Figure skating competition
Encyclopedia
International
- International competitions sanctioned by the International Skating UnionInternational Skating UnionThe International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...
. These competitions are held using ISU rules; skaters are entered by their respective national skating federations.- ISU Championships: World Figure Skating ChampionshipsWorld Figure Skating ChampionshipsThe World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
, European Figure Skating ChampionshipsEuropean Figure Skating ChampionshipsThe European Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition in which figure skaters compete for the title of European Champion...
, Four Continents Figure Skating ChampionshipsFour Continents Figure Skating ChampionshipsThe Four Continents Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition. The International Skating Union established it in 1999 to provide skaters representing non-European countries with a similar competition to the much older European Figure Skating Championships and a chance...
, World Synchronized Skating ChampionshipsWorld Synchronized Skating ChampionshipsThe World Synchronized Skating Championships are the world championships for the sport of synchronized skating. Held since 2000, the World Synchronized Skating Championships is an annual event organized by the International Skating Union and attracts the most elite synchronized skating teams from...
, World Junior Figure Skating ChampionshipsWorld Junior Figure Skating ChampionshipsThe World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which younger figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion...
, ISU World Team Trophy in Figure SkatingISU World Team Trophy in Figure SkatingThe ISU World Team Trophy in Figure Skating is a figure skating team competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union. The World Team Trophy was held for the first time in Tokyo, Japan from April 16 to 19, 2009. Traditionally, the competitive skating season had concluded with the World... - Figure skating at the Olympic GamesFigure skating at the Olympic GamesFigure skating has been contested in the Olympic Games since the 1908 Summer Olympics. In 1908 and 1920, the figure skating competitions were held in conjunction with the Games of the Olympiad...
- Senior invitational international competitions, such as the ISU Grand Prix of Figure SkatingISU Grand Prix of Figure SkatingThe ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating is a series of international invitational competitions organized by the International Skating Union. Elite figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing...
.- Other international competitions ("B internationals") such as Nebelhorn TrophyNebelhorn TrophyThe Nebelhorn Trophy is an international senior-level figure skating competition organized by the Deutsche Eislauf-Union and held annually in Oberstdorf, Germany. The competition is named after the Nebelhorn, a nearby mountain....
, Karl Schäfer MemorialKarl Schäfer MemorialThe Karl Schäfer Memorial is an annual elite senior-level figure skating competition held in Vienna, Austria. Skaters compete in four disciplines: men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dance. The competition is named for figure skater Karl Schäfer. The competition is usually held in...
, Ondrej Nepela MemorialOndrej Nepela MemorialThe Ondrej Nepela Memorial is an annual senior-level international figure skating competition held in Slovakia. Skaters compete in four disciplines: men's singles, ladies singles, pairs, and ice dancing. In some years, some disciplines have not been held....
, & Finlandia TrophyFinlandia TrophyThe Finlandia Trophy is an annual senior-level international figure skating competition, held in Finland. Skaters compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating and ice dancing, although not every discipline has been included in every year...
. Results from these competitions are not necessarily counted as ISU Personal Best scores, but may be considered for ranking.
- Other international competitions ("B internationals") such as Nebelhorn Trophy
- Junior international competitions, such as the ISU Junior Grand PrixISU Junior Grand PrixThe ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating is a series of international invitational junior level competitions organized by the International Skating Union. Junior figure skaters compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing...
.
- ISU Championships: World Figure Skating Championships
National
- National championships held by individual national skating federations and governed by their respective rules.
- Qualifying competitions for the national championships are held by some larger countries with many skaters.
- National championships in lower age or skill divisions, such as junior and novice, are held in some countries.
Results from national championships do not count towards ISU Personal Best scores. For examples of senior level national championships, see List of national championships in figure skating.
Other
- Club competitions, also known as nonqualifying competitions, organized by a local figure skating clubFigure skating clubA figure skating club is a local organization of figure skaters, often centered around a single ice rink. Typical club activities include arranging practice ice time, hosting test sessions and competitions, and producing an annual ice show in which club skaters may take part...
. These events have open entries and typically many age or test level divisions, and are sanctioned by, and conducted using the rules of, the national skating federation in the country where they are held. Skaters from other countries may enter these events with the permission of their own federation.- ISI competitions are sanctioned by, and held using the rules of, the Ice Skating InstituteIce Skating InstituteThe Ice Skating Institute is a trade association for ice rinks, and also an international governing body for recreational figure skating. It was founded in 1959 in order to promote skating as a recreational activity...
instead of the national federation. - Basic skills competitions are for low-level recreational skaters.
- ISI competitions are sanctioned by, and held using the rules of, the Ice Skating Institute
- Made-for-television competitions in a variety of formats.
- Unsanctioned professional competitions, including events such as the World Professional Figure Skating ChampionshipsWorld Professional Figure Skating ChampionshipsThe World Professional Figure Skating Championships, often referred to as Landover, was an elite made-for-TV figure skating competition. It was created by Dick Button, a 2-time Olympic gold medalist, through his production company Candid Productions. It usually took place in December...
and Ice WarsIce WarsIce Wars is an annual elite figure skating team competition. The first Ice Wars took place in 1994. The competition format is "Team World" vs. "Team USA" or "Team North America". The 2005 competition was one exception, with the format changed to a "Battle of the Sexes" format, Men vs. Ladies...
, and reality televisionReality televisionReality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
programs where participants compete in figure skating. Skaters who participate in these events become ineligibleAmateur sportsAmateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. Sporting amateurism was a zealously guarded ideal in the 19th century, especially among the upper classes, but faced steady erosion throughout the 20th century with the continuing growth of pro sports...
to compete in future sanctioned events. - International pro-am and invitational events that are sanctioned by the ISU but typically using different competition formats than standard international competitions.
- Pro-am and invitational events that are sanctioned by a national federation, involving eligibleAmateur sportsAmateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. Sporting amateurism was a zealously guarded ideal in the 19th century, especially among the upper classes, but faced steady erosion throughout the 20th century with the continuing growth of pro sports...
skaters only from that country, again typically involving nonstandard rules and competition formats.
- Unsanctioned professional competitions, including events such as the World Professional Figure Skating Championships
How competitions are conducted
At an international or major national skating competitions, skaters in the same event are divided into groups for practice sessions before the competition. Because of safety concerns, there are usually no more than 6 singles skaters, 4 pair skatingPair skating
Pair skating is a figure skating discipline. International Skating Union regulations describe pair teams as consisting of "one lady and one man." The sport is distinguished from ice dancing and single skating by elements unique to pair skating, including overhead lifts, twist lifts, death spirals,...
teams, or 5 ice dancing
Ice dancing
Ice dancing is a form of figure skating which draws from the world of ballroom dancing. It was first competed at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, but did not become a Winter Olympic Games medal sport until 1976....
couples on the ice at the same time. After a warmup period, each skater's program music is played in turn. All the skaters remain on the ice, but the skater whose music is being played is supposed to have the right of way. Skaters are usually given at least one "official" practice on the actual competition ice surface for each competition segment before the event, which allows them to orient themselves in the arena and check for any problems with the timing or sound quality of their music. Coaches are not permitted on the ice with their skaters at competition practices, and instead stand or sit behind the rink boards. At international competitions except for the Olympic Games, skaters are not permitted to skate except on the officially designated practice sessions once they have been credentialed at the competition.
The start order for the initial phase (short program or compulsory dance) of the competition has traditionally been determined by random draw, but at some competitions is now the reverse order of seeding or qualification placement. Again, skaters are divided into warmup groups. During the competition, each group of skaters takes the ice together for few minutes of warmup, then each skater performs their program alone on the ice. The skaters then wait off the ice in the kiss and cry
Kiss and cry
The kiss and cry is the area in an ice rink where figure skaters wait for their marks to be announced after their performances during a figure skating competition. The skaters and coaches often kiss to celebrate after a good performance, or cry after a poor one...
area for their marks to be read, while volunteers (usually children) called sweepers collect any flowers or other gifts from the ice. There is usually a break to resurface the ice
Ice resurfacer
An ice resurfacer is a truck-like vehicle or smaller device used to clean and smooth the surface of an ice rink. The first ice resurfacer was developed by Frank J. Zamboni in 1949 in the city of Paramount, California...
after every 2 groups. In the second and subsequent phases of the competition, the start orders and warmup groups are determined by current standings, with either a random draw within each group or competitors skating in reverse order of standing, depending on the rules of the particular competition.
As of 2007, all international and most national competitions use the ISU Judging System
ISU Judging System
The ISU Judging System , is the scoring system on the event and on the level of competition. At the senior international level, single and pairs short programs contain eight technical elements. The actual eight elements are detailed for single skaters in ISU rule 310...
to determine competition results. The judges, event referee, and technical panel officials sit together on one side of the ice, close to the ice level. The referee is responsible for running the competition, such as signalling the announcer and music booth, timing the warmup periods, and resolving any issues involving accidents or disruptions. Accountants are responsible for tabulating the marks and competition results. At many competitions, there are also trial judges sitting in a group behind the working officials, who practice-judge the event in order to qualify for a judging appointment.
Following the competition, there may be a podium ceremony on the ice where medals, trophies, and flowers are awarded. Many competitions conclude with a gala or exhibition where the top finishers from each discipline, and sometimes invited skaters from the host country or club, perform show programs in a non-competitive setting.
Qualifying and club competitions usually follow similar procedures. At these events, because of the number of competitors, skaters may only get a brief practice without music on the competition ice surface. Particularly in the lower-level age or skill divisions, it is common to use closed judging to save time; in this case, the judges record each skater's marks after their performance, but the marks are not read, only posted at the conclusion of the competition. At competitions where there are a very large number of competitors, they may be divided into groups for a qualifying or initial round, from which the best-placed skaters from each group advance to the final round. At club competitions it is also very common for the short program and free skating to be held as separate events with separate entries. Podium ceremonies are usually held in an off-ice area, and there is rarely a gala.
Competitions in synchronized skating
Synchronized skating
Synchronized skating or synchronised skating, a large and fast-growing discipline, consists of 8—20 athletes skating on ice at one time moving as one flowing unit at high speeds...
follow a somewhat modified procedure. Because of the impossibility of having more than one team on the ice at the same time, each team gets their own designated practice time before the competition, and a short warmup period immediately before their performance in which the team members usually file onto the ice and skate around in a choreographed formation to take up the opening position for their program. At synchronized skating competitions, the judges' stand is positioned high above the ice for better visibility of the formations, and there is a second referee at ice level responsible for dealing with accidents and safety issues.
Qualifying competitions in the United States
The United States Figure Skating AssociationUnited States Figure Skating Association
U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating on ice in the United States. It is recognized as such by the United States Olympic Committee "USOC" under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act and is the United States member of the International Skating...
holds national championships in five skill divisions. From highest to lowest, these are:
- Senior (also known as Championship)
- Junior
- Novice
- Intermediate
- Juvenile
Unlike the International Skating Union
International Skating Union
The International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...
, which categorizes novice, junior, and senior skaters by age, in the US these are test or skill levels. For example, a skater who competes in the junior division must have passed the junior skating test in that particular discipline, but not yet the senior test. In practice, the skills required to pass the tests are well below those that are required to be competitive at the corresponding level, and skaters choose which level to test based on the level they think they can compete at successfully, rather than vice-versa.
The national novice, junior, and senior competitions in men and ladies singles, pair skating
Pair skating
Pair skating is a figure skating discipline. International Skating Union regulations describe pair teams as consisting of "one lady and one man." The sport is distinguished from ice dancing and single skating by elements unique to pair skating, including overhead lifts, twist lifts, death spirals,...
, and ice dancing
Ice dancing
Ice dancing is a form of figure skating which draws from the world of ballroom dancing. It was first competed at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, but did not become a Winter Olympic Games medal sport until 1976....
are held at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships each year. The national juvenile and intermediate competitions are held at a separate event known as the "U.S. Junior Championships" (but note that the "juniors" do not compete here).
The qualifying season for novice, junior, and senior skaters begins at one of nine regional championships, which are now typically held in the first half of October. The top four skaters from each regional advance to one of three sectional championships in November, from which the top four advance to the national championship in January. (Up until the 1990s, competitions were held later in the season, with regionals typically in November and sectionals often not until January.)
The regions and sections are:
| Eastern section | Midwestern section | Pacific Coast section |
|---|---|---|
| New England region | Eastern Great Lakes region | Pacific Northwest region |
| North Atlantic region | Upper Great Lakes region | Central Pacific region |
| South Atlantic region | Southwestern region | Southwest Pacific region |
Some skaters are also given "byes" through qualifying based on their results from the previous season's competitions, if they qualify for the Junior or Senior Grand Prix Final, or if they are assigned by the USFSA to international competitions that conflict with their qualifying competitions. Skaters are currently not eligible for byes at any level if they cannot compete in their qualifying competition due to injury or illness.
Juvenile and intermediate skaters also compete at regionals. From there, the top finishers advance directly to the U.S. Junior Championships. Because the number of competitors in these divisions is much larger in some regions than others, the number who advance from each region depends on the number of entries in that region.
Synchronized skating
In the US, synchronized skatingSynchronized skating
Synchronized skating or synchronised skating, a large and fast-growing discipline, consists of 8—20 athletes skating on ice at one time moving as one flowing unit at high speeds...
has its own competition track with the national championships and qualifying events held separately from those in the other disciplines. There are no regional championships in this discipline; teams qualify for the U.S. Synchronized Team Skating Championships at one of three sectional competitions.
Adult competition
Adults (skaters 21 and older) in the US have a separate competitive track which culminates in the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships (colloquially Adult Nationals). Most divisions at this competition are non-qualifying events with open entries, but there is also a more rigorous set of qualifying events called Championship events. Skaters must qualify for the Championship events through their respective adult sectional championship, which is held separately from standard-track sectionals.Adult Sectionals are typically held in late February or early March, with Nationals occurring in mid-April.
Qualifying competitions in Canada
Skate Canada organizes the annual Canadian Figure Skating ChampionshipsCanadian Figure Skating Championships
The Canadian Figure Skating Championships is a figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of Canada. It is organized by Skate Canada, the nation's figure skating governing body. The levels of the competition are senior and junior; in some years, the novice level has...
and the competitions leading up to them. The competition levels in Canada, from highest to lowest, are:
- Senior
- Junior
- Novice
- Pre-novice
- Juvenile
Canada's figure skating organization is divided into 13 sections which generally correspond to provincial boundaries, except for Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
which has 4 sections. Sectional championships for singles, pair skating
Pair skating
Pair skating is a figure skating discipline. International Skating Union regulations describe pair teams as consisting of "one lady and one man." The sport is distinguished from ice dancing and single skating by elements unique to pair skating, including overhead lifts, twist lifts, death spirals,...
, and ice dancing
Ice dancing
Ice dancing is a form of figure skating which draws from the world of ballroom dancing. It was first competed at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, but did not become a Winter Olympic Games medal sport until 1976....
are generally held in November. The top four finishers at each level advance to the next event.
Senior skaters qualify directly from sectionals to the Canadian Figure Skating Championships
Canadian Figure Skating Championships
The Canadian Figure Skating Championships is a figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of Canada. It is organized by Skate Canada, the nation's figure skating governing body. The levels of the competition are senior and junior; in some years, the novice level has...
. As in the United States, top finishers from the previous year and skaters with conflicting international assignments receive byes to the national championships.
The top junior, novice, and pre-novice skaters from each sectional championship qualify to skate at either the Eastern or Western Challenge competitions. From the Challenge events, junior skaters qualify to skate at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships
Canadian Figure Skating Championships
The Canadian Figure Skating Championships is a figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of Canada. It is organized by Skate Canada, the nation's figure skating governing body. The levels of the competition are senior and junior; in some years, the novice level has...
, while novice and pre-novice skaters qualify to skate at the Junior National Skating Championships, held separately from the national championship for juniors and seniors. Juveniles qualify directly from their sectional championships to the Junior National event.
Skate Canada runs two separate tracks for synchronized skating
Synchronized skating
Synchronized skating or synchronised skating, a large and fast-growing discipline, consists of 8—20 athletes skating on ice at one time moving as one flowing unit at high speeds...
competitions. The "festival" or recreational track allows for smaller teams, no test requirements, and more lenient age groupings, to encourage as many clubs as possible to field teams. The elite competitive track comprises competition at the novice, junior, senior, and adult levels. The top 4 teams from each section qualify to compete at the Skate Canada Synchronized Nationals.
Qualifying competitions in Japan
Competitions organized by the Japan Skating FederationJapan Skating Federation
The Japan Skating Federation is the sports governing body of Japan for figure skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was created in 1929.-External links:* *...
begin with 6 block championships:
- Block 1: Northeast/HokkaidōHokkaido, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
- Block 2: Kantō regionKanto regionThe is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
- Block 3: TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
- Block 4: Chūbu regionChubu regionThe is the central region of Honshū, Japan's main island. Chūbu has a population estimate of 21,886,324 as of 2008.Chūbu, which means "central region", encompasses nine prefectures : Aichi, Fukui, Gifu, Ishikawa, Nagano, Niigata, Shizuoka, Toyama, Yamanashi, and often Mie.It is located directly...
- Block 5: Kinki
- Block 6: ShikokuShikokuis the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
/KyūshūKyushuis the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
The block championships are held in October. In November, there are two regional championships -- East Japanese and West Japanese -- leading to the Japan Figure Skating Championships
Japan Figure Skating Championships
The Japan or All-Japan Figure Skating Championships are a figure skating national championship held annually to determine the national champions of Japan. Skaters compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing, although not every discipline has been held...
for senior-level skaters, which are usually held in December. National competitions for novice and junior competitors are held separately. In Japan, the levels follow the ISU age guidelines for junior and senior level competitors, so that skaters who are age-eligible for both ISU junior and senior events often compete in both national competitions. The national championships in synchronized skating
Synchronized skating
Synchronized skating or synchronised skating, a large and fast-growing discipline, consists of 8—20 athletes skating on ice at one time moving as one flowing unit at high speeds...
are also held as a separate event.