Viveca Lindfors (figure skater)

Finnish figure skater

Viveca Lindfors

Lindfors in 2018

Born|  (1999-01-30) 30 January 1999 (age 26)
Helsinki, Finland
Hometown| Helsinki
Height| 1.59 m (5 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
Figure skating career
Country| Finland
Skating club| Espoon Jäätaiturit
Began skating| 2004
Retired| 2020

Medal record

Representing  Finland
Figure skating: Ladies' singles
European Championships
| 2019 Minsk | Ladies’ Singles

Viveca Lindfors (born 30 January 1999) is a Finnish retired figure skater. She is the 2019 European bronze medalist, 2018 CS Finlandia Trophy bronze medalist, 2018 CS Tallinn Trophy bronze medalist, 2018 Nordic champion, and the 2019 Finnish national champion.

## Personal life

[edit]

Viveca Lindfors was born on 30 January 1999 in Helsinki, Finland.[1] She is the second eldest of five children.[2] Her younger sisters, Monica and Fanny, and younger brother, Matias, have competed in figure skating, while her elder brother, Axel, is a hockey player.[2][3] Monica Lindfors is the 2017 Finnish Junior ice dance champion with Juho Pirinen.[4]

## Career

[edit]

### Early career

[edit]

Lindfors began learning to skate in 2004.[1] She competed on the advanced novice level in the 2012–2013 season, winning silver at the Finnish Championships and bronze at the Triglav Trophy.

In 2013–2014, Lindfors moved up to the junior level. After taking bronze at the Finnish Championships, she won gold medals at Skate Helena and the Dragon Trophy.

### 2014–2015 season: Senior debut

[edit]

Coached by Virpi Horttana at Espoon Jäätaiturit, Lindfors debuted on the ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) series, placing eighteenth at an October event in Zagreb, Croatia.[5] She spent the rest of the season competing on the senior level. Appearing at her first ISU Challenger Series (CS) event, she finished tenth at the Warsaw Cup in November. After becoming the Finnish senior national bronze medalist, Lindfors won gold at Skate Helena and bronze at The Nordics. She concluded her season at the Hellmut Seibt Memorial, where she finished fourth.

### 2015–2016 season: Debut at Worlds and Europeans

[edit]

Starting her season on the JGP series, Lindfors placed eleventh in Riga, Latvia and ninth in Toruń, Poland. She then competed at a pair of CS events, finishing fifth at the 2015 Finlandia Trophy and fourth at the 2015 Tallinn Trophy. In December, she finished fourth at the Finnish Championships, only 0.13 behind the bronze medal winner after winning the short program and placing fourth in the free skate. As the Finnish lady with the highest season's best, she was selected to compete at the 2016 European Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia.[6] She qualified for the free skate by placing eleventh in the short program and finished eighth overall in her ISU Championship debut.[7] She won the silver medal at the 2016 Nordics Open.

In March, Lindfors placed twenty-fifth in the short program at the 2016 World Junior Championships in Debrecen, Hungary; she missed the cut-off for the free skate by one spot. In April, she finished twentieth at the 2016 World Championships in Boston after placing twenty-third in the short and sixteenth in the free.

### 2016–2017 season

[edit]

Lindfors and coach Horttana at the 2017 Junior World Championships

Lindfors had a back problem in the summer and autumn of 2016.[8] She started her season by placing eleventh at the 2016 CS Lombardia Trophy and tenth at the 2016 CS Finlandia Trophy. At the 2017 Finnish Championships she won the bronze medal behind Emmi Peltonen and Jenni Saarinen, placing second in the short program and third in the free skate. She finished twenty-third at the 2017 European Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic. She stated that she had a heart problem.[9]

### 2017–2018 season

[edit]

After placing tenth at the 2017 ISU Junior Grand Prix in Latvia, Lindfors competed at the 2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, the final qualifying opportunity for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Due to her result, sixth, Finland received a spot in the Olympic ladies' event. In December, she finished second to Emmi Peltonen at the Finnish Championships.

In January, Lindfors placed fourteenth, five spots below Peltonen, at the 2018 European Championships in Moscow. Peltonen, therefore, was selected to represent Finland at the Olympics. Lindfors was assigned to the 2018 World Championships in Milan, where she placed sixteenth.

### 2018–2019 season: European bronze medal

[edit]

Lindfors started her season at the 2018 CS Lombardia Trophy, placing third in the short program, sixth in the free, and fifth overall. In October, she won her first-ever Challenger Series medal – bronze at the 2018 CS Finlandia Trophy. In November, she made her senior Grand Prix debut, placing eighth at the 2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki, and won bronze at the 2018 CS Tallinn Trophy. The following month, she took gold at the Finnish Championships.

In January, at the 2019 European Championships in Minsk, Lindfors placed fourth in the short program, 0.03 points behind Alexia Paganini.[10] In the free skate, she placed third, behind Sofia Samodurova and Stanislava Konstantinova, and won the bronze medal overall. She was the first Finnish skater to stand on the European podium since Kiira Korpi took silver in 2012. Speaking afterward, Lindfors said "It feels a bit surreal because I have wanted this, but at the same time I can't believe it's true."[11]

Lindfors was named as Finland's sole ladies' entry to the 2019 World Championships in Saitama, but she subsequently withdrew due to injury.[12]

### 2019–2020 season: Injury and retirement

[edit]

Lindfors initially planned to compete at the 2019 CS Finlandia Trophy, but withdrew due to ongoing back problems. She subsequently withdrew from both of her Grand Prix assignments as well.[13]

In late July, she announced her retirement from competitive figure skating, citing the fact that she was unable to train at an elite level because of her back problems, and announced that she would be attending University of Turku in the fall.[14]

## Programs

[edit]

Lindfors at the 2018 European Championships Season  | Short program | Free skating

|
|

2018–2019  |

* Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
(from Phantom of the Opera)
by Andrew Lloyd Webber

* At the End of the Day
* I Dreamed a Dream
(from Les Misérables)
By Claude-Michel Schönberg

2017–2018
[15] |

* Cinderella
by Patrick Doyle

2016–2017
[16] |

* Persian Dance
(from The Snow Queen)
by Tuomas Kantelinen
choreo. by Sari Hakola

* Don't Cry for Me Argentina
(from Evita)
by Andrew Lloyd Webber
performed by Madonna

* * *

* I See You
(from Avatar)
by James Horner
performed by Leona Lewis
choreo. by Stéphane Lambiel

2015–2016
[17] |

* Don't Cry for Me Argentina
(from Evita)
by Andrew Lloyd Webber
performed by Madonna
choreo. by Sari Hakola

2014–2015
[5] |

* Titanium
performed by The Piano Guys, Alexander Goldstein
choreo. by Sari Hakola

## Competitive highlights

[edit]

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

Lindfors on the podium at the 2019 European Championships International[18]

Event  | 13–14 | 14–15 | 15–16 | 16–17 | 17–18 | 18–19 | 19–20
Worlds |  |  | 20th |  | 16th | WD |
Europeans |  |  | 8th | 23rd | 14th | 3rd |
GP Cup of China |  |  |  |  |  |  | WD
GP Finland |  |  |  |  |  | 8th |
GP NHK Trophy |  |  |  |  |  |  | WD
CS Finlandia |  |  | 5th | 10th | WD | 3rd | WD
CS Lombardia |  |  |  | 11th |  | 5th |
CS Nebelhorn |  |  |  |  | 6th |  |
CS Tallinn Trophy |  |  | 4th | 10th | 10th | 3rd |
CS Warsaw Cup |  | 10th |  |  |  |  |
Dragon Trophy |  |  |  |  | 2nd |  |
Hellmut Seibt |  | 4th |  |  |  |  |
Int. Challenge Cup |  |  |  |  | 7th |  | WD
Nordics |  | 3rd | 2nd | 6th | 1st |  |
Skate Helena |  | 1st |  |  |  |  |
Tallink Hotels Cup |  |  |  |  |  | WD |
International: Junior[18]
Junior Worlds |  |  | 25th | 14th | WD |  |
JGP Croatia |  | 18th |  |  |  |  |
JGP Latvia |  |  | 11th |  | 10th |  |
JGP Poland |  |  | 9th |  |  |  |
Dragon Trophy | 1st |  |  |  |  |  |
Nordics | 4th |  |  |  |  |  |
Skate Helena | 1st |  |  |  |  |  |
National[19]
Finnish Champ. | 3rd J | 3rd | 4th | 3rd | 2nd | 1st |

## Detailed results

[edit]

Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships. ISU Personal bests in bold.

2018–19 season

Date  | Event  | SP | FS | Total
March 18-24, 2019  | 2019 World Championships | WD
| WD
| \-

January 21-27, 2019  | 2019 European Championships | 4
65.61 | 3
128.79  | 3
194.40
December 16-17, 2018  | 2019 Finnish Championships | 1
62.89  | 1
112.02  | 1
174.91
November 26-December 2, 2018  | 2018 CS Tallinn Trophy | 3
63.56  | 3
121.86  | 3
185.42
November 2-4, 2018  | 2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki | 10
52.95  | 6
106.67  | 8
159.62
October 4-7, 2018  | 2018 CS Finlandia Trophy | 6
57.69  | 2
129.50 | 3
187.19
September 12-16, 2018  | 2018 CS Lombardia Trophy | 3
62.68  | 6
104.25  | 5
166.93
2017–18 season
Date  | Event  | SP | FS | Total
March 19-25, 2018  | 2018 World Championships | 13
60.18  | 16
106.05  | 16
166.23
February 22-25, 2018  | 2018 International Challenge Cup | 9
50.06  | 6
99.19  | 7
149.25
February 8-11, 2018  | 2018 Dragon Trophy | 1
60.79  | 2
99.68  | 2
160.47
February 1-4, 2018  | 2018 Nordic Championships | 2
58.42  | 1
108.21  | 1
166.63
January 15-21, 2018  | 2018 European Championships | 14
51.62  | 17
96.27  | 14
147.89
December 15-17, 2017  | 2018 Finnish Championships | 2
59.89  | 2
100.00  | 2
159.89
November 21-26, 2017  | 2017 CS Tallinn Trophy | 4
59.03  | 15
90.75  | 10
149.78
October 6-8, 2017  | 2017 CS Finlandia Trophy | 18
43.12  | WD  | WD
September 27-30, 2017  | 2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy | 5
53.75  | 6
100.35  | 6
154.10
September 6-9, 2017  | 2017 JGP Latvia | 10
46.47  | 9
90.47  | 10
136.94
2016–17 season
Date  | Event  | SP | FS | Total
March 15–19, 2017  | 2017 World Junior Championships | 10
55.50  | 15
88.03  | 14
143.53
March 2-5, 2017  | 2017 Nordic Championships | 9
44.04  | 5
89.71  | 6
133.75
January 25–29, 2017  | 2017 European Championships | 19
49.48  | 22
80.62  | 23
130.10
December 15–18, 2016  | 2017 Finnish Championships | 2
52.43  | 3
86.08  | 3
138.51
October 6–9, 2016  | 2016 CS Finlandia Trophy | 11
47.07  | 9
90.03  | 10
137.10
September 8–11, 2016  | 2016 CS Lombardia Trophy | 9
52.71  | 12
88.24  | 11
140.95
2015–16 season
Date  | Event  | SP | FS | Total
March 26 – April 3, 2016  | 2016 World Championships | 23
50.18  | 16
102.75  | 20
152.93
February 24–28, 2016  | 2016 Nordic Championships | 2
58.17  | 2
107.05  | 2
165.22
January 25–31, 2016  | 2016 European Championships | 11
53.92  | 8
101.57  | 8
155.49
December 18–20, 2015  | 2016 Finnish Championships | 1
58.27  | 4
93.39  | 4
151.66
November 18–22, 2015  | 2015 CS Tallinn Trophy | 8
47.09  | 3
109.97  | 4
157.06
October 9–11, 2015  | 2015 CS Finlandia Trophy | 7
51.14  | 5
99.98  | 5
151.12

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Viveca LINDFORS: 2018/2019". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 21 February 2019.
2. ^ a b "Let's meet: Viveca Lindfors (FIN)". International Skating Union. 20 February 2019. Archived from the original on 21 February 2019.
3. ^ "Viveca Lindfors hakee EM-kisoista uusia ennätyspisteitään ja kokemusta". Länsiväylä (in Finnish). 30 December 2015.
4. ^ "Sula, Papp ja Lindfors & Pirinen taitoluistelun junioreiden Suomen mestareiksi" [Sula, Papp, Lindfors & Pirinen are Finnish Junior Champions] (in Finnish). Finnish Figure Skating Association. 18 December 2016. Archived from the original on 26 December 2016.
5. ^ a b "Viveca LINDFORS: 2014/2015". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 14 April 2015.
6. ^ "Suomen EM-kisajoukkue Bratislavaan 27.-31.1.2016 on valittu" [Finnish team to the European Championships] (in Finnish). Finnish Figure Skating Association. 21 December 2015.
7. ^ "European Championships 2016". International Skating Union. 27 January 2016.
8. ^ Heinonen, Ville (20 January 2017). "EM-kisoihin suuntaavat Emmi Peltonen ja Viveca Lindfors ovat jättäneet vaivat taakseen". Helsingin Uutiset (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 23 February 2017.
9. ^ Smolander, Riikka (27 January 2017). "Emmi Peltonen hurmasi EM-yleisön - ennätyspisteet ensimmäisissä arvokisoissa". Yle (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 23 February 2017.
10. ^ Slater, Paula (January 23, 2019). "Alina Zagitova: 'I need to be confident in myself'". Golden Skate.
11. ^ Slater, Paula (January 25, 2019). "Samodurova shines; wins European ladies' title". Golden Skate.
12. ^ Lindfors, Viveca (March 5, 2019). "Unfortunately I have to withdraw from World Championships due to a medical reason. Please look forward to seeing me again next season" (Instagram). Archived from the original on 2021-12-24.
13. ^ Holma, Joel (31 October 2019). "EM-pronssimitalisti Viveca Lindfors ei ole selättänyt selkävaivojaan ja kauden aloitus viivästyy – valmennuspäällikkö: "Selkä tarvitsee kuntoutusta"". Yle (in Finnish).
14. ^ "Taitoluistelija Viveca Lindfors lopettaa uransa 21-vuotiaana" [Figure skater Viveca Lindfors will end her career at the age of 21] (in Finnish). July 27, 2020.
15. ^ "Viveca LINDFORS: 2017/2018". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018.
16. ^ "Viveca LINDFORS: 2016/2017". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 23 May 2017.
17. ^ "Viveca LINDFORS: 2015/2016". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 28 May 2016.
18. ^ a b "Competition Results: Viveca LINDFORS". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 8 October 2018.
19. ^ "Viveca Lindfors" (in Finnish). Espoon Jäätaiturit. Archived from the original on 24 November 2015.

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to Viveca Lindfors (figure skater) at Wikimedia Commons
* Viveca Lindfors at the International Skating Union

* v
* t
* e

Finnish figure skating champions (women's singles)

* 1917: Ludowika Jakobsson
* 1919: Anna-Lisa Allardt
* 1923–24, 1927: Anna Greta Henriksson
* 1928–30: Gunnel Nysten
* 1931: Ilma Suuronen
* 1932: Gunnel Relander
* 1933: Ilma Suuronen
* 1934: Mary Lindeberg
* 1935–36: Ilma Suuronen
* 1937–39, 1941–45: Maj-Len Helin
* 1946–47: Leena Pietilä
* 1948: Kirsti Linna
* 1949–53: Leena Pietilä
* 1954: Kirsti Linna
* 1955: Riitta Linna
* 1956–58: [irsti Linna
* 1960: Kaarina Kukkonen
* 1961: Maire Nylund
* 1962: Pia Wingisaar
* 1963–65: Anna-Maija Rissanen
* 1966–67: Pia Wingisaar
* 1968: Inger Melander
* 1969: Anna-Maija Kivimäki
* 1970: Anu-Liisa Numminen
* 1971: Tarja Säde
* 1972: Tarja Näsi
* 1973: Hannele Koskinen
* 1974: Susan Broman
* 1975-76: Niina Kyöttinen
* 1977: Kristiina Wegelius
* 1978: Hannele Koskinen
* 1979: Susan Broman
* 1980: Pia Snellman
* 1981–83: Kristiina Wegelius
* 1984: Susanna Peltola
* 1985: Elise Ahonen
* 1986: Elina Hänninen
* 1987: Tiia-Riikka Pietikäinen
* 1988–89: Elina Hänninen
* 1990: Meri Karvosenoja
* 1991–93: Mila Kajas
* 1994–95: Kaisa Kella
* 1996: Mila Kajas
* 1997–98: Alisa Drei
* 1999: Sanna-Maija Wiksten
* 2000: Susanna Pöykiö
* 2001: Elina Kettunen
* 2002: Susanna Pöykiö
* 2003–04: Alisa Drei
* 2005–07: Susanna Pöykiö
* 2008: Laura Lepistö
* 2009: Kiira Korpi
* 2010: Laura Lepistö
* 2011–13: Kiira Korpi
* 2014: Juulia Turkkila
* 2015: Kiira Korpi
* 2016: Anni Järvenpää
* 2017–18: Emmi Peltonen
* 2019: Viveca Lindfors
* 2020: Emmi Peltonen
* 2022: Jenni Saarinen
* 2023: Janna Jyrkinen
* 2024: Nella Pelkonen
* 2025: Olivia Lisko

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