The Slovak Figure Skating Championships (Slovak: Majstrovstvá Slovenska v krasokorčuľovaní) are an annual figure skating competition organized by the Slovak Figure Skating Association (Slovak: Slovenský Krasokorčuliarsky Zväz) to crown the national champions of Slovakia. The first Slovak Championships held after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia took place in December 1993 in Banská Bystrica. Currently, the senior-level championships, as well as the junior-level pair skating and ice dance championships, are held in conjunction with the skating federations of the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland as part of the Four Nationals Figure Skating Championships. Junior-level single skaters compete in a separate competition that is exclusive to Slovakia.
Medals are awarded in men's singles, women's singles, and ice dance at the senior and junior levels, although each discipline may not necessarily be held every year due to a lack of participants. There has not been competition in pair skating in Slovakia since 2010. Juraj Sviatko holds the record for winning the most Slovak Championships titles in men's singles (with six), while Zuzana Babiaková (née Paurová) holds the record in women's singles (with nine). Siblings Oľga Beständigová and Jozef Beständig hold the record in pair skating (with seven), and Lukáš Csölley holds the record in ice dance (with nine), although not all won with the same partner.
History
The first Slovak skating club was founded in 1871 in Bratislava. In 1918, after the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the First Czechoslovak Republic was established. The Skating Union of the Czechoslovak Republic (Slovak: Korčuliarsky zväz Československej republiky) was formed in 1922, bringing together both Czech and Slovak skaters. Skating lagged in Slovakia until the construction of an artificial ice rink in Bratislava in 1941. Czech and Slovak skaters competed at the Czechoslovak Figure Skating Championships until the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1992. While Czechoslovakia ceased to exist on 31 December 1992, the 1993 Czechoslovak Championships had actually taken place earlier that month. The Slovak Republic was established on 1 January 1993, and in June 1993, the Slovak Figure Skating Association was accepted as a member of the International Skating Union. The first official Slovak Figure Skating Championships were held in Banská Bystrica in December 1993. Rastislav Vnučko won the men's event, Zaneta Štefániková won the women's event, and Viera Poráčová and Pavol Poráč won the ice dance event.
The Czech and Slovak skating federations ran independent national championships until the 2006–07 season, when the two associations joined their championships together as one event. The inaugural Czech and Slovak Figure Skating Championships were held in Liberec in the Czech Republic. Tomáš Verner of the Czech Republic won the men's event, while Igor Macypura was the highest ranked Slovak skater. Ivana Reitmayerová of Slovakia won the women's event, while Nella Simaová was the highest ranked Czech skater. Kamila Hájková and David Vincour of the Czech Republic were the only entrants in the ice dance event. The Czech Republic and Slovakia alternated as hosts for the combined championships until the 2008–09 season, when Poland joined and the Three Nationals Figure Skating Championships were officially formed. Since Hungary joined during the 2013–14 season, the event has been known as the Four Nationals Figure Skating Championships. The four nations rotate as hosts, while skaters from the four countries compete together and the results are then split at the end of the competition to form national podiums.
Slovakia
