Pair skating is a figure skating

Figure skating

Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...

 discipline. 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...

 (ISU) regulations describe pair teams as consisting of "one lady and one man." The sport is distinguished from 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....

 and single skating

Single skating

Single skating is a discipline of figure skating, wherein a single person skates alone. Men's singles and ladies' singles are both Olympic disciplines and are both governed by the International Skating Union. The other Olympic figure skating events are pair skating and ice dancing...

 by elements unique to pair skating, including overhead lifts, twist lifts, death spirals, and throw jumps. The teams also perform the elements of single skating in unison. Pair skating is difficult because achieving this degree of unison requires similar technique and timing on all elements of the performance, as well as practice and trust between the partners. The aim is to create an impression of "two skating as one". Serious skating accidents are most common in the pair discipline.

In February 1908, pair skating first appeared at the World Championships

1908 World Figure Skating Championships

The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion....

, with three teams from Germany, the United Kingdom, and Russia competing in Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

. Its Olympic debut was in October 1908, with three teams competing in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, one from Germany and two from the U.K. Pair skating has evolved significantly since its early beginnings. Some elements common in the modern-day sport were not introduced until decades later.

Technical elements

Pair skaters execute a variety of elements, some of which are unique to the discipline. Each element receives a score according to its base value and grade of execution (GOE), resulting in a combined technical elements score (TES). At competitions, a technical specialist identifies and assigns a level of difficulty to each element. Level 4 is the most difficult. A panel of judges determines GOE, ranging from +3 to -3, based on how well the pair executes the element. The GOE may be weighted according to the element's base value.

Note: Women are referred to as "ladies" in ISU regulations.

Lifts

Pair lifts

Figure skating lifts

Figure skating lifts are a required element in pair skating and ice dancing. Pairs lifts differ from dance lifts most notably in that dancers are not allowed to lift their partners above their shoulders...

are generally overhead, rotational, and require ice coverage, ie. to travel a distance across the ice. Scores are affected by the type of lift, type of entry, ice coverage and speed across the ice, changes of position, the quality of the lady's position, the man's stability and cleanness of turns (i.e. minimal snow flying), type of dismount, and unique features. Both partners usually must be on one foot as they exit the lift. Covering a shorter distance or slowing down significantly during the lift may lower a judge's evaluation. Optional features to increase one's score include performing a difficult entry or dismount, a release to one hand, changes of position during the lift, stopping the rotation and/or rotating in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions.

Lifts without rotation are termed carry lifts. Lifts below the man's shoulders are termed dance lifts and are counted toward the choreography mark, as are stationary lifts, lifts performed "on the spot", without traveling any distance.

Lifts are categorized by the grip and position used to initially lift the lady over the man's head. For example, in a hip lift, the man lifts the lady with his hand on her hip, and a press lift uses a hand-to-hand grip. The most difficult type of lift is considered to be the Axel lasso lift, in which the lady rotates a full turn while she is lifted by the man in a hand-to-hand grip.

Twist lifts

A twist lift

Twist lifts

A twist lift is a pairs figure skating hand-to-waist lift. The man lifts the lady in the air, where she performs one or more rotations in a laid-out position. He catches her in the air and lets her down onto one foot...

, an element found only in pair skating, is a move that begins with the man assisting the lady in an Axel or toe-assisted jump where she rotates and is caught mid-air by the man, who then places her down back on the ice. In some twists, the lady performs a split before rotating. This raises the grade of execution if each leg is separated by at least a 45° angle from the body axis. A pair may also achieve a higher score with a difficult entrance, delayed rotation, or if the lady holds her arms over her head.

Double and triple twist lifts are commonly seen at the elite level; the first quad twist was performed by Marina Cherkasova

Marina Cherkasova

Marina Evgenievna Cherkasova is a Russian retired pair skater. With Sergei Shakhrai, she won the 1979 European title at the age of 14. At 15, she was the 1980 Olympic silver medalist and 1980 World champion.- Career :...

 and Sergei Shakrai at the 1977 European Championships

1977 European Figure Skating Championships

The 1977 European Figure Skating Championships were the European Figure Skating Championships of the 1976-1977 season. Elite senior-level figure skaters from European ISU Member Nations competed for the title of European Champion...

.

Throw jumps

A throw jump, an element unique to pair skating, is a move in which the man assists the lady into the air and she lands on her own. Throw jumps can be done with any of the jump takeoffs, done as doubles, triples, or quadruples for elite pair teams. The toe loop and salchow are considered the easiest jumps while the loop and flip are more difficult; the most difficult throw jump is the axel. The score is affected by the quality of execution, including the speed going into the element and distance and height of the throw. The man should continue skating in a smooth manner, without stopping or lunging forward too much from the exertion. Difficult entries, such as from a spiral, may increase the score.

The most difficult throw jump that has been completed in competition is the throw triple axel jump

Axel jump

The Axel is a figure skating jump with a forward take-off. It is named after the Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen, who first performed the jump in 1882. An Axel jump has an extra ½ rotation in the air due to its forward take-off...

. It was first performed by Rena Inoue

Rena Inoue

is an American pair skater. With partner John Baldwin, she is the 2004 and 2006 U.S. National Champion. Inoue previously competed for Japan as both a single skater and pair skater. Inoue and Baldwin are the first skaters to perform a throw triple axel in competition.-Personal life:Rena Inoue was...

 and John Baldwin Jr at the 2006 U.S. Championships. They were also the first to perform it in international competition at the 2006 Winter Olympics

2006 Winter Olympics

The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...

.

Death spirals

A death spiral

Death spiral (figure skating)

Death spiral is an element of pair skating performed with the man in a pivot position, one toe anchored in the ice. Holding his hand, the woman circles her partner on a deep edge with her body almost parallel to the ice. It is a required element in pair skating....

, an element unique to pair skating, is a move in which the man performs a pivot while swinging the lady around on a deep edge in a position almost horizontal to the ice. The outside edge death spirals are considered more difficult than the inside edge variants, with the forward outside death spiral the most difficult of all. An unusual entry such as a shoot-the-duck or catch-foot position, change of hand hold during the element and/or maintaining a catch-foot position may raise the score.

Pair spins

A pair spin is a spin

Figure skating spins

Spins are an element in figure skating where the skater rotates, centered on a single point on the ice, while holding one or more body positions. The skater rotates on the part of the blade just behind the toe pick, with the weight on the ball of the foot...

 in which the two spin around a common axis while holding each other. The additional balance obtained by holding onto a partner allows pair skaters to obtain spin positions that would be difficult or impossible for a singles skater to achieve. Rotational speed, centering, and quality and difficulty of positions affect the score. Pairs can also employ atypical entries or rotating in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions.

Side-by-side elements

Pair skaters also perform single skating

Single skating

Single skating is a discipline of figure skating, wherein a single person skates alone. Men's singles and ladies' singles are both Olympic disciplines and are both governed by the International Skating Union. The other Olympic figure skating events are pair skating and ice dancing...

 elements in unison such as side-by-side (SBS) jumps and spins

Figure skating spins

Spins are an element in figure skating where the skater rotates, centered on a single point on the ice, while holding one or more body positions. The skater rotates on the part of the blade just behind the toe pick, with the weight on the ball of the foot...

. Keeping in line with "two skating as one", the quality of a SBS element is not evaluated by an average of each skater's completion. Instead, skaters should begin a side-by-side element together, maintain unison and close proximity to each other throughout, and finish together.

In side-by-side jumps, pairs must perform the same jump in unison and closely together. If one partner underrotates a jump, both jumps are marked as the lower of the two. For example, if one partner underrotates a double axel by more than a quarter, both jumps will be evaluated as a single axel attempt. Due to having to maintain identical timing and technique, skaters who are able to perform a jump separately may struggle when performing the jump with a partner.

Side-by-side spins are evaluated on unison and timing, difficulty and quality of positions, closeness, centering, and rotational speed. Pairs sometimes shout auditory cues to their partner in order to maintain and adjust their timing.

Other elements

Pairs also perform step sequences, spiral sequences and other moves in the field

Moves in the field

Moves in the Field is a name given to elements of figure skating that emphasize basic skating skills and edge control. In the context of a competitive program, moves in the field include spirals, spread eagles, Ina Bauers, hydroblading, and similar extended edge moves.In the United States, moves...

. Part of the step sequence is usually performed in unison but pairs may also include a mirror portion, dance lifts, etc. They are evaluated on variety and difficulty of turns, edge quality, speed, ice coverage, timing, and unison.

Spiral sequences do not have to be performed in identical positions. Speed, ice coverage, depth of edge (lean) and quality of positions determine the score.

Moves in the field include spread eagles, spirals, ina bauers, cantilevers, dance lifts and others. Pairs may create variations and combinations of these moves.

Program components

The program components score (PCS), also known as presentation, is composed of:

1) Skating skills (SS): Defined as "edge control and flow over the ice surface demonstrated by a command of the skating vocabulary (edges, steps, turns, etc), the clarity of technique, and the use of effortless power to accelerate and vary speed", it includes:

• Balance, rhythmic knee action, and precision of foot placement
• Flow and effortless glide
• Clean and controlled curves, deep edges, steps, and turns
• Varied use of power/energy, speed, and acceleration
• Multi directional skating: Forward and backward, clockwise and counterclockwise including rotation in both directions
• Mastery of one foot skating. No over use of skating on two feet.
• Equal mastery of technique by both partners shown in unison.

2) Transitions (TR): Defined as "varied and/or intricate footwork, positions, movements, and holds that link all elements", including the entrances and exits of technical elements. The criteria include:

• Variety
• Difficulty
• Intricacy
• Quality including unison
• Balance of workload between partners

3) Performance/execution (PE) includes:

• Physical, emotional, and intellectual involvement
• Carriage and alignment
• Style and individuality, ie. "the distinctive use of line and movement as inspired by the music" and artistic choices
• Clarity of movement is "refined lines of the body and limbs, as well as the precise execution of any movement"
• Varied use of tempo, rhythm, force, size, level, movement shapes, angles, and body parts as well as the use of contrast
• Projection
• Unison and “oneness”
• Balance in performance between partners
• Spatial awareness between partners – management of the distance between partners and management of changes of hold
• The use of same techniques in edges, jumping, spinning, line, and style

4) Choreography (CH) includes the following criteria:

• Purpose, i.e. idea, concept, vision, mood
• Proportion (equal weight of all parts)
• Unity – purposeful threading of all movements
• Utilization of personal and public space
• Pattern and ice coverage, variety of patterns and directions of travel
• Phrasing and form (movement and parts are structured to match the phrasing of the music)
• Originality of purpose, movement, and design
• Shared responsibility of purpose (both partners have equal roles)

5) Interpretation (IN) includes:

• Effortless movements in time to the music
• Expression of the music's style, character, and rhythm
• Use of finesse to reflect the nuances of music
• Relationship between the partners reflecting the character of the music, equal understanding of the music

Illegal elements

Some pair skating maneuvers are banned from Olympic-eligible skating due to their high risk of serious injury to the skaters. Illegal elements warrant deductions in both the 6.0 and ISU Judging System. These moves are only performed in exhibitions or professional competition.

• A headbanger or bounce spin is performed by the man swinging the lady around with both of her feet off the ice, supported only by the man's grip on her ankle. The lady is elevated and lowered during the spin in a periodic fashion, sometimes with her head coming dangerously close to skimming the ice.

• A Detroiter is performed by the man lifting the lady over his head, holding her parallel to the ice while he is in a two-foot spin. The hold is the most dangerous part of the spin because the man is supporting the lady only by her legs. This move is also performed in more dramatic and dangerous fashion with a one-handed hold.

Other illegal maneuvers include:

• somersault type jumps
• lifts with wrong holds
• lifts with more than 3 ½ revolutions of the man
• spinning movements in which the man swings the lady around in the air while holding her hand or foot
• twist-like or rotational movements during which the lady is turned over with her skating foot leaving the ice
• rotational movements with the grip of one of the partners on the leg, arm and neck of the other partner
• jumps of one of the partners towards the other partner
• lying and prolonged and/or stationary kneeling on both knees on the ice at any moment

Terminology

• Mirror pairs are rare teams that perform side-by-side elements in opposite rotational directions. One such pair was Kristi Yamaguchi
  Kristi Yamaguchi
  Kristine Tsuya "Kristi" Yamaguchi-Hedican is an American figure skater. She is the 1992 Olympic Champion in ladies' singles. Yamaguchi also won two World Figure Skating Championships in 1991 and 1992 and a U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 1992. She won one junior world title in 1988 and two...
  
   (counter-clockwise) and Rudy Galindo
  Rudy Galindo
  Val Joe "Rudy" Galindo is an American figure skater who competed in both single skating and pair skating. As a single skater, he is the 1996 U.S. national champion and 1987 World Junior Champion. As a pairs skater, he competed with Kristi Yamaguchi and was the 1988 World Junior Champion and the...
  
   (clockwise
  Clockwise
  Circular motion can occur in two possible directions. A clockwise motion is one that proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back to the top...
  
  ). Jill Watson
  Jill Watson
  Jill Watson is an American retired pair skater and coach. With her partner Peter Oppegard, she won three U.S. championships and a bronze medal at the 1988 Winter Olympics....
  
  (counter-clockwise) and Peter Oppegard
  Peter Oppegard
  Peter Oppegard is an American retired pair skater and coach. With his partner Jill Watson, he won three U.S. championships and a bronze medal at the 1988 Winter Olympics....
  
  (clockwise) also jumped in opposite directions. More recently, Tiffany Vise
  Tiffany Vise
  Tiffany Vise is an American pair skater. Between 2003 and 2009, she competed with partner Derek Trent. On November 17, 2007, Vise & Trent landed the first clean throw quadruple salchow jump in international competition...
  
   (clockwise) and Derek Trent
  Derek Trent
  Derek Trent is an American retired competitive skater pair skater. He competed for most of his career with Tiffany Vise. On November 17, 2007, Vise and Trent landed the first clean throw quadruple salchow jump in international competition...
  
   (counter-clockwise) also rotate in opposite directions.

• Mirror skating is a term similar to mirror pairs, but can apply to movements other than jumps and spins. The pair team of Andrée
  Andrée Brunet
  Andrée Brunet was a French figure skater and two-time Olympic champion in pair skating.-Biography:...
  
   and Pierre Brunet are credited with first performing this kind of movement.

• Shadow skating occurs when the pair performs the same movements without touching one another.

• A similar pair is a pair team made up of two men or two women. The opposite of a mixed pair. Similar pairs do not compete in ISU events.

Eligibility

Pair skaters may struggle to find a good match, in terms of skills, strength, style, height differential, and drive, in their native country. Some look abroad and agree to represent another country, e.g. Aliona Savchenko (Ukraine to Germany), Tatiana Volosozhar

Tatiana Volosozhar

Tatiana Andreеvna Volosozhar is a Russian-Ukrainian pair skater. With current partner Maxim Trankov, she won the silver medal at the 2011 World Championships, their first major international competition together...

 (Ukraine to Russia), Yuko Kavaguti (Japan to Russia), Mervin Tran

Mervin Tran

Mervin Tran is a Canadian figure skater who currently competes as a pair skater for Japan with Narumi Takahashi. They are the 2010 Junior World silver medalists, 2010–11 Junior Grand Prix Final champions, and 2008–2010 Japanese national champions.- Personal life :Tran was born in Regina,...

 (Canada to Japan), Ondřej Hotárek

Ondrej Hotárek

Ondřej Hotárek is a Czech pair skater who competes with Stefania Berton for Italy. They are the 2011 Italian national champions. Previously, he competed as a single skater and pair skater for the Czech Republic...

 (Czech Republic to Italy). Skaters may represent a country of which they are not yet a citizen in most competitions, except the Olympics which require citizenship. If a skater has previously represented another country, International Skating Union rules bar the skater from 24 months of international competition from the date of his or her last major event for the previous country, or 12 months from a minor event. To ease the difficulty of finding a partner, the period may be 12 months from a major event for pair skaters (and ice dancers) but only if the skater is released by his or her previous skating federation.

In 1996, the International Skating Union imposed age requirements. In order to compete at Worlds, Europeans, Four Continents or the Olympics, skaters must be 15 before July 1st of the preceding year, or 14 for other senior international competitions. To be eligible for junior-level events, a pair skater must be 13 by July 1st but cannot have turned 19 (females) or 21 (males).

Skaters may lose their Olympic eligibility if they perform in an unsanctioned show or competition.

Accidents

Competitive pair skaters generally do not wear helmets or other protective gear while executing risky elements on blades that are only 4mm (3/16 inch) thick. There is a risk of head injuries, most commonly as a result of falls from lifts. Irina Rodnina

Irina Rodnina

Irina Konstantinovna Rodnina is one of the most successful figure skaters ever and the only pair skater to win 10 successive World Championships and three successive Olympic gold medals . She initially competed with Alexei Ulanov and later teamed up with Alexander Zaitsev...

 competed at the 1972 World Championships

1972 World Figure Skating Championships

The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion....

, despite being hospitalized a day before the start of the competition with a concussion and an intracranial hematoma

Hematoma

A hematoma, or haematoma, is a localized collection of blood outside the blood vessels, usually in liquid form within the tissue. This distinguishes it from an ecchymosis, which is the spread of blood under the skin in a thin layer, commonly called a bruise...

. Tatiana Totmianina

Tatiana Totmianina

Tatiana Ivanovna Totmianina is a Russian pair skater. With partner Maxim Marinin, she is the 2006 Olympic Champion, two-time World Champion, and five-time European Champion...

 had a scary fall at the 2004 Skate America

2004 Skate America

Skate America is an international, senior-level invitation-only figure skating competition organized by the USFSA. It is the first ISU Grand Prix event to be held. The location changes yearly...

 and sustained a concussion but was not seriously injured. J. Paul Binnebose

J. Paul Binnebose

J. Paul Binnebose is an American retired pair skater. With partner Laura Lynn Handy, he won the bronze medal at the 1999 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. However, later that year, he fell while lifting Handy and hit his head on the ice, suffering a skull fracture and brain injury...

 suffered a nearly fatal head injury when he fell while lifting his partner; he was partly paralysed and did not return to competition.

Partners may also slash each other if they drift too close particularly during side-by-side camel spins. Several female pair skaters have suffered head/face injuries during this element, including Elena Berezhnaya, Jessica Dubé

Jessica Dubé

Jessica Dubé is a Canadian figure skater who is best known for her pairs career with Bryce Davison. They are the three-time Canadian national champion, the 2008 World bronze medalist and the 2009 Four Continents silver medalist. They represented Canada at the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics...

, and Galina Efremenko (Maniachenko)

Galina Efremenko

Galina Efremenko is a Ukrainian figure skater. She competed as Galina Maniachenko from 1994 until 2005 when she began competing under her married name, Efremenko. She is a three time Ukrainian national champion and twice competed at the Winter Olympics, placing 12th in 2002...

. Such accidents may also happen on other elements, e.g. Caydee Denney

Caydee Denney

Caydee Denney is an American pair skater. She currently skates with John Coughlin. With former partner Jeremy Barrett, she won the 2010 U.S. national championship. She also competed as a single skater until 2009....

 accidentally sliced open Jeremy Barrett

Jeremy Barrett (figure skater)

-External links:*...

's calf while practicing side-by-side jumps, requiring 42 stitches. Meagan Duhamel

Meagan Duhamel

Meagan Duhamel is a Canadian pair skater. With current partner Eric Radford, she is the 2011 Four Continents silver medalist and 2011 Canadian national silver medalist...

 sliced Craig Buntin

Craig Buntin

- External links :*...

's hand likewise on side-by-side jumps.

Twist lifts may also result in injury to both partners. Sometimes the female may elbow her partner on the descent from a twist; these accidents are not uncommon in practice and sometimes occur in competition, e.g. Duhamel breaking Eric Radford

Eric Radford

Eric Radford is a Canadian pair skater. With current partner Meagan Duhamel, he is the 2011 Four Continents silver medalist and 2011 Canadian national silver medalist...

's nose at the 2011 Worlds

2011 World Figure Skating Championships

The 2011 World Figure Skating Championships are the World Figure Skating Championships for the 2010–2011 season. They are an annual figure skating competition in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion....

. In some cases, this may prevent the man from catching his partner, e.g. Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison

Bryce Davison

Bryce Davison is an American-Canadian pair skater. With former partner Jessica Dubé, he is a three-time Canadian national champion, the 2008 World bronze medalist and the 2009 Four Continents silver medalist.They represented Canada at the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics.- Biography :Davison began...

at the 2009 World Team Trophy. The height and force of throw jumps may also cause injuries to the lady, particularly during quad throws.

Practice collisions between different pairs may occur. A pair has right of way when their music is playing during practice. As changing course is more difficult for a couple, a pair skating as a unit has right of way over those practicing separately.