Wikipedia:WikiProject Figure Skating/Notability

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The existence of many figure skating related articles have resulted in many stub articles. The following are guidelines created by WikiProject Figure Skating to help asses the notability of articles. They are a draft version, feel free to discuss them on the project talk page.

These guidelines are meant to act as a specific supplement to the overall policy of Wikipedia:Notability relating to figure skating-related biographies and organizations, and not to supersede them.

These guidelines are consolidated from various discussions from project members.

General points[edit]

Reliable sourcing is the most important factor. Assertions of notability must be sourced from somewhere other than the individual or organization under discussion (see secondary sources). A single local newspaper article is probably not enough to assert notability, but national mention with some details or multiple local sources that "make a case" for notability. A lack of any sources after looking around is a warning sign that an article may not be notable enough for inclusion.

Google and other search engines are a useful tool for finding sources, and may sometimes be persuasive (very high or very low result counts), but is not proof of whether or not something is notable (see WP:Google test). Using quotes around the search will look for only exact matches and using -Wikipedia at the end will remove self references.

Make the content of articles appropriate for the breadth of the article. Do not focus heavily on one country or one skater. Wikipedia articles should represent a global view.

In general, local news coverage of skaters, events, or clubs (such as human-interest stories about young skaters or local competitions) is not sufficient by itself to demonstrate notability of the subject, although it may serve as a reliable source to document other claims to notability in skating. Similarly, results of many competitions are published by the organization sponsoring the competition; but as a primary source, such results are not evidence of notability of either the event or the participants. Likewise, a skater's (or club's) own web site cannot be used to establish notability. See WP:BIO, which explicitly requires published secondary sources to establish notability.

Notability of individuals[edit]

Note on terminology[edit]

Much of this section is focused on clarifying the criteria given in WP:ATHLETE, as it applies to the sport of figure skating, specifically defining the "fully professional level" and "highest amateur level". It is assumed that any person who meets these criteria generally also meets the primary notability criteria.

Figure skaters competing at the highest level of international competition are by definition not "professional" skaters, they are "eligible" skaters, because they are eligible to compete in the Olympics. Eligible skaters earn money only from International Skating Union-approved and sanctioned events and competitions. Ineligible skaters have no such restrictions and so are considered to be "professionals".

At the other end of the notability spectrum, WP:MILL lists "little leagues" (and little league players and teams) as examples of subjects with no inherent notability. In figure skating, the corresponding concept is figure skating competition at developmental skill levels, or that is local or regional in scope rather than national or international.

Criteria supporting notability[edit]

Notability for competitive figure skaters, in descending order of notability:

Medaled at an international senior-level event, including:
1. the Olympics.
2. the ISU World Figure Skating Championships.
3. the European Figure Skating Championships or Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.
4. a Grand Prix of Figure Skating event (Skate America, Skate Canada International, Trophee Eric Bompard, Cup of China, Cup of Russia, NHK Trophy, or Bofrost Cup on Ice).
5. a non-Grand Prix international senior-level event. These events are commonly referred to as "senior B" competitions. See figure skating competitions for more information and List of figure skating competitions for a list of events. Notable examples of senior Bs are the Nebelhorn Trophy, one of the oldest senior international events, and the Karl Schäfer Memorial and the Golden Spin of Zagreb, which have both been used many times as the Olympic qualifying competition.
Medaled at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
Won the skater's senior-level national championships.
Won a Junior Grand Prix event or qualified to the Junior Grand Prix Final.

Notability for people associated with skating who were not notable as eligible skaters:

A coach or choreographer who has worked with many notable skaters, but was not himself/herself notable as a skater. (ex: Pam Gregory, David Wilson)
Judges or other officials who have been involved in judging scandals.
Professional skaters who meet the criteria for notability as entertainers. (ex: Katherine Healy, Frick and Frack)
Heads of national and international federations.
Individuals recognized for their contributions to skating by membership in the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame, or a national figure skating hall of fame, such as the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame.
Other individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of figure skating as sport or entertainment, other than as competitors, whose accomplishments are verifiable by multiple reliable sources. (ex: Tom Collins, founder of Champions on Ice)

Non-criteria[edit]

Skaters who are not inherently notable, but may be notable for meeting the basic criteria or for other reasons (this simply cannot be the only claim of notability):

Competed but did not medal at the Olympics.
Competed but did not medal at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships (where competed is taken to mean competed in the short program. In years where qualifying rounds are introduced competing in said rounds and not making it to the short program does not guarantee notability).
Competed in the free skate but did not medal at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, European Figure Skating Championships, Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.
Competed but did not medal at a Grand Prix of Figure Skating event. The Grand Prix events are Skate America, Skate Canada International, Trophee Eric Bompard, Cup of China, Cup of Russia, NHK Trophy, Bofrost Cup on Ice.
Competed but did not medal a non-Grand Prix international senior-level event.
Competed at a domestic competition that is not that country's national championships (for example, qualifying competitions for the national championships, such as Eastern Sectionals in the United States and Central Ontario Sectionals in Canada).
Skaters who compete at a level lower than Junior (ex: Novice (most countries), pre-Novice (in Canada), and Intermediate and Juvenile in the U.S.), or in collegiate, adult, and recreational divisions.
Skaters who have competed at a competition in another country or at which skaters from other countries were also present, but where they were entered individually rather than as members of their national team (for example, the Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships before the 2015–16 figure skating season).
Skaters who have only competed nationally or internationally as a member of a synchronized skating, theatre on ice, or collegiate club team, rather than as an individual.
Skaters who are U. S. Figure Skating "gold medalists". This refers to a test level rather than a competitive achievement, and hundreds of skaters pass this test each year.