Figure skating first became an Olympic event at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. The event made its first Winter Olympics appearance during the 1924 Games in Chamonix, France.
Check out more information on how the fan-favorite event works below:
Where and when will figure skating take place at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics?
Figure skating will take place at the Milano Ice Skating Arena from Feb. 6-19.
What are the different Olympic figure skating events?
Women's singles
• Women's singles skaters complete jumps, spins and step sequences, with the greatest number of points awarded for jumps.
• The draw for the short program is based on the International Skating Union World Rankings. The women will skate in five groups of six competitors each.
• 24 of the 30 competitors advance from the short program to the free skate.
Men's singles
• Men's singles skaters complete jumps, spins and step sequences, with the greatest number of points awarded for jumps.
• The draw for the short program is based on the International Skating Union World Rankings. The men will skate in five groups of six competitors each.
• 24 of the 30 competitors advance from the short program to the free skate.
Pairs
• Pairs skaters complete jumps, spins and step sequences. The skaters must complete their jumps in unison and also are required to perform throw jumps (the female skater is tossed into the air by her male partner), overhead lifts and spirals in unison.
• The draw for the short program is based on the International Skating Union World Rankings. The duos will skate in six groups of three or four pairs each.
• 16 of the 20 teams advance from the rhythm skate to the free skate.
Ice dance
• Ice dance is judged more strictly on technical skating skills. The teams of one male and one female complete spins, lifts, step sequences and twizzles (a difficult set of traveling spins in unison).
• The draw for the short program is based on the International Skating Union World Rankings. The skaters will skate in five groups of four or five skaters each.
• 20 of the 24 couples advance from the short dance to the free dance.
Team
• Features 10 countries competing in eight segments: men's short program, men's free skate, women's short program, women's free skate, pairs short program, pairs free skate, ice dance rhythm dance and ice dance free dance.
• Points are awarded to the skaters based on ranking in the event. First place is awarded 10 points, second place will receive nine points, etc. Points will be added together from all events for each country to equal their final score.
• Nations ranked 1-5 after the short programs/rhythm dance will qualify to compete in the second segment for each discipline.
• Each team is ranked by number of total points received.
• Medals are awarded to only those who skated in the event (not the entire figure skating federation/participating country).
The singles and pairs events feature two segments: the short program and free skate. Ice dance consists of two segments: rhythm dance and free dance. The team event consists of eight segments: short program/short dance for each discipline and free skate/dance for each discipline.
How are Olympic figure skating events scored?
Figure skating has been judged by the International Judging System since 2004. The IJS has two groups, the technical panel and the judges, who control the scores the skaters receive. The technical panel is responsible for identifying the elements and assignment levels of difficulty up to a maximum of four, for spins and step sequences. Each of the elements determined by the technical panel calls has a specified base value as dictated by a predetermined scale of values. A nine-judge panel then judges each of the elements based on their quality, awarding a grade of execution ranging from -5 to +5, which add or subtract points from the base value of the element. This is known as the technical element score. The judges also mark the program components, more widely known as the artistry scores. There are five categories, each receiving points from 0.25 to 10 that make up a final program component score:
• Skating skills (edge control, speed across the ice, power and changing direction)
• Transitions (linking of elements with varied movements)
• Performance (connection to the audience, music and choreography)
• Composition (arrangement of all elements and transitions within the music and choreography)
• Interpretation of the music (creativity and interpretation as it relates to music)
The program component score is multiplied by a factor to allow the technical element score and the program component score to be equally weighted before being added together for a total segment score. Points are awarded for executing a predetermined set of elements, or moves. Women's singles, men's singles and pairs skaters complete jumps, spins and step sequences, with the greatest number of points awarded for jumps. Ice dancers complete spins, lifts, step sequences and twizzles and are judged more strictly on technical skating skills.
How do penalties and deductions work in Olympic figure skating?
Skaters can receive deductions from 1.0 to 3.0 points for various infractions. Deductions can be given for more obvious infractions like a fall, but they can also be given for taking too much or too little time in an element, pausing too long during a program or for costume violations. Deductions are taken from the total segment score after the total element score and program component score have been calculated.
How do short program and free skate Olympic events differ?
Skaters in the men's, women's and pairs competitions complete a "short program," which lasts two minutes and 40 seconds (plus or minus 10 seconds). Their second skate, the "free skate" or "long program," is the second and final program that skaters complete. For men's and pairs, this program is four minutes and 30 seconds long (plus or minus 10 seconds), and the women's free skate is four minutes (plus or minus 10 seconds). Similarly, ice dancing includes a short dance and a free dance. The short dance lasts two minutes and 50 seconds (plus or minus 10 seconds), and the free dance is four minutes (plus or minus 10 seconds).
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