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 it was 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, which was 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.
Dorothy Stuart Hamill is a retired American figure skater. She is the 1976 Olympic champion and 1976 World champion in ladies' singles.
The International Skating Union (ISU) 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 July 1892, making it one of the oldest international sport federations. The ISU was formed to establish standardized international rules and regulations for the skating disciplines it governs, and to organize international competitions in these disciplines. It is now based in Switzerland.
Carlo Fassi was an Italian figure skater and international coach whose students included several World and Olympic champions. As a single skater, he was the 1953 World bronze medalist, a two-time European champion, and a ten-time Italian national champion (1945–54).
U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States. It is recognized as such by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act and is the United States member of the International Skating Union (ISU). Although the official name of the organization is "the United States Figure Skating Association," it is now known as and conducts business under the name "U.S. Figure Skating." Founded in 1921, U.S. Figure Skating regulates and governs the sport and defines and maintains the standard of skating proficiency. It specifies the rules for testing, competitions, and all other figure skating related activities. U.S. Figure Skating promotes interest and participation in the sport by assisting member clubs, skaters, and athletes, appointing officials, organizing competitions, exhibitions, and other figure skating pursuits, and offering a wide variety of programs.
Michael Weiss is an American former competitive and currently professional figure skater. He is in the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame and is a three-time national champion a two-time World bronze medalist, and a two-time Olympic team member.
Willy Böckl was an Austrian figure skater. He won the World Figure Skating Championships four times and captured two silver medals at the Winter Olympics.
The history of figure skating stretches back to prehistoric times. Primitive ice skates appear in the archaeological record from about 3000 BC. Edges were added by the Dutch in the 13th and 14th century. International figure skating competitions began appearing in the late 19th century; in 1891, the European Championships were inaugurated in Hamburg, Germany, and in 1896, the first World Championship were held in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire. At the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, England, figure skating became the first winter sport to be included in the Olympics.
Rockne Lee Brubaker, II is an American former competitive pair skater. With Keauna McLaughlin, he is the 2010 Four Continents silver medalist, the 2007 World Junior champion, and a two-time (2008–2009) U.S. national champion. With Mary Beth Marley, he is the 2012 Four Continents bronze medalist and 2012 U.S. silver medalist.
Keauna Inaba McLaughlin is an American former competitive pair skater. With partner Rockne Brubaker, she is the 2008 & 2009 U.S. National Champion, the 2010 Four Continents silver medalist, and the 2007 World Junior Champion.
The North American Figure Skating Championships were a former elite figure skating competition for skaters from the United States and Canada. It was a biennial competition held between 1923 and 1971, with locations alternating between the two countries.
Tom Zakrajsek is an American figure skating coach and former competitive skater. As a skater, he competed as a senior on the national level. He coaches at the Broadmoor Skating Club in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Georgi "Gorsha" Sur is a former ice dancer who represented the United States and the Soviet Union. With Svetlana Liapina for the Soviet Union, he is a two-time World Junior medalist. With Renée Roca for the U.S., he is a two-time U.S. national champion.
Alex Hideo Shibutani is an American ice dancer. Partnered with his sister Maia Shibutani, he is a two-time Olympic bronze medalist (2018), a three-time World medalist, the 2016 Four Continents champion, and a two-time U.S. national champion. The Shibutanis have also won six titles on the Grand Prix series and a silver medal at the 2009 World Junior Championships. They are two-time members of the US Olympic team, competing at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. In 2018, they became the first ice dancers who are both of Asian descent to medal at the Olympics. They are the second sibling duo to ever share an ice dancing Olympic medal, and the first from the United States.
The American Skaters Guild was the first skating teachers organization in North America. On August 10, 1938, a meeting took place of thirteen prominent figure skating coaches from the U.S. and Canada. The meeting took place in Lake Placid, N.Y. and was for the purpose of forming an association of professional figure skaters. The goals of this new organization were to provide mutual protection to the coaches and the clubs employing them, and to foster better relationships with the clubs and the United States Figure Skating Association. The group discussed the formulations of methods of ascertaining the competency of figure skating instructors by giving them tests directly associated with their actual teaching ability. Yearly dues of $5.00 were tentatively approved and officers were appointed, also temporarily. Willy Boeckl was elected President ; Willie Frick, 1st Vice-President; Walter Arian, 2nd Vice-President.
The Professional Skaters Guild of America is an association of figure skating coaches. On January 21, 1950 at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, the American Skaters Guild was reorganized and renamed the Professional Skaters Guild of America. The former Canadian members of the American Skaters Guild split away and created the Professional Skaters Guild of Canada.
Synchroettes - synchronized skating teams, formed by the head coach Geri Lynch Tomich in 2001, represent the Essex Skating Club of New Jersey, United States. The Synchroettes skaters are from around the world, including China, Russia, Ukraine, Great Britain, Uruguay and Colombia in the season of 2016-2017. However the teams are composed primarily of skaters from the New York City and New Jersey.
Ron Kravette is a retired American ice dancer. With partner Suzanne Semanick, he won the bronze medal at the United States Figure Skating Championships in 1989 and 1990. After skating with [[Elizabeth McLean]4th in the US in 1991] for a time, he teamed with Amy Webster, and they were national bronze medalists in 1994 and 1995, and 4th in the US in 1993 and 1997. They were 1st at the US Olympic Festival in 1993. Kravette also previously skated with partner Colette Huber.They were US Junior Dance champions in 1986. Ron has an AA from Orange Coast College (1983), a BA in History from the University of California, Irvine (1986), an MA in Government from Harvard University (2006), and is currently a PhD candidate in Global Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.
Tammy Gambill is an American figure skating coach and former national-level skater. Several of her students have medaled at international competitions and three have competed at the Olympics. She has also won the 2005 USOC Developmental Coach Award.
Norma Lee Sahlin was a figure skating coach and a national level competitor.
