Figure skating is not only a sport but also a specific type of sporting artistry, where the figure skaters become the main characters of a sporting dramatic work, while an impression of their performance on the ice is deeply imbedded in the memory of every viewer. Every pirouette and jump, accompanied by a catchy melody, make the movements, the laws of physics, and gracefulness and beauty meet on the ice in a story, which offers numerous physical and artistic characterisations of good, evil and beauty and provides a powerful emotional experience.
This postage stamp, issued to celebrate the 2016 European Figure Skating Championships in Bratislava, portrays the beauty of movement of a figure skater and symbolises the specific character of this aesthetic sport. It is one of the oldest sports that has been performed in Slovakia and was among the most successful. The 145th anniversary of figure skating in Slovakia will be commemorated in 2016 when the Championships will be held. Bratislava Figure Skating Club was founded in 1871 and was the keystone of the abundant and famous history of figure skating in Slovakia. It is enough to mention the names of Karol Divín, Jozef Sabovčík and Ondrej Nepela, everybody interested in this sport is aware of how great were these athletes. This symbolism is also emphasised by the fact that the 2016 European Figure Skating Championships will be held in Bratislava at the Ondrej Nepela Arena that carries the name of an Olympic figure skating champion. After the establishment of the Slovak Republic in 1993, the Slovak Figure Skating Association was entrusted by the ISU with organising the 2001 and, then for the second time, the 2016 European Figure Skating Championships. This tells us not only about our sportsmen but also about the work done by people to create a good international image for the Slovak Republic. We believe that the 2016 European Figure Skating Championships in Bratislava will be well received from both the sports and organisational viewpoint and will create memorable sporting experiences for competitors, spectators and organisers, thus contributing to the further development of figure skating in Slovakia.

Felicitas Babušíková, Slovak Figure Skating Association