⛸️ Figure Skating

Figure skating is judged on a technical score for every element attempted and a components score for skating quality, so a fall does not automatically end a medal chance. Events run as a short programme followed by a free skate.

🚀 Start Here

• Figure Skating Equipment List
• Figure Skating Terms and Slang
• Best Figure Skating Athletes of All Time
• Where Figure Skating Is Most Popular
• The Tournaments That Matter

⏳ Figure Skating History

• 1742: First recorded instance of figure skating in Edinburgh, Scotland.
• 1876: Introduction of ballet and dance elements by Jackson Haines ushering in modern figure skating; Creation of all-steel blade skates by E.V. Bushnell.
• 1892: Foundation of the International Skating Union (ISU), the sport’s first international governing body.
• 1908: Figure skating debuts in the 1908 London Summer Olympics; Ulrich Salchow and Madge Syers become the first Olympic figure skating champions.
• 1914-1920: Figure skating endures despite World War I; Norwegian prodigy, Sonja Henie rises to prominence introducing shorter skirts and choreography to routines.
• 1924: Figure skating takes centerstage at the 1924 Winter Olympic Games.
• 1961: A plane crash claims the lives of the entire United States figure skating team; U.S. Figure Skating Memorial Fund established in response.
• 1980s to 1990s: High-profile rivalries excel the popularity of figure skating, notably the “Battle of the Brians” and “Battle of the Carmens” in the 1988 Calgary Olympics.
• 2002: Judging scandal at the Salt Lake City Olympics leads to a change in the scoring system in 2004, introducing the International Judging System (IJS).