Kristen Spours
Spours at 2017 Junior Worlds
Born (2000-04-11) 11 April 2000 (age 23)
Kingston upon Thames, England
HometownGuildford, England
Height1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Figure skating career
CountryUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
CoachChristopher Boyadji, Zoe Jones
Began skating2006

Kristen Spours (born 11 April 2000) is an English figure skater. She has won eight senior international medals, competed in the final segment at three World Junior Championships (2017, 2018, 2019), and has competed at two World Championships (2016, 2023).

Personal life

Spours was born on 11 April 2000 in Kingston upon Thames, England.[1] She attended Howard of Effingham School.[2]

Career

Early years

Spours began learning to skate in 2006,[3] having become interested after watching Dancing on Ice.[4] In the 2012–2013 season, she won the novice bronze medal at the British Championships. Her first coach was Veronika Bogamolova before electing to train under Ruth Woodstock at Guildford Spectrum and Christian Newberry at the Lee Valley Ice Centre.[2][5]

2015–2016 season

Making her first ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) appearance, Spours placed twenty-first in Bratislava, Slovakia. She then went on to make her senior international debut at the 2015 CS Finlandia Trophy, finishing fifteenth.

Spours finished fourth in the junior ladies' category at the British Championships. At the 2015 Jégvirág Cup, she won the gold medal and achieved the minimum technical scores to compete at the 2016 World Championships in Boston. As a result, she was named in the British team to senior Worlds,[6] despite not appearing nationally on the senior level. She placed thirty-sixth in Boston.[5]

2016–2017 season

Spours began the season by competing on the Junior Grand Prix series, finishing thirteenth at the 2016 JGP France. She then competed competed on the senior level at the 2016 CS Lombardia Trophy, where she placed twelfth.

Spours went on to win a silver at the Denkova-Staviski Cup and bronze at the Merano Cup on the senior levels, as well as a gold medal at the 2016 Grand Prix of Bratislava on the junior level. In December 2016, she won the junior ladies' title and placed fifth on the senior level at the 2017 British Championships. She then won the silver in the senior ladies' category at Skate Helena and finished tenth at the 2017 International Challenge Cup.

In March, she placed sixteenth in the short program, fourteenth in the free skate, and fifteenth overall at the 2017 World Junior Championships in Taipei, Taiwan.[3]

2017–18 season

Competing on the Junior Grand Prix series, Spours placed thirteenth at 2017 JGP Austria and fourteenth at 2017 JGP Italy. Meanwhile, on the senior level, she would finish eighteenth at the 2017 CS Lombardia Trophy, fifth at the 2017 Golden Bear of Zagreb, and fourth at the 2017 Merano Cup.

At the 2018 British Championships, Spours won her second consecutive national title on the junior level as well as won the bronze medal on the senior level.

Selected to compete at the 2018 World Junior Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, Spours finished twenty-first.[7]

Following the season, Spours left coach, Ruth Woodstock, to train at the Lee Valley Ice Centre full-time under Christian Newberry.[1]

2018–19 season

Spours began the season on the Junior Grand Prix series, finishing thirteenth at the 2018 JGP Slovakia. She then went on to win the bronze medal at the 2018 Volvo Open Cup on the senior level.

At the 2019 British Championships, Spours won her third junior national title as well as her second consecutive bronze medal on the senior level. Spours would then go on to finish sixth on the senior level at the 2019 Dragon Trophy.

Competing at the 2019 World Junior Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, Spours finished twentieth.[1]

Following the season, Spours relocated her training base to Vaujany, France, where Florent Amodio and Sofia Gassoumi became her new coaches.[8]

2019–20 season

Spours had to miss the whole 2019–20 figure skating season due to a spinal injury that she sustained while training in France, leaving her without feeling in her left leg. She stated that her doctors told her that she could either have them operate on her, which would mean the end of her figure skating career, or she could undergo physiotherapy, which would be a long process and might not work. Ultimately Spours chose to undergo physiotherapy, saying "If it gave me even a 10 per cent chance of skating again, then I was going to go for it."[9]

Spours would spend two years doing physiotherapy and relearning how to skate.[10]

2020–21 season

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Spours only got the opportunity to compete at the 2020 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, finishing eleventh.[8]

2021–22 season

Prior to the start of the season, Spours made a coaching change, announcing that she would split her time training under Phillip Harris in Nottingham, England and Franca Bianconi and Ondřej Hotárek in Bergamo, Italy.[11]

Spours began the season with a nineteenth-place finish at the 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy and eighth at the 2021 Budapest Trophy. She then went on to win the gold medal at the 2021 Tirnavia Ice Cup as well as place twenty-third at the 2021 CS Cup of Austria.

At the 2022 British Championships, Spours finished fourth, before closing the season with a silver medal at the 2022 Triglav Trophy.[11]

Following the season, Spours moved to Swindon, England, with Christopher Boyadji and Zoe Jones becoming her new coaches.[12]

2022–23 season

Spours began the season with a twelfth-place finish at the 2022 CS Nepela Memorial, a seventh-place finish at the 2022 Trophée Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur, and a thirteenth-place finish at the 2022 CS Ice Challenge.

At the 2023 British Championships, Spours won the silver medal behind Natasha McKay. She then won the gold medal at the 2023 EduSport Trophy and placed thirteenth at the 2023 International Challenge Cup.

Selected to compete at a World Championships for the second time in her career, in Saitama, Japan, Spours placed twenty-seventh in the short program, only 1.27 points from qualifying for the free skate.[12]

Programs

Season Short program Free skating
2023–2024
[13]
2022–2023
[12] 		James Bond: Kill Bill:
2021–2022
[11] 		Moulin Rouge!:
2020–2021
[8]
2019–2020 Did not compete this season
2018–2019
[1] 		La La Land:
2017–2018
[7]
  • Gypsy Overture
    by Jule Styne
    choreo. by Mark Naylor
2016–2017
[3]
2015–2016
[5]

Competitive highlights

CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

International[14]
Event 10–11 11–12 12–13 13–14 14–15 15–16 16–17 17–18 18–19 19–20 20–21 21–22 22–23 23–24
Worlds 36th 27th
CS Cup of Austria 23rd 13th
CS Finlandia 15th
CS Golden Spin 11th
CS Lombardia 12th 18th WD 19th
CS Nebelhorn 11th
CS Ondrej Nepela WD 12th
CS Warsaw Cup C WD
Britannia Cup WD
Budapest Trophy 8th
Challenge Cup 13th
Cup of Nice 7th
Denkova-Staviski 2nd
Dragon Trophy 6th
EduSport Trophy 1st
Golden Bear 5th
Challenge Cup 10th
Jégvirág Cup 1st
Merano Cup 3rd 4th
Skate Helena 2nd
Tirnavia Ice Cup 1st
Triglav Trophy 2nd
Volvo Open Cup 3rd 3rd
International: Junior[14]
Junior Worlds 15th 21st 20th
JGP Austria 13th
JGP France 13th
JGP Italy 14th
JGP Slovakia 21st 13th
Avas Cup 1st
GP of Bratislava 1st
Hellmut Seibt 12th 25th
Jégvirág Cup 2nd
Lombardia Trophy 12th
Merano Cup 14th
Toruń Cup 3rd 12th
International: Advanced novice[15]
Ice Challenge 20th
National[14][15]
British Champ. 5th 3rd 3rd C 4th 2nd 2nd
British Champ. 24th N 13th N 3rd N 6th J 5th J 4th J 1st J 1st J 1st J
Levels: N = Advanced novice; J = Junior
WD = Withdrew; TBD = Assigned; C = Event Cancelled

Detailed results

Current personal best scores are highlighted in bold.

Senior results

2023–2024 season
Date Event SP FS Total
6-9 December 2023 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb 7
53.43 		11
95.04 		11
148.47
2022–2023 season
Date Event SP FS Total
22–26 March 2023 2023 World Championships 27
53.38 		– 27
53.38
23–26 February 2023 2023 International Challenge Cup 12
53.69 		12
102.50 		13
156.19
11–15 January 2023 2023 EduSport Trophy 1
61.09 		1
115.60 		1
176.69
1–4 December 2022 2023 British Championships 1
61.62 		3
106.34 		2
167.96
9–13 November 2022 2022 CS Ice Challenge 14
49.81 		13
97.97 		13
147.78
19–22 October 2022 2022 Trophée Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur 4
51.97 		8
94.11 		7
146.08
29 September–1 October 2022 2022 CS Nepela Memorial 11
41.01 		12
77.60 		12
118.61
2021–2022 season
Date Event SP FS Total
13–17 April 2022 2022 Triglav Trophy 2
58.14 		2
104.20 		2
162.34
30 November–5 December 2021 2022 British Championships 2
59.82 		5
82.85 		4
142.67
11–14 November 2021 2021 CS Cup of Austria 24
45.56 		22
86.25 		23
131.81
28–31 October 2021 2021 Tirnavia Ice Cup 4
48.95 		1
109.64 		1
158.59
14–17 October 2021 2021 Budapest Trophy 9
52.13 		7
100.23 		8
152.36
10–12 September 2021 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy 23
46.28 		19
87.97 		19
134.25
2020–2021 season
Date Event SP FS Total
23–26 September 2020 2020 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 8
49.90 		16
84.88 		11
134.78

Junior level

2018–19 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
4–10 March 2019 2019 World Junior Championships Junior 19
51.08 		23
85.64 		20
136.72
7–10 February 2019 2019 Dragon Trophy Senior 7
48.35 		6
89.71 		6
138.06
26 November–1 December 2018 2019 British Championships Senior 3
51.95 		3
93.82 		3
145.77
26 November–1 December 2018 2018 British Junior Championships Junior 1
51.55 		1
81.26 		1
132.81
6–11 November 2018 2018 Volvo Open Cup Senior 4
53.02 		4
98.64 		3
151.66
22–25 August 2018 2018 JGP Slovakia Junior 11
50.61 		15
80.48 		13
131.09
2017–18 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
5–11 March 2018 2018 World Junior Championships Junior 19
49.57 		21
79.64 		21
129.21
28 November–4 December 2017 2018 British Championships Senior 4
51.18 		2
97.50 		3
148.68
28 November–4 December 2017 2018 British Junior Championships Junior 1
52.30 		1
87.46 		1
139.76
15–19 November 2017 2017 Merano Cup Senior 5
46.95 		5
85.79 		4
132.74
10–14 November 2017 2017 JGP Italy Junior 14
46.89 		15
77.47 		14
124.36
26–29 October 2017 2017 Golden Bear of Zagreb Senior 3
46.15 		5
83.56 		5
129.71
14–17 September 2017 2017 CS Lombardia Trophy Senior 25
42.39 		15
88.24 		18
130.63
30 August–2 September 2017 2017 JGP Austria Junior 10
48.54 		15
76.77 		13
125.31
2016–17 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
15–19 March 2017 2017 World Junior Championships Junior 16
49.83 		14
89.51 		15
139.34
23–26 February 2017 2017 International Challenge Cup Senior 8
48.39 		11
79.52 		10
127.91
20–21 January 2017 2017 Skate Helena Senior 3
50.44 		2
90.36 		2
140.80
16–18 December 2016 2016 Grand Prix of Bratislava Junior 1
47.62 		1
93.57 		1
141.19
29 November–4 December 2016 2017 British Championships Senior 5
46.56 		5
86.65 		5
133.21
29 November–4 December 2016 2017 British Junior Championships Junior 1
48.36 		1
94.66 		1
143.02
10–13 November 2016 2016 Merano Cup Senior 5
45.15 		3
89.34 		3
134.49
18–23 October 2016 2016 Denkova-Staviski Cup Senior 3
45.24 		2
88.23 		2
133.47
8–11 September 2016 2016 CS Lombardia Trophy Senior 13
46.49 		11
88.72 		12
135.21
24–26 August 2016 2016 JGP France Junior 16
36.01 		11
71.38 		13
107.39
2015–16 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
28 March–3 April, 2016 2016 World Championships Senior 36
42.64 		– 36
42.64
13–14 February 2016 2016 Jégvirág Cup Senior 1
41.61 		1
85.82 		1
127.43
6–10 January 2016 2016 Mentor Toruń Cup Junior 12
35.52 		12
64.81 		12
100.33
1–6 December 2015 2016 British Junior Championships Junior 4
37.37 		3
68.68 		4
106.05
9–11 October 2015 2015 CS Finlandia Trophy Senior 15
37.53 		15
79.09 		15
116.62
19–22 August 2015 2015 JGP Slovakia Junior 27
28.13 		17
60.93 		21
89.06
2014–15 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
5–8 February 2015 2015 Jégvirág Cup Junior 2
46.01 		2
78.21 		2
124.22
1–10 January 2015 2015 Mentor Toruń Cup Junior 2
43.51 		3
78.34 		3
121.85
26–30 November 2014 2015 British Junior Championships Junior 2
40.89 		6
59.16 		5
100.05
2013–14 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
26 February–1 March 2014 2014 Hellmut Seibt Memorial Junior 25
33.29 		– 25
33.29
26–30 November 2013 2014 British Junior Championships Junior 5
33.39 		7
59.83 		6
93.22
15–17 November 2013 2013 Merano Cup Junior 13
33.78 		14
59.19 		14
92.97
26–30 November 2013 2013 Lombardia Trophy Junior 17
30.13 		9
63.15 		12
93.28

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Kristen SPOURS: 2018/2019". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 22 September 2018.
  2. ^ a b Gliddon, Mark (16 March 2016). "Kristen Spours selected to represent Great Britain at the World Figure Skating Championships in Boston". GLL Sport Foundation. Archived from the original on 21 January 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "Kristen SPOURS: 2016/2017". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 21 May 2017.
  4. ^ "Discover Kristen Spours, with four weeks until the British Championships". National Ice Skating Association. 6 November 2015. Archived from the original on 23 October 2016.
  5. ^ a b c "Kristen SPOURS: 2015/2016". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 28 May 2016.
  6. ^ "Guildford teenager through to figure skating world championships". Eagle Radio. 25 March 2016. Archived from the original on 21 January 2017.
  7. ^ a b "Kristen SPOURS: 2017/2018". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018.
  8. ^ a b c "Kristen SPOURS: 2020/2021". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020.
  9. ^ Delgado, Kasia. "Winter Olympic figure skaters: 'We might make it look easy but we're athletes with burning muscles'". iNews. iNews. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  10. ^ Varley, Ciaran. "Freeze: Eight things to watch in new BBC Three figure skating series". BBC. BBC. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  11. ^ a b c "Kristen SPOURS: 2021/2022". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021.
  12. ^ a b c "Kristen SPOURS: 2022/2023". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023.
  13. ^ "Kristen SPOURS: 2023/2024". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 5 January 2024.
  14. ^ a b c "Competition Results: Kristen SPOURS". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 22 September 2018.
  15. ^ a b "Kristen Spours". tracings.net. Retrieved 19 January 2017.

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