Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance; the four individual disciplines are also combined into a team event, first included in the Winter Olympics in 2014. The non-Olympic disciplines include synchronized skating, Theater on Ice, and four skating. From intermediate through senior-level competition, skaters generally perform two programs, which, depending on the discipline, may include spins, jumps, moves in the field, lifts, throw jumps, death spirals, and other elements or moves.
The World Figure Skating Championships ("Worlds") is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union. Medals are awarded in the categories of men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance. Generally held in March, the World Championships are considered the most prestigious of the ISU Figure Skating Championships. With the exception of the Olympic title, a world title is considered to be the highest competitive achievement in figure skating.
Figure skating was first contested in the Olympic Games at the 1908 Summer Olympics. Since 1924, the sport has been a part of the Winter Olympic Games.
Skate America is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. It is hosted by U.S. Figure Skating. The location changes yearly. Medals are awarded in four disciplines: men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.
The NHK Trophy is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Organized by the Japanese Skating Federation, it began in 1979 and was added to the Grand Prix series in 1995, the series' inaugural year. Medals are awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.
The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating is a series of international junior-level competitions organized by the International Skating Union. Medals are awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. The series was inaugurated in 1997 to complement the senior-level ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. Skaters earn qualifying points at each Junior Grand Prix event and the six highest-ranking qualifiers meet at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final, which is held concurrently with the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.
The 2007 European Figure Skating Championships was a senior international figure skating competition. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. The event was held at the Torwar Hall in Warsaw, Poland from January 22 through 28.
The 2001 World Junior Figure Skating Championships were held from February 26 to March 2 at the Winter Sports Hall in Sofia, Bulgaria. Medals were awarded in men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. Due to the large number of participants, the men's and ladies' qualifying groups were split into groups A and B.
The International Skating Union organizes six annual Championships for figure skating. It is at the discretion of each member country which skaters, pairs or synchronized skating teams are sent to which championship.
The ISU Junior Grand Prix Final or JGP Final is the culmination of a series of junior-level competitions – the ISU Junior Grand Prix organized by the International Skating Union. Medals are awarded in men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. Skaters earn qualifying points at each Junior Grand Prix event. At the end of the series, the six highest-placing skaters from each discipline advance to the JGP Final.
The 2008 Skate America was the first event of six in the 2008–09 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Comcast Arena at Everett in Everett, Washington on October 23–26. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. Skaters earned points toward qualifying for the 2008–09 Grand Prix Final. The compulsory dance was the Viennese Waltz.
The NRW Trophy is an annual international figure skating competition organized by the Skating Union of North Rhine-Westphalia and since 2007, it has been sanctioned by the Deutsche Eislauf Union and the International Skating Union. It is held every autumn at Westfalenhallen in Dortmund, Germany. Medals are awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dance. The competition is held in two parts. The Ice Dance Trophy is held for ice dance levels pre-novice to senior in early November. The Figure Skating Trophy is held for singles and pairs skating levels novice to senior in late November or early December.
The 2011–12 ISU Junior Grand Prix was the 15th season of the series of junior international competitions organized by the International Skating Union. It was the junior-level complement to the 2011–12 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating contested by senior-level skaters. Skaters competed in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dance.
Piruetten was a senior international figure skating competition held in Hamar, Norway. Medals were awarded in men's singles, ladies' singles, and ice dancing. It later became a junior event held in some years as part of the ISU Junior Grand Prix series.
The ISU Junior Grand Prix in Austria is an international figure skating competition. Sanctioned by the International Skating Union, it is held in the autumn in some years as part of the JGP series. Medals may be awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.
The ISU Junior Grand Prix in Croatia is an international figure skating competition. Sanctioned by the International Skating Union, it is held in the autumn in some years as part of the JGP series. Medals may be awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.
The ISU Junior Grand Prix in the Czech Republic is an international figure skating competition. Sanctioned by the International Skating Union, it is held in the autumn in some years as part of the JGP series. Medals may be awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.
The ISU Junior Grand Prix in Slovakia is an international figure skating competition. Sanctioned by the International Skating Union, it is held in the autumn in some years as part of the JGP series. Medals may be awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.
The 2020 TOYOTA U.S. Figure Skating Championships were held from January 20–26, 2020 at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex in Greensboro, North Carolina. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dance at the senior and junior levels. The results were part of the U.S. selection criteria for the 2020 Four Continents Championships, 2020 World Junior Championships, and the 2020 World Championships.
