European championship six times and the world championship five times. 

At the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Henie made her Olympic debut and took home a gold medal. She earned a third gold medal at the 1936 Winter Games in addition to two more gold medals at the 1932 Winter Games in New York. In 1936, Henie retired from competitive skating.

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4. Yun-Na Kim – South Korea

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Former competitive figure skater Yun-Na Kim hails from South Korea. She won the 2010 Olympic title, the 2009 World title, three Grand Prix Final victories, the 2006 World Junior title, and six South Korean national titles. Kim was the first skater from South Korea to take home a medal at an ISU Junior Grand Prix. She is one of the most well-known athletes and media people in South Korea. In 2014, Kim gave up competitive figure skating.

5. Evgeni Plushenko – Russia

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Evgeni Plushenko is a Russian former competitive figure skater. At age four, Plushenko started ice skating. His inventive jumps and flair are well-known. He won the Olympic gold medal in 2006, the Olympic team gold medal in 2014, the Olympic silver medal in 2002, and the Olympic silver medal in 2010. For more than ten years, Plushenko was the undisputed leader in figure skating. In 2014, he retired from skating.

6. Michelle Kwan – United States

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The former competitive figure skater Michelle Kwan is American. At the age of four, Kwan started skating. At 15, she got her first national title. She has won nine US titles and five world championships, in addition to two Olympic medals. In terms of the total number of National Championships, she is tied with Maribel Vinson. Kwan is renowned for her delicate artistic talent, smooth skating, and her proficiency in executing challenging leaps. In 2006, Kwan retired.

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7. Ilia Malinin – United States

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Ilia Malinin is an American figure skater. On December 2, 2004, Malinin was born in Oak Park, Illinois. At the age of five, he started skating and he won his first national championship at 12.

He won the 2023 World bronze medal, the 2022–23 Grand Prix Final bronze medal, the 2022 Grand Prix of Espoo championship, the 2021 CS Cup of Austria bronze medal, the 2023 U.S. national championship, and the 2022 U.S. national silver medal. He also won the 2022–23 Skate America championship. Malinin now holds the male short program, free skate, and combined score world junior records.

8. Katarina Witt – East Germany

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Katarina Witt is a German former figure skater. Witt was born on December 3, 1965, in Falkensee, East Germany. At five years old, she started skating. She is renowned for her elegant skating technique, captivating personality, and gorgeous on-ice appearance. She has won two Olympic titles, four World Championships, and six European Championships. In 1988, Witt stopped skating in competitions. 

9. Adelina Sotnikova – Russia

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Former figure skater Adelina Sotnikova is from Russia. She won the Grand Prix Final, the European Championship, and the Olympic Games in 2014. After Irina Slutskaya in 2002, she is the first Russian woman to win the Olympic gold medal in singles figure skating. In 2017, Sotnikova ended her career as a competitive skater. A book titled “Adelina Sotnikova: My Olympic Adventure” is written by her.

10. Midori Ito – Japan

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Midori Ito is a Japanese former figure skater. She won a silver medal at the Olympics in 1992 and was crowned world champion in 1989. She is the first woman in competition history to land a triple Axel. 1985 saw Ito’s debut on a global stage. Ito gained notoriety for her explosive jumps, elegant skating, and audience-engaging performances. In 1996, Ito retired from ice skating. She later held positions as a coach and a television analyst. 

11. Dick Button – United States

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Dick Button was the only non-European guy to win the title of European champion, in addition to being a two-time Olympic champion and five-time straight World champion. He is credited with performing the first triple jump of any kind—a triple loop—in 1952 as well as the first skater to land the double Axel jump in competition in 1948.

Moreover, he created the flying camel spin, commonly referred to as the “Button camel.” Following World War II, he “introduced more athleticism” to figure skating. In 1952, Button stopped competing in figure skating and went pro. He performed for television.

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12. Tara Lipinski – United States

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American Tara Lipinski used to compete in figure skating. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 10, 1982. She won the first ever individual gold medal in figure skating at an Olympics. Furthermore, she had just turned 15 when she took home the gold medal from the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

Lipinski started skating when he was three years old. Patsy Lipinski, her mother, instructed her. In 1998, Lipinski ended her career as a competitive skater. Since then, she has worked for NBC as a skating analyst.

13. Yuzuru Hanyu – Japan

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Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu is regarded as one of the best of all time. He was the only male skater to win two gold medals in the Olympics, in 2014 and in 2018. With victories in 2014 and 2017, he is also the first male skater to have won the World Championship twice. Hanyu was born in Sendai, Japan, on December 7, 1994. He began skating at the age of five.

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14. Patrick Chan – Canada

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Patrick Chan is a former professional figure skater from Canada. He won the team event gold medal at the 2018 Olympics, the men’s and team silver medals at the 2014 Olympics, three World Championship titles, two Grand Prix Final titles, three Four Continents titles, and ten Canadian National Championship titles. He is well renowned for his elegant and artistic skating style, which is widely regarded. Patrick Chan is a well-known figure skating expert who has significantly improved the sport.

15. Brian Boitano – United States

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Former competitive figure skater Brian Boitano is American. He won the Olympics in 1988, the World Championships in 1986 and 1988, and the United States National Championships from 1985 to 1988. In 1963, Boitano was born in Mountain View, California. He started skating when he was six years old and immediately advanced in the amateur skating community. In 1985, he won his first American national championship, and in 1986, he won his first World championship. After Dick Button in 1948, he went on to win the Olympic gold medal in figure skating in 1988, making history by becoming the first American man to do it.

The sport of ice skating has been forever changed by the top 15 skaters in history. Millions of people all over the world have been moved by their grace, artistry, and athleticism. These are truly skating legends, and future generations will carry on their legacy. Their commitment to the sport has consumed their entire lives, and it has paid off. We should all be grateful for their efforts to the sport of figure skating, since they serve as an inspiration to us all.