Two Americans are responsible for the major developments in the history of the sport. In , Edward Bushnell of Philadelphia revolutionised skating when he introduced steel-bladed skates allowing complex manoeuvres and turns. Jackson Haines, a ballet master living in Vienna in the s, added elements of ballet and dance to give the sport its grace. Figure skating is the oldest sport on the Olympic Winter Games programme.
It was contested at the London Games and again in in Antwerp. Since , ice dancing has been the fourth event in the programme, proving a great success. Sonja Henie made her Olympic debut in Chamonix in , aged just 11, and was so nervous she had to ask her coach what to do midway through her routines.
However, she won gold in the next three Olympic Games and developed a huge legion of fans. She later moved into films, where she greatly increased the popularity of her sport. Raised in Sugarland, Texas, Tara Lipinski first attracted international attention when, at the age of 13, she qualified for the United States team at the world championships. She placed 15th, but the following year she caused a sensation when she finished first and became the youngest world champion in figure skating history. If these gorgeous, amazing athletes make silly faces, I shudder to think what I would look like.
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Login Don't have an account? Get our top 10 stories in your inbox: I have already activated my account. We and our trusted partners use technology such as cookies on our site to personalize content and ads, provide social media features, and analyze our traffic. You can read more about it and change your preferences here. The various turns, which skaters can incorporate into step sequences, include:. Three turns , so called because the blade turns into the curve of the edge or lobe to leave a tracing resembling the numeral "3".
Mohawks , the two-foot equivalents of three turns and brackets. Rockers , one-foot turns that involve a change of lobe as well as of direction. Counters , one-foot turns that involve a change of lobe as well as of direction. Choctaws are the two-foot equivalents of rockers and counters. Other movements that may be incorporated into step sequences or used as connecting elements include lunges and spread eagles. An Ina Bauer is similar to a spread eagle performed with one knee bent and typically an arched back. Hydroblading refers to a deep edge performed with the body as low as possible to the ice in a near-horizontal position.
Moves in the field emphasize basic skating skill and edge control. In the context of a competitive program, they include spirals , spread eagles , Ina Bauers , hydroblading , and similar extended edge moves.
Figure skating - Wikipedia
A spiral is an element in which the skater moves across the ice on a specific edge with the free leg held at hip level or above. Spirals are distinguished by the edge of the blade used inside or outside , the direction of motion forward or backward , and the skater's position. A spiral sequence is one or more spiral positions and edges done in sequence. Judges look at the depth, stability, and control of the skating edge, speed and ice coverage, extension, and other factors.
Some skaters are able to change edges during a spiral, i. Spirals performed on a "flat" are generally not considered as true spirals. Spiral sequences were required in ladies' and pair skating prior to the —13 season, [21] but from the —13 season onward, they were replaced by the choreographic sequence.
The choreographic sequence consists of moves in the field, unlisted jumps, spinning movements, etc. A death spiral is a required element of pair skating. There are four varieties distinguished by the lady's edge and direction of motion. The man performs a pivot , one toe anchored in the ice, while holding the hand of his partner, who circles him on a deep edge with her body almost parallel to the ice.
As of , the woman's head must at some time reach her skating knee. The man must also be in a full pivot position and the death spiral must be held for a minimum amount of rotation, depending on the level. Compulsory figures involves using the blades of the figure skates to draw circles, figure eights, and similar shapes on the surface of the ice. Skaters are judged on the accuracy and clarity of the figures and the cleanness and exact placement of the various turns on the circles.
Figures were formerly included as a component of singles competitions but were eliminated from international events in The ISU is the governing body for international competitions in figure skating, including the World Championships and the figure skating events at the Winter Olympic Games. Medals are awarded for overall results; the standard medals are gold for first place, silver for second, and bronze for third place.
Figure Skating also awards pewter medals for fourth-place finishers in national events. A medal is generally attributed to only one country, even if a partnership is composed of skaters with different nationalities. A notable exception was the pair skating partnership between Ludowika Eilers and Walter Jakobsson ; their —11 medals were attributed to both Germany and Finland. In singles and pairs figure skating competition, competitors perform two programs: Under both the 6.
Ice dance competitions formerly consisted of three phases: Beginning in the —11 season , the compulsory and original dances were merged into the short dance , which itself was renamed the rhythm dance in June , prior to the —19 season. Skating was formerly judged for "technical merit" in the free skate , "required elements" in the short program , and "presentation" in both programs.
These marks were used to determine a preference ranking, or "ordinal", separately for each judge; the judges' preferences were then combined to determine placements for each skater in each program.
The Faces of Figure Skating
The placements for the two programs were then combined, with the free skate placement weighted more heavily than the short program. The highest placing individual based on the sum of the weighted placements was declared the winner. In , in response to the judging controversy during the Winter Olympics , the ISU adopted the International Judging System IJS , which became mandatory at all international competitions in , including the Winter Olympics.
The new system is sometimes informally referred to as the Code of Points , however, the ISU has never used the term to describe their system in any of their official communications. Under the IJS, points are awarded individually for each skating element, and the sum of these points is the total element score TES.
Competitive programs are constrained to include a set number of elements. Each element is judged first by a technical specialist who identifies the specific element and determines its base value. This is done using instant replay video to verify features that distinguish different elements; e. A panel of twelve judges then each award a mark for the quality and execution of the element.
The GOE value from the twelve judges is then processed with a computerized random selection of nine judges, the highest and lowest values are then discarded, and finally the average of the remaining seven is calculated. This average value is then added to or subtracted from the base value to determine the total value for the element.
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The program components score PCS awards points to holistic aspects of a program or other nuances that are not rewarded in the total element score. A detailed description of each component is given in ISU rule Judges award each component a raw mark from 0 to 10 in increments of 0. For each separate component, the raw marks are then selected, trimmed, and averaged in a manner akin to determining a grade of execution. The trimmed mean scores are then translated into a factored mark by multiplying by a factor that depends on the discipline, competition segment, and level.
Then the five or four factored marks are added to give the final PCS score. The total element score and the program components score are added to give the total score for a competition segment TSS. A skater's final placement is determined by the total of their scores in all segments of a competition. No ordinal rankings are used to determine the final results. There are also skating competitions organized for professional skaters by independent promoters.
These competitions use judging rules set by whoever organizes the competition. There is no "professional league". The Ice Skating Institute ISI , an international ice rink trade organization, runs its own competitive and test program aimed at recreational skaters. Originally headquartered in Minnesota, the organization now operates out of Dallas, Texas. ISI competitions are open to any member that have registered their tests. There are very few "qualifying" competitions, although some districts hold Gold Competitions for that season's first-place winners.
The Gay Games have also included skating competitions for same-gender pairs and dance couples under ISI sponsorship. Other figure skating competitions for adults also attract participants from diverse cultures. Competitors receive points based on their final placement at an event and the event's weight. The following events receive points: Following the current season's World Championships, the results from the earliest season are deleted.
A new partnership starts with zero points; there is no transfer of WS points if a pair or ice dance couple split up and form a new partnership. These standings do not necessarily reflect the capabilities of the skater s.
Due to limits on entries to events no more than three from each country , and varying numbers of high-level skaters in each country, skaters from some countries may find it more difficult to qualify to compete at major events. Thus, a skater with a lower SB but from a country with few high-level skaters may qualify to a major event while a skater with a much higher SB but from a country with more than three high-level skaters may not be sent. As a result, it is possible for a skater who regularly scores higher to end up with a much lower world standing.
Only scores achieved at selected international competitions are considered; scores from national competitions and some international events are disregarded. The best combined total for each skater or couple appears on a list of season's bests, [35] and the list may be used to help determine participants in the following season's Grand Prix series.
Skaters and couples also have personal best PB scores, i. However, PB scores are not completely comparable if achieved in different seasons because the ISU regulations and technical rules are modified prior to each new season. As a result of these variations in the technical requirements, the ISU places more weight on the season's bests, which are fully comparable within any one season.
For competitive programs, figure skaters were once restricted to instrumental music; vocals were allowed only if they contained no lyrics or words. Although the rules were not relaxed for singles and pairs, judges did not always penalize violations. At the World Championships , Florent Amodio 's long program music included words but an insufficient number of judges voted for a deduction. Skaters may use professional music editors so that their music meets requirements. Singles and pair skaters more often skate to the melody and phrasing of their music. For long programs , figure skaters generally search for music with different moods and tempos.
Skaters are generally free to select their own attire, with a few restrictions. In competition, females may wear a dress, typically with matching attached briefs, and since , they may also choose trousers. Men must wear trousers — they are not allowed to wear tights, although, officials do not always impose a deduction for violations.
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Competition costumes vary widely, from simple designs to heavily beaded or trimmed costumes. Skaters risk a deduction if a piece of their costume falls onto the ice surface. An official may stop a program if he or she deems there to be a hazard. Skaters and family members may design their own costumes, sometimes with assistance from their coach or choreographer, or turn to professional designers. According to current ISU regulations, costumes in competition "must be modest, dignified and appropriate for athletic competition — not garish or theatrical in design.
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Clothing may, however, reflect the character of the music chosen. To compete internationally on the senior level, skaters must be at least 15 before July 1 of the preceding year. To be eligible for junior-level events, a skater must be at least 13 but under 19 before that date or 21 for male pair skaters and ice dancers.
For example, Adelina Sotnikova was born a few hours into July 1, in Moscow and consequently, was not eligible to compete at Junior Worlds until and senior Worlds until Many countries have no age requirements for domestic non-ISU competitions, thus, some skaters compete at the senior level nationally while not eligible for international competition. The ISU has modified its age rules several times. Prior to the s, 12 was the minimum age for senior international competitions. During the —06 season, Mao Asada of Japan was age-eligible to compete at the Grand Prix Final, where she claimed the title, but she was not permitted to compete at the Olympics.
For the World Championships , the United States was obliged to send skaters who had placed 5th and 7th at nationals because higher-placed skaters were too young, including a skater who missed the cutoff by 20 days. A loophole also existed for a few years for underage skaters who had medaled at Junior Worlds. As in gymnastics , skating has experienced controversy surrounding possible age falsification.
On February 14, , questions emerged surrounding nine Chinese skaters. Skaters may represent a country of which they are not yet a citizen in most competitions, except the Olympics which require citizenship. At most international events, each country may send one to a maximum of three entries per discipline. Consequently, even if a skater has a high season's best, he or she may not be sent to major events if their country has many good skaters in their discipline. Some skaters have tried to circumvent this by switching to another country. In response, the ISU introduced rules barring skaters from international events for a certain period of time.
In the regulations, it was 24 months or more from the date of the last ISU Championship. The ISU has set no limit to how long a country may hold skaters. Beginning in the —11 season , minimum scores were introduced for the World, European, or Four Continents Championships. In the —12 season, different minimum scores were introduced for the Grand Prix series. Figure skating is an expensive sport. Prize money is relatively low compared to other sports. Some national associations provide funding to some skaters if they meet certain criteria.
In some cases, skaters may feel pressure to compete through injury in order to be allowed to perform in a show. Competitive skaters generally do not wear helmets or other protective gear. There is a risk of head injuries, particularly in pair skating as a result of falls from lifts. Commenting on falls and concussions, Madison Hubbell said that "Most of the time, the worst falls are on things we kind of take for granted. Injuries have also been sustained by skaters from different teams when there are many skaters practising on the ice.
On practice sessions with multiple skaters on the ice, the skater whose music is playing conventionally has right of way. In addition, pairs and ice dancers skating as a unit have right of way over those skating separately as changing course is more difficult for a couple. In some countries, medical personnel may be slow to respond to accidents.
At the World Championships in Nice , France, a pair skater who had been injured in a lift accident lay on the ice for several minutes and had to get up and leave the ice on his own before being offered medical attention. Eating disorders are reportedly common in figure skating. Figure skaters occasionally have positive doping results but it is not common. This was done just in training, and everyone was tested in the Soviet Union before competitions.
Although people have been ice skating for centuries, figure skating in its current form originated in the midth century. Competitions were then held in the "English style" of skating, which was stiff and formal and bore very little resemblance to modern figure skating. Before the changes in figure skating techniques, there were a limited number of moves that could be performed.
This was true in the mids but was later changed by American skater Jackson Haines , who was considered to be the "father of modern figure skating". He introduced a new style of skating in the mids, incorporating free and expressive techniques, which became known as the "international style. The ISU was founded in The first European Championships were held in , and the first World Championships were held in and won by Gilbert Fuchs.
Only men competed in these events. In , a woman, Madge Syers , entered the World competition for the first time, finishing second. The ISU quickly banned women from competing against men, but established a separate competition for "ladies" in Figure skating was the first winter sport introduced to the Olympics; its Olympic debut came at the Summer Olympics.
On March 20, an international figure skating championship was held in New Haven, Connecticut. However, international competitions in figure skating were interrupted by World War I. In the s and s, figure skating was dominated by Sonja Henie , who turned competitive success into a lucrative professional career as a movie star and touring skater. Henie also set the fashion for female skaters to wear short skirts and white boots. Skating competitions were again interrupted for several years by World War II.
After the war, with many European rinks in ruins, skaters from the United States and Canada began to dominate international competitions and to introduce technical innovations to the sport. Dick Button , and Olympic Champion, was the first skater to perform the double axel and triple loop jumps, as well as the flying camel spin.