Eva-Lotta Kiibus (born 17 January 2003) is an Estonian figure skater. She is the 2020 Nebelhorn Trophy champion, a two-time Estonian national champion (2020–21), and a three-time Tallink Hotels Cup champion (2018–2019, 2021). Kiibus has represented Estonia at the European and World championships and finished twenty-first at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Eva-Lotta Kiibus
Kiibus performing her short program at the 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy
Born (2003-01-17) 17 January 2003 (age 21)
Tallinn, Estonia
HometownKeila, Estonia
Height1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Figure skating career
Country Estonia
CoachThomas Kennes
Skating clubIk Kristalluisk
Began skating2007

Personal life

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Kiibus was born on 17 January 2003 in Tallinn.[1] Her older brother is Estonian rapper Nublu.[2] As of 2023, she is a student at the University of Tartu.[3]

Career

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Early years

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Kiibus began learning to skate in 2007.[4] She competed in the advanced novice ranks in the 2015–2016 season and made her junior international debut the following season.

2018–2019 season

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Kiibus at the 2019 World Championships

In September 2018, Kiibus debuted on both the ISU Junior Grand Prix series and the senior-level ISU Challenger Series. In December, she won silver at Estonia's senior championships, finishing second to Gerli Liinamäe. She became the national junior champion the following month. In February 2019, she won gold in the senior ladies' category at the Tallink Hotels Cup.

In March, Kiibus appeared at her first ISU Championship – the 2019 World Junior Championships in Zagreb, Croatia. She was ranked 26th in the short program but did not advance to the final segment. Later that month, she competed at the 2019 World Championships in Saitama, Japan. She qualified for the final segment by placing 23rd in the short program.

2019–2020 season

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Kiibus during the short program at the 2019 CS Finlandia Trophy

Kiibus continued competing on senior and junior levels for the new season. On the Junior Grand Prix circuit, she placed seventh at the 2019 JGP Chelyabinsk in Russia and eighth at 2019 JGP Egna in Italy. On the senior level, in the first half of the season, she took part in three Challenger events, initially placing sixth at both the 2019 CS Nebelhorn Trophy and 2019 CS Finlandia Trophy. She was eleventh at the 2019 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb. In December, Kiibus became the Estonian senior national champion.

In January 2020, Kiibus first competed at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics, placing fourteenth. She then made her debut at the European Championships, placing eleventh in the short program.[5] Fifth in the free skate with a new personal best, she rose to seventh place overall. Kiibus said afterward that it was "such an experience. I felt so good, and I skated with my heart."[6] She was assigned to compete at the World Championships in Montreal, but those were cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.[7]

2020–2021 season

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With pandemic-related travel restrictions in place, Kiibus started off her season at a 2020 CS Nebelhorn Trophy attended only by skaters training in Europe.[8] Third after the short program, she won the free skate and took the gold medal, her first Challenger title.[9] Shortly afterward, she won the silver medal at the 2020 CS Budapest Trophy, regarding her performance there as an improvement over Nebelhorn despite the lower ordinal.[10]

Kiibus was assigned to make her Grand Prix debut at the 2020 Internationaux de France, the ISU having opted to allot the Grand Prix for that season based primarily on geographic location. The event was later cancelled due to the pandemic, but Kiibus was subsequently reassigned to the 2020 Rostelecom Cup.[10] She placed sixth at the Moscow event.[11] Kiibus was one of several skaters to contract COVID-19 at the Rostelecom Cup, as a result of which she took weeks to recover, and indicated at the Estonian Championships that mental recovery would take longer. She placed third in the short program at the national championships.[12] She rallied in the free skate to edge out Gerli Liinamäe for the gold medal by 0.31 points.[13] Following her victory at the national championships, Kiibus competed internationally again at the Tallink Hotels Cup, winning her third gold medal.[14]

Competing at the 2021 World Championships in Stockholm, Kiibus placed nineteenth in the short program but moved up to fourteenth place after the free skate. Kiibus qualified for a place for Estonia at the 2022 Winter Olympics. She said she was "happy and proud that I was able to control my nerves."[15]

2021–2022 season

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Kiibus finishing her free skate at the 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy

Kiibus began the Olympic season at the 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy, where she placed eleventh.[16] She next competed at the 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy, skating two clean programs to place seventh overall. She earned new personal bests in the free program and overall score, breaking 200 points for the first time in her career. She enjoyed less success at her two subsequent events, first finishing seventeenth at the 2021 CS Cup of Austria, notably with a score nearly forty points behind domestic rival Niina Petrõkina, who won the bronze medal.[17] She then finished in eleventh place at the 2021 Rostelecom Cup.[18]

Petrõkina again bested Kiibus at the 2021 Estonian Championships, where she finished second overall with a score of 183.77, almost 29 points out of the gold medal position.[17] She finished behind Petrõkina again at the 2022 European Championships, but despite this, due to the Estonian federation's criteria, she was still named to the Estonian Olympic team. Kiibus' coach Anna Levandi said that while the season had been difficult for her, she was preparing to show her best in Beijing.[19]

Competing at the 2022 Winter Olympics in the women's event, Kiibus placed twenty-first in the short program after falling on her solo jump attempt.[20] She was twentieth in the free skate but remained twenty-first overall.[21] Kiibus had surgery on one of her legs following the Olympics and was off the ice for three months recovering. [3]

2022–2023 season

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Kiibus performing her free skate at the 2022 Finlandia Trophy

On 31 August 2022, Kiibus announced that she had decided to change coaches, parting ways with longtime coach Anna Levandi to train in the Netherlands under Thomas Kennes.[3] In her season debut at the 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, she won the bronze medal. On the Grand Prix, she was twelfth of twelve skaters at both the 2022 NHK Trophy and 2022 Grand Prix of Espoo.[17]

Kiibus was part of the Estonian delegation to the 2023 Winter World University Games, where she came sixteenth. She then finished in fifteenth place at the 2023 European Championships.[17]

In February 2023, Kiibus was diagnosed with stress fractures in the tibias of both her legs, as a result of which she stopped training for two months and began gradually working her way back into athletic form.[22]

2023–24 season

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Kiibus injured herself again in August and as a result missed much of the 2023–24 season.[22] She returned to competition in late January when she competed at the 2024 Bavarian Open, finishing fourth. Kiibus subsequently went on to compete at the 2024 Challenge Cup, where she placed fifth.[17]

She ended the season by winning silver and gold at the 2024 Maria Olszewska Memorial and 2024 Coupe du Printemps, respectively.[23]

2024–25 season

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Kiibus started the season by competing on the 2024–25 ISU Challenger Series, finishing nineteenth at the 2024 CS Budapest Trophy.[17] Although initially assigned to compete at the 2024 CS Nepela Memorial, Kiibus withdrew days before the event.[24] She would go on to finish fifth at the 2024 Tirnavia Ice Cup and fourth at the 2024 NRW Trophy.[23]

Programs

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Kiibus at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics
 
Kiibus performing her free skate at the 2019 CS Finlandia Trophy
Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2024–2025
[25]
2023–2024
[26]
2022–2023
[27]
  • Baianá
    by Barbatuques
    choreo. by Benoît Richaud
2021–2022
[28]
2020–2021
[29]
2019–2020
[1]
2018–2019
[4]
  • Michael Meets Mozart
    by The Piano Guys
    choreo. by Vakhtang Murvanidze, Anna Levandi
2017–2018
2016–2017

Competitive highlights

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

International[17]
Event 16–17 17–18 18–19 19–20 20–21 21–22 22–23 23–24 24–25
Olympics 20th
Worlds 22nd C 14th
Europeans 7th 10th 15th
GP Finland 12th
GP NHK Trophy 12th
GP Rostelecom Cup 6th 11th
CS Budapest Trophy 2nd 19th
CS Cup of Austria 17th
CS Finlandia Trophy 14th 6th 7th 12th
CS Golden Spin 11th WD TBD
CS Lombardia Trophy 14th 11th
CS Nebelhorn Trophy 6th 1st 3rd
CS Nepela Memorial WD
CS Tallinn Trophy 14th
CS Warsaw Cup TBD
Bavarian Open 4th
Challenge Cup 6th
Maria Olszewska Memorial 2nd
Printemps 1st
NRW Trophy 4th
Tallink Hotels Cup 1st 1st 2nd 1st
Tirnavia Ice Cup 5th
Volvo Open Cup 7th
University Games 16th
International: Junior[17]
Youth Olympics 14th
Junior Worlds 26th
JGP Italy 8th
JGP Lithuania 13th
JGP Russia 7th
EYOF 4th
Challenge Cup 5th 11th
Kaunas Ice Cup 3rd
Prague Ice Cup 6th
Tallinn Trophy 21st 5th
Volvo Open Cup 21st
National[17][30]
Estonian Champ. 8th 3rd 2nd 1st 1st 2nd WD
Estonian Junior 6th 2nd 1st
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew; C = Event cancelled
Levels: N = Novice

Detailed results

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ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System [23]
Segment Type Score Event
Total TSS 202.04 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy
Short program TSS 65.37 2020 CS Budapest Trophy
TES 36.10 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy
PCS 30.29 2022 European Championships
Free skating TSS 137.51 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy
TES 73.17 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy
PCS 64.34 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy

Senior results

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Current personal best scores are highlighted in bold.

2024–25 season
Date Event SP FS Total
November 12–17, 2024 2024 NRW Trophy 2
53.96
5
91.57
4
145.53
November 1–3, 2024 2024 Tirnavia Ice Cup 6
46.43
5
91.27
5
137.70
October 11–13, 2024 2024 CS Budapest Trophy 18
37.16
19
62.09
19
99.25
2023–2024 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 15–17, 2024 2024 Coupe du Printemps 1
62.61
1
109.85
1
172.46
March 6–10, 2024 2024 Maria Olszewska Memorial 1
53.98
2
95.21
2
149.19
February 22–25, 2024 2024 Challenge Cup 8
46.74
6
108.33
6
155.07
January 30–February 4, 2024 2024 Bavarian Open 4
53.98
4
100.86
4
154.84
2022–2023 season
Date Event SP FS Total
January 25–29, 2023 2023 European Championships 15
55.26
13
101.69
15
156.95
January 13–15, 2023 2023 Winter World University Games 11
55.12
16
84.54
16
139.66
November 25–27, 2022 2022 Grand Prix of Espoo 11
49.27
12
89.62
12
138.89
November 18–20, 2022 2022 NHK Trophy 12
48.56
11
113.81
12
162.37
October 4–9, 2022 2022 CS Finlandia Trophy 13
53.17
11
100.18
12
153.35
September 21–24, 2022 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 10
50.94
3
114.27
3
165.21
2021–2022 season
Date Event SP FS Total
February 15–17, 2022 2022 Winter Olympics 20
59.55
19
112.20
20
171.75
January 10–16, 2022 2022 European Championships 15
59.16
11
112.48
11
171.64
December 4–5, 2021 2022 Estonian Championships 7
52.46
2
130.61
2
183.07
November 26–28, 2021 2021 Rostelecom Cup 12
49.26
11
113.85
11
163.11
November 11–14, 2021 2021 CS Cup of Austria 9
52.24
17
91.16
17
143.40
October 7–10, 2021 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy 8
64.53
5
137.51
7
202.04
September 10–12, 2021 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy 16
50.78
10
104.74
11
155.52
2020–2021 season
Date Event SP FS Total
22–28 March 2021 2021 World Championships 19
59.65
12
121.82
14
181.47
19–21 February 2021 2021 Tallink Hotels Cup 1
63.56
1
126.67
1
190.23
30–31 January 2021 2021 Estonian Championships 3
55.83
1
120.97
1
176.80
20–22 November 2020 2020 Rostelecom Cup 9
57.88
5
128.12
6
186.00
15–17 October 2020 2020 CS Budapest Trophy 2
65.37
2
118.90
2
184.27
23–26 September 2020 2020 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 3
60.49
1
113.04
1
173.53
2019–2020 season
Date Event SP FS Total
13–16 February 2020 2020 Tallink Hotels Cup 2
64.94
3
113.31
2
178.25
20–26 January 2020 2020 European Championships 11
59.70
5
121.54
7
181.24
13–15 December 2019 2020 Estonian Championships 1
63.07
1
120.65
1
183.72
4–7 December 2019 2019 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb 18
46.20
9
102.46
11
148.66
11–13 October 2019 2019 CS Finlandia Trophy 5
59.84
6
102.93
6
162.77
25–28 September 2019 2019 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 10
50.14
4
115.96
6
166.10
2018–2019 season
Date Event SP FS Total
18–24 March 2019 2019 World Championships 23
55.38
22
94.61
22
149.99
22–24 February 2019 2019 Tallink Hotels Cup 1
56.59
1
95.64
1
152.23
14–16 December 2018 2019 Estonian Championships 4
46.28
1
110.56
2
156.84
26–29 November 2018 2018 Tallinn Trophy 15
46.58
14
90.67
14
137.25
6–11 November 2018 2018 Volvo Open Cup 5
52.53
9
90.80
7
143.33
4–7 October 2018 2018 CS Finlandia Trophy 16
45.65
9
105.37
14
151.02
12–16 September 2018 2018 CS Lombardia Trophy 11
48.43
13
81.66
14
130.09
2017–2018 season
Date Event SP FS Total
15–18 March 2018 2018 Tallink Hotels Cup 1
41.02
1
83.79
1
124.81
9–10 December 2017 2018 Estonian Championships 3
48.63
3
98.90
3
147.53

Junior results

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2019–2020 season
Date Event SP FS Total
10–15 January 2020 2020 Winter Youth Olympics 14
46.63
12
92.07
14
138.70
2–5 October 2019 2019 JGP Italy 3
59.78
8
96.44
8
156.22
11–14 September 2019 2019 JGP Russia 8
54.01
7
100.33
7
154.34
2018–2019 season
Date Event SP FS Total
4–10 March 2019 2019 World Junior Championships 26
45.67
26
45.67
13–14 February 2019 2019 European Youth Olympic Festival 5
54.21
4
101.72
4
155.93
5–6 January 2019 2019 Estonian Junior Championships 1
57.14
2
98.63
1
155.77
5–8 September 2018 2018 JGP Lithuania 14
42.62
12
86.89
13
129.51
2017–2018 season
Date Event SP FS Total
22–25 February 2018 2018 Challenge Cup 13
40.78
9
80.10
11
120.88
2–4 February 2018 2018 Estonian Junior Championships 2
48.14
3
85.56
2
133.70
20–26 November 2017 2017 Tallinn Trophy 11
42.33
4
95.28
5
137.61
10–12 November 2017 2017 Prague Ice Cup 3
45.77
6
64.04
6
109.81
20–22 October 2017 2017 Kaunas Ice Autumn Cup 4
40.81
1
74.34
3
115.15

References

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  1. ^ a b "Eva Lotta KIIBUS: 2019/2020". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019.
  2. ^ "Perekond andekaid! Vaata, millega on Nublu õde Eesti number 1 koha saavutanud" (in Estonian). Delfi. 19 January 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Säärits, Anu (31 August 2022). "Eva-Lotta Kiibus vahetas treenerit ja asub harjutama Hollandis" [Eva-Lotta Kiibus changed her coach and starts practicing in the Netherlands] (in Estonian). Eesti Rahvusringhääling.
  4. ^ a b "Eva Lotta KIIBUS: 2018/2019". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 18 March 2019.
  5. ^ "2020 ISU European Figure Skating Championships Results". International Skating Union.
  6. ^ Slater, Paula (25 January 2020). "Kostornaia takes gold in Russian sweep at Europeans". Golden Skate.
  7. ^ Ewing, Lori (11 March 2020). "World figure skating championships cancelled in Montreal". CBC Sports.
  8. ^ "2020 NEBELHORN TROPHY". International Figure Skating. 19 September 2020. Archived from the original on 22 March 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  9. ^ Jiwani, Rory (26 September 2020). "Eva-Lotta Kiibus takes Nebelhorn Trophy". Olympic Channel.
  10. ^ a b Flade, Tatjana (13 November 2020). "Moscow next stop for Estonia's Eva-Lotta Kiibus". Golden Skate.
  11. ^ Slater, Paula (21 November 2020). "Tuktamysheva edges out Kostornaia for Rostelecom Cup gold". Golden Skate.
  12. ^ Pahv, Peep (30 January 2021). "Eva-Lotta Kiibus: koroonaviirus tekitas kurnatust, taastumine võttis aega ja võistlema tulek oli paras eneseületus" (in Estonian). Delfi.
  13. ^ Kallaste, Kristjan (1 February 2021). "Gallery: Eva-Lotta Kiibus crowned Estonian champion". Eesti Rahvusringhääling.
  14. ^ Kalvet, Madis (21 February 2021). "Hea märk MM-i eel! Eva-Lotta Kiibus triumfeeris isikliku rekordiga" (in Estonian). Delfi.
  15. ^ Kallaste, Kristjan (29 March 2021). "Watch again: Eva-Lotta Kiibus and Aleksandr Selevko clinch Olympic tickets". Eesti Rahvusringhääling.
  16. ^ "Lombardia Trophy 2021". Federazione Italiana Sport del Ghiaccio.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Competition Results: Eva Lotta KIIBUS". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 19 March 2019.
  18. ^ Slater, Paula (28 November 2021). "Valieva takes Rostelecom Cup gold with record score". Golden Skate.
  19. ^ Lõbu, Grete (17 January 2022). "Levandi kiitis Petrõkinat: tema armastus uisutamise vastu on nii suur" (in Estonian). Eesti Rahvusringhääling.
  20. ^ Penny, Brandon (15 February 2022). "As it happened: ROC, U.S. skaters star in women's short program". NBC Sports.
  21. ^ Penny, Brandon (17 February 2022). "Re-live every moment of the historic Olympic women's free skate". NBC Sports.
  22. ^ a b Nõmm, Anders (15 December 2023). "Kiibus jätkab karjääri: usun, et tulen raskustega toime" [Kiibus continues her career: I believe I can cope with difficulties] (in Estonian). Eesti Rahvusringhääling. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  23. ^ a b c "EST-Eva Lotta KIIBUS". Skating Scores.
  24. ^ "🇧🇬 Filip Kaymakchiev, 🇪🇪 Eva-Lotta Kiibus, and 🇩🇪 Jennifer Janse van Rensburg / Benjamin Steffan have withdrawn from Nepela Memorial". X. X. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  25. ^ "Eva Lotta KIIBUS: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 5 November 2024.
  26. ^ "Eva Lotta KIIBUS: 2023/2024". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 4 February 2024.
  27. ^ "Eva Lotta KIIBUS: 2022/2023". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024.
  28. ^ "Eva Lotta KIIBUS: 2021/2022". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 1 September 2021.
  29. ^ "Eva Lotta KIIBUS: 2020/2021". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 1 September 2021.
  30. ^ "Eva-Lotta Kiibus". sport24.ee (in Estonian). Archived from the original on 20 March 2019.
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