History
Figure skating was first contested as an Olympic sport at the 1908 Summer Olympics, in London, United Kingdom. As this traditional winter sport could be conducted indoors, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved its inclusion in the Summer Olympics program. [1] It was featured a second time at the Antwerp Games, [2] after which it was permanently transferred to the program of the Winter Olympic Games, first held in 1924 in Chamonix, France. [1]
In London, figure skating was presented in four events: men's singles, women's singles, men's special figures, and mixed pairs. The special figures contest was won by Russian Nikolai Panin, who gave his country its first ever Olympic gold medal. [3] He remains the event's sole winner, as it was subsequently dropped from the program.
Ice dance joined as a medal sport in 1976, after appearing as a demonstration event at Grenoble 1968. [2]
A team event debuted at the 2014 Olympics. [4] It consists of two segments: qualification and finals. During qualification each team has one men's single skater, one women's single skater, one pair, and one ice dance couple skate their short program/dance. Before the finals, each team is allowed to replace up to two skaters/couples. The final consists of each skater/couple skating their free program/dance. Results are determined by placement points. [5]
Qualifying
There are five figure skating events at the Winter Olympics: one men's event (men's single skating), one women's event (women's single skating), and three mixed events, which consist of pair skating, ice dance, and the team event. [6] Athletes are sent to the Olympics by their individual National Olympic Committees (NOCs), which "promote the development of their respective national athletes and select which ones will attend the Olympic Games" and nominate host cities selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). [7]
The International Skating Union (ISU), the organization that oversees figure skating, states the following: "All athletes must respect and comply with the provisions of the Olympic Charter currently in force". [8] These provisions include, but are not limited to: [8]
- Rule 41, which states that "any competitor in the Olympic Games must be a national of the country of the NOC which is entering such competitor". [9]
- The rule prohibiting doping, which is defined as "the use of prohibited substances to enhance performance". [10]
- The Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of Manipulation of Competitions, which prohibits "an intentional arrangement, act or omission aimed at an improper alteration of the result or the course of a sports competition" for the purpose of "obtaining an undue benefit for oneself or for others". [11]
The maximum number of competitors for the Winter Games across all disciplines, for the short program, and for the rhythm dance to qualify for the free skate and free dance must be determined before each Winter Games and must be in accordance with the qualification system. The IOC decides the qualification system in consultation with the ISU and publishes the qualification points and qualification timeline prior to the start of the Winter Games. [12] [13] [a] The IOC also publishes the confirmation and entry procedure for the Olympics prior to the Olympics. [14]
There are 26 entries for the women's and men's singles competition, 16 entries for pair skaters, and 19 entries for ice dance. ISU-member countries with skaters who have earned the necessary points have the right to two or three entries into the Winter Games if they also had two or three entries in the World Championships immediately prior to the Winter Games. [12]
The remaining open entries are filled by ISU-member countries in the order of their placements at a senior international competition designated by the ISU that took place in the autumn of the calendar year immediately prior to the Winter Games. The entries are available only to ISU-member countries that have earned one entry and have earned enough points for two or three entries, but did not have two or three skaters who qualified for the free skate or free dance at the World Championships immediately prior to the Olympic Games. [12]
Skaters of ISU-member countries who have participated in the World senior championships that have taken place the year before the Winter Games are eligible to accumulate points to qualify to compete at the Olympics. [12] Skaters, pair teams, and ice dancing couples are eligible to enter and participate in the Olympics only if they have reached the applicable combined total elements score, as established for the European Championships or Four Continents Championships. The scores must be earned during an ISU-recognized international competition held during the same season as the Games or during the immediately preceding season. [15] However, the ISU-member country that is hosting the Games has the right to enter one competitor "per concerned discipline(s) as additional entry(ies)" only if the "concerned Skater(s)/Pair/Couple" have earned the minimum total elements score for the Winter Games. [15] Skaters participating in the Olympics through the host country's allocated quota can compete in individual events only, not in the team event. [16] The host country can choose not to send competitors to the figure skating events at the Olympics; for example, in 1994, Norway sent no skaters to Lillehammer, despite being the host country. [17]
ISU-member countries with skaters who have earned entries must inform the ISU, if possible, how many skaters and teams are eligible to compete at the Olympics after the senior World Championships and qualifying competition, whichever applies, but before a specified date. The unfilled entries will be filled by eligible member countries. [15] The ISU publishes a list of the "set and stand-by entries" before a specified date, but after the senior World Championships and qualifying competitions for the Olympics, whichever applies. [15] The ISU confirms in writing the quota places allotted to each NOC, and the NOCs have two weeks to accept them. [16]
Team event
If the IOC includes, in the program of the Olympics, in addition to the existing number of events, a team event with single skaters, pair skaters, and ice dancers, the ISU, in consultation with the IOC, will set all relevant conditions for the event. [15] These conditions include: the number of teams and participants; qualifying, participation, and entry criteria; technical format; starting order; result determination; officials' participation; and other "relevant technical and organizational details". [15]
The team event format consists of up to ten best national teams from the NOCs. Each team consists of one skater from the men's single skating event, one skater from the women's single skating event, one pair skating team, and one ice dance couple, for a total of six skaters per team. [18] According to the ISU, "Only athletes that are already qualified for the individual events...are eligible to participate in the Team Event" at the Olympics. [19] Each team must participate in at least three disciplines of the team event. [18] If an NOC has two or three entries in an individual Olympic competition and/or discipline, the NOC must confirm the names of the participants who will compete in the short program and/or rhythm dance of the team event. [14]
Age limit
As of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games, "athletes must be born on or before July 1, 2008". [8]
In 2022, the ISU voted to gradually raise the minimum age to 17 over the next three years. They characterized the decision "as an effort to safeguard 'the physical and mental health, and emotional well-being' of skaters". [20] The decision came in the aftermath of worldwide criticism for the doping scandal involving Russian skater Kamila Valieva during the Beijing Winter Olympics, who was 15 years old at the time. The scandal, according to The New York Times , "once again raised questions about the physical and mental safety of young skaters and whether enough was being done to protect them from the adults guiding their careers". [20]
The proposal to raise the age limit had broad support in the international figure skating community, where the issue had been discussed and debated for many years, though some opposed the disruption it would cause to the sport. Tatiana Tarasova, a top figure skating coach in Russia, stated that the rule change was made to "specifically target the Russian team". [20] ISU president Jan Dijkema said that it was an important and historic decision. [20]
Scoring and judging system
A very specific scoring system is used for every discipline in the Olympics. This is referred to as the International Judging System (IJS). Competitors are scored on the technical score and the program components. Each technical element that is attempted in a program has a specific base value of points, which varies based on the element. [21] Additionally, elements such as spins and step sequences can achieve different levels, which can add or subtract points from that element's final score. At the end of the program, all of the competitors' technical element points are added up to form their technical scores. The program components are determined by the overall presentation of a performance and are separated into five categories. The categories consist of skating skills, transitions, performance, composition, and interpretation of the music. [22] Again, these categories are added together at the end of the program to determine the program components score. The technical elements score and the program components score are added together to create a final segment score.
The judging system consists of two parts, the technical panel and the judges. [21] The technical panel involves five people that play different roles in judging the technical elements of a skaters program. First, there is the technical specialist, who uses the rules developed by the International Skating Union to identify each element and its level of difficulty. The two judges who support the main technical specialist are referred to as the technical controllers and assistant technical specialist. They make sure the primary specialist has correctly identified the elements and make any final decisions on the technical elements presented in the program. The final two roles presented by the technical panel are the data operator and video replay operator. Separate from the technical panel is the judging panel, which is made up of nine judges. Their job is to judge the quality of each element done by the skater regarding the technical elements, as well as evaluate the program components shown in the program. They do this by a great of execution score, GOE, that ranges from –5 to +5 and determines how many points can be added or subtracted from the base value of an element.
