Figure skating, or artistic skating is a method of ice skating using choreographed routines set to music. During the routines, skaters perform various jumps, spins and footwork techniques of varying difficulties.
Judging and Scoring
In competition, figure skaters perform at least two different routines, which must contain certain key elements, before a panel of judges. The routines are judged on five components: Skating skills, choreography, transitions, interpretation and performance/execution. Each judge gives the skater(s) a mark out of ten on each component. The marks are then averaged using specific factors to provide the final score.
Figure Skating Timeline
1850: First Steel Bladed Skates Were Sold by Edward Bushnell
1882: First International Figure Skating Competition Held in Vienna, Austria
1891: First Men's European Figure Skating Championships in Hamburg, Germany
1892: International Skating Union (ISU) Founded
1906: First Ladies Championships Held in Davos, Switzerland
1908: First Pairs Championships in Saint Petersburg, Russia
1908: Became the first Winter Sport of the Olympic Games Held in London, England
1948: Dick Button Performed the First Double Axel
1961: Sabena Flight 548 crashed in Brussels, Belgium, Killing the U. S. Figure Skating Team
1976: The Winter Olympic Games Officially Included Ice Dancing for the First Time
1995 — 1996: The ISU Champions Series (Grand Prix of Figure Skating) Formed
1997: ISU Junior Series (Junior Grand Prix) Formed
1999: Four Continents Figure Skating Championships Opened in Halifax, Canada
2004: ISU Judging System (Code of Points (CoP) Established
Men
Women
Pairs
- Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean
- Kitty and Peter Carruthers
- Jamie Sale and David Pelletier
- Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin
References
Fast Facts
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Fact:
A popular event in the Winter Olympics
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Fact:
Current form originated in the 19th century
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Fact:
Jackson Haines is known as the father of modern figure skating
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Fact:
Figure skates have a set of jagged teeth called "toe picks" on the front of the blades
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Types of competition
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Fact:
- Singles
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#Pairs
The couple skates together, implementing holds and throws into the routine
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#Ice Dancing
Like pairs, but emphasis is more on footwork and dance holds than throws and jumps
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Fact:
