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Figure skating is an ice skating sporting event where souls, mixed couples, or even groups perform spins, jumps, & more "moves" on the ice,Typically to music. There are international competitions for figure skating, like the World Championships, and figure skating is likewise an official event in the Winter Olympics. Around languages differently English, figure skating is ordinarily referred to by the title that translates when "artistic skating".

A sport is closely associated by owning show biz, like "spectaculars" in which performing artist skate unjudged, & a crowd pleasing routines at a prevent of competition held at several tournaments. Numerous skaters two when you took & fallowing their competitory careers too skate around ice-skating exhibitions.

Equipment

Figure skates differ from either hockey skates most visibly inside having the placed of big, jagged dentition known as toe picks (a.k.a. "toe rakes") on the front of the blade. A toed picks come utilized primarily within jumping & should non become utilized for even stroke or spins. Toed pick designs use at times get quite elaborate inside recent years & for instance include extra dentition unofficially of the blade.

the figure skating blade is curved from either front to back by owning a radius of astir Deuce meters. Recently, parabolic figure skating blades have been designed to increase skaters' stability on the ice. A blade is too hollow ground; the groove on the bottom of the blade creates 2 distinct edges, within & outside. Inside figure skating these are universally suitable to skate in just the single edge of a blade, & never in two at the equivalent instance (which is known as a flat). A apparently casual power & glide through a ice exhibited by elect figure skaters in essence derives from either effective apply of the edges to generate speed.

Figure skating boots come traditionally mass produced by hand from either numbers of shells of leather. Around recent years, boots mass produced of synthetic materials sustaining heat-moldable linings develop get popular using numbers of skaters because it combine nature & severity sustaining lightly weight than leather boots, and come more easygoing to "break in". A latest development inside boot technology occurs as boot that is hinged at a articulatio talocruralis to provide lateral trend lines when letting supplementary flexibility. Blades come mounted to the only & heel of the boot by using screws.

Often, high-level figure skaters is professionally fitted for their boots at the reputable skate shop in their metropolitan area.

More devices utilized by skaters includes pads known as butt pads or even even crash pads that come inserted into a pants or stockings & provide relief from either a trouble of arduous lessens, especially while learning freshly jumps. A second piece of devices is a guard, which is wear a blade while the skater must hike around his or even her skates while non on the ice. A guard protects a blade from either dirt or even material on a ground that could dull a blade. Easy blade covers known as soakers come utilized to sop up condensation & protect a blades from either rust once a skates are non existence worn.

Article of clothing worn when ice skating includes dresses & skirts for women. For even competition, these pieces of habiliment may be heavy beaded or trimmed, & prices as much as hundreds to thousands of dollars whenever intentional by the top level dress-sempstress. For practice, figure skaters of two sexes ordinarily put on leggings or tight fitting, flexible pants. Leotards come likewise worn by owning dresses & skirts & underneath legin for more warmth & pleasing qualities. Competition outfits for skaters of two sexes, especially withinside ice dance, come typically theatrical & telling, in spite of perennial tries to ban wearable that gives a impression of "excessive nudity" or even that is otherwise out or keeping for athletics.

the few skating rink utilize harness systems to help skaters see jumps sooner within a restricted manner. the skating skating rink installs a thick-duty cable that is securely tied to deuce bulwarks of the rink. The placed of pulley-block ride on the cable. the skater wears the vest or even even belt that has a cable or rope bound to that. That cable/rope is threaded through the movable pulley-block on the cable above. A coach holds a more prevent of a cable & lifts a skater by pulling the cable/rope. A skater might so practice a go for it, by owning a coach assisting using a completion.

Disciplines

International competitions within figure skating comprise a charted disciplines:

Singles competition for men & women (world health organization come known as "ladies" in the official nomenclature of the sport). Singles skaters must perform jumps, spins, and step sequences in their computer software.

Pairs consisting of 1 lady & of these human. Pairs perform singles elements inside unison too when pair-specific elements like throw jumps, where a male skater 'throws' a female into a go for it; lifts, where a female is held above the male's head withinside the total of different grips & positions; pair spins, in which two skaters spin together just about the most commin axis; & demise spirals, where the human in the pivot swings the lady in the area of him on a deep edge up a position moo to the ice.

Ice dancing, again for couples consisting of the lady & human skating together. Ice dance differs from either pairs withwithin focusing in hard steps performed in close dance holds exactly to the beat of the music like than gymnastic jumps, throws, & lifts. Additionally to free streaming dances to music of their have selection, ice dancers must perform mandatory dances by having fixed steps & system to standard ballroom dance rhythms. Within spite of the want of conspicuous "tricks", ice dance is considered by numbers of to exist as a virtually all technical indicator & elaborate of the skating disciplines.

Synchronized skating, for mixed-gender groups of up to Twenty skaters. This discipline resembles the class actiin form of ice dance using extra emphasis on accurate formations of the class action as a whole & complex transitions between formations.

More disciplines of skating include:

Compulsory figures, inside which skaters utilise their blades to draw circles, figure 8s, & similar shapes in ice, & come estimated on a accuracy & clarity of the numbers & the cleanness & accurate placement of the various turns on the circles. Numbers were once involved as a component of singles competitions however were eliminated from either people cases around 1990. Now numbers come seldom taught or even performed. A United States was a go united states to locate the separate line 1 text & competitory structure for mandatory numbers, however the previous national-level numbers championship was held around 1999.

Moves in the field (known in a UK as field moves), which keep around replaced required numbers as a discipline to teach the equivalent turns & edge skills in the context of fluid loose skating movements instead of existence forced to by artificial means accurate circles.

Fours, the discipline that is to pairs when pairs is to singles. The fours team consists of deuce men & 2 women world health organization perform singles & pairs elements within unison also when unique elements that require wholly tetrad skaters.

Theatre around ice, as well referred to as ballet in ice in Europe. This occurs as form of class action skating that is less integrated than synchronised skating & allows a have of props & representation costuming.

Adagio skating, a form of pair skating virtually all usually seen within ice shows, in which a skaters perform numerous outstanding athletic lifts however couple of or even none of the singles elements which competitory pairs must perform.

Jumps

Jumps require a skater leaping into a air & rotating quickly to land fallowing completing a single or even extra rotations. There come several types of jumps, identified incidentally a skater will require off & lands, likewise when per total of rotations that are completed.

Virtually altogether skaters rotate all their jumps in the anticlockwise counsel. Occasionally like to rotate clockwise, & the super little total of skaters potty perform jumps around two directions. For clarity, 100% jumps is described for the anticlockwise skater.

There are 6 major jumps within figure skating. the lot sixer come landed in a best back outside edge (by owning levorotation, for lone & multi-revolution jumps), however use different takeoffs, by which it can be distinguished. Them categories of jumps come toed jumps & edge jumps. (Descriptions beneath come for levorotation skaters; reverse for dextrorotation jumps.)

Toed jumps come launched by tapping a toe pick of of these skate into a ice, & include (sequentially of difficulty from either easiest to hardest):

  • Toe loops, also known as Cherry Flips, require off from either either a back outside edge of a perfect foot & come launched per left toed pick (toe walleys come similar, however choose off from the back within edge of the perfect foot);
  • Flips, which take off from either a back within edge of the left foot & come launched per correct toe pick;
  • Lutzes, which take off from either a back outside edge of the left foot & come launched per perfect toe pick.

    Edge jumps utilise there are no toe help, & include:

  • Waltzs, which take off from either the left send in outside edge & land on the back correct outside edge. This go for these are similar to an axel, however it is just the half rotation.
  • Salchows, which take off from either the left back within edge. Swinging a paired leg in assists launch a go for it;
  • Loops (also referred to as Rittbergers), which require off from either the perfect back outside edge & land on the equivalent edge;
  • Axels, which are a merely go for it to require off from either a forward edge (the left outside edge). Because it require off from either a send on edge, it include of these-half more rotations & come unremarkably considered the hardest go for it of the sestet. the similar go for it by using sole half the rotation is known as a waltz jump and is typically the foremost go for it a skater learns.

    A total of rotations performed in everyone's thoughts for even every go for it determines whether a go for it occurs as only, double, triple, or quad. Virtually all elect male skaters perform triples & quads when their main jumps, when virtually all elect female skaters perform all a triples except the axel, which is unremarkably double. Exclusively the handful of female skaters stand with success landed triple axels inside competition.

    A single variation, referred to as a Tano, is far further hard than a normal go for even it because the jumper keeps of these arm raised above his or her head when jumping. A title is from either Brian Boitano, who processed the triple lutz by using an lifted arm his signature go for it.

    There come when well the total of more jumps which are then commsole performed only when lone jumps & are generally utilized as transitional movements or even highlights within step sequences. These include:

  • Half Loops, which take off from either the correct back outside edge prefer the loop, however land on the left back in edge;
  • Walley jumps, which takes off from either the best back in edge. These are debatably extra hard than a axel, because a flow of a within edge is clockwise & opposes the levorotation in everyone's thoughts;
  • Split jumps, which are half-rotation jumps according to the flip, lutz, or even loop entrance;
  • Inside axels, one-&-the-half-rotation jumps that choose off from either the right forward within edge;
  • One-foot axels, one-&-a-half-rotation jumps by having the regular axel takeoff from either the left send on outside edge, however landing on the left back within edge.

    Additionally to jumps performed singly, jumps might besides exist as performed inside combination or even inside sequence.

    For even a placed of jumps to become considered the combination, to each one go for it must require off from either the landing edge of the former go for it, by having there are no steps, turns, or vary of edge around between jumps. This restricts a lot jumps except a 1st to toe loops & loops (which choose off from either a right back outside edge in which the basic sextet jumps come landed). Sequentially to apply more hop in a rear of the combination, connecting jumps like the half loop (which is actually the to the full rotation, however lands on the left back within edge) may be utilized, enabling the skater to put a salchow or even flip at the prevent of the combination.

    Go for even it sequences come sets of jumps which might require steps or changes of edge between a jumps.

    Spins

    There are besides many types of spins, identified per position of the arms, legs, & angle of the back. Spins come done on a around a share of the blade, upright behind the toed pick. (Contrary to popular thought, spins are Non done on the toe picks -- it're primarily for jumps!)

    Spins can be performed in either foot. For skaters world health organization rotate within the anticlockwise counsel, the spin on the left foot is known as the send on spin, when the spin on the best foot is known as the back spin.

    Upright spin (or even bottle screw spin), where a skater maintains the vertical position, typically by using the loose leg crossed ahead of the skating leg. The convenient spin therein position is referred to as the scratch spin.

    Camel spin (as well referred to as a parallel spin), where the skater assumes an "airplane" position using a loose leg extended behind at hip to level, parallel to the ice surface.

    Sit spin, where a knee of a skating leg bent super on line, & the loose leg stretched call at front, parallel to the ice.

    Crossfoot spins, an vertical spin where a loose leg is crossed behind a skating foot.

    Layback spins, in which a skater bends feebleminded gracefully & positions arms artistically.

    Biellmann spins, where a skater pulls loose leg from either behind her (or even super seldom him), across a head. She (or even he) commonly holds onto a blade of the skate. (Evidently, this takes extreme flexibility.) Known as fallowing Denise Biellmann, 1981 ladies' world champion from either Switzerland.

    Doughnut spins, a variation of a back camel spin in which a skater pulls the blade of the skate of the loose leg feebleminded by having of these or even two arms when arching the back to produce a horizontal round shape by having the person.

    Other spins around which the skater extends a loose leg before or even even to the side in a split or touching-split position.

    Flying spins come spins that come initiated by using the go for it. These include a flight camel, flying sit spin, dying drop, & butterfly spin.

    Steps and turns

    Step sequences come the called upon element within competition software. It require the combination of turns, steps, hops & edge changes, performed around the straight line down the ice, inside circles, or even in an S shape (snakelike step sequence).

    A various turns which skaters could incorporate into step sequences include:

    Three turns, so known as because a blade turns into a curve of the edge or even lobe to leave a tracing resembling the number "3".

    Bracket turns, where the blade is turned antagonistic to the curve of the lobe, making the tracing resembling a bracket ("}").

    Rockers & counters, the single-foot turns that require a vary of lobe besides when of counsel.

    Mohawks, the two-foot equivalents of tierce turns & brackets.

    Choctaws, them-foot equivalents of rockers & counters.

    Spiral sequences are likewise mandatory (within women's skating single), & require lifting a loose leg above a hep a position tantamount of the arabesque withwithin ballet, or even the shell in gymanstic exercise. Spirals may be performed when skating forwards or even backwards, & come distinguished per edge of a blade utilized & the foot it is skated in.

    More freeskating movements which may be incorporated into step sequences or even utilized when connecting elements include lunges & spread eagles. An Inthe Bauer is similar to a spread eagle performed sustaining 1 knee bent & usually an arcuate back. Hydroblading refers to the deep edge performed sustaining the system when on line when imaginable to the ice around a touching-horizontal position.

    Competition format and scoring

    A International Skating Union - ISU is the governing body for international competitions. A ISU oversees a World Championships & a figure skating cases at the Winter Olympic Games.

    Around singles & pairs figure skating competition, competition must perform 2 routines, a "short program", where a skater must complete a listing of called upon elements consisting of jumps, spins & steps; & the "free skating", where a skaters stand slightly other selection of elements. Ice dancing competitions unremarkably consist of leash phases: a single or even supplementary "compulsory dances"; an "original dance" to the dance hall rhythm that is intended annually; & the "free dance" to music of the skaters' have guide.

    Skating was erstwhile estimated for "technical merit" (in the loose skating), "required elements" (in the short program), & "presentation" (inside each software download). A marks for every program ran from either Zero.0 to 6.Cipher & were wont to determine the preference ranking, or even "ordinal", singly for both judge; a judges' preferences were so combined to determine placements for both skater around every program. A placements for a ii computer software were so combined, by having a loose skating placement weighted supplementary heavy than the short program. A last-place scoring person (according to a total of a weighted placements) was declared the winner.

    Inside 2004, a ISU adopted a freshly judgment supervisor even call instruction a Up to date Judging Body (NJS) or Code of Points which is required the least bit international competitions inside 2006, including the 2006 Winter Olympics. This judgement models basically changes a criteria by which skaters come estimated. For each one single element inside a program is worth a preset total of points & the elements come estimated according to their execution; when the previous presentation mark has been replaced by various "program components" scores which are then assigned subjectively in the shell from either Zero.0 to 10.Nought. When of this writing, there is a groovy treat of uncertainty related to the implementation, merits, & value of the newly judgement patterns. A few of a primary criticisms come that the judges' marks come anin., that a rules is however prone to mortal error, that it relies heavy on technology that has there are no inherit "checks and balances" built into a patterns, & that it tightly constrains the content of skaters' computer program & reduces creativeness.

    Figure skating occurs as super popular a share of a Winter Olympic Games, where a elegance of two the competition & their movements attract numerous spectators. Unsurprisingly, a better skaters indicate numbers of of the equivalent physical & psychological attributes when gymnasts. Several of the better skaters come from either Russia, the United States, Canada and Japan. A United States occurs as traditional power within singles skating. Within recent years, it has been especially dominant in the Ladies' cases. Russia (& a Soviet Union before it) is dominant in the Ice Dancing & Pairs competitions.

    Several fans of extra traditional sports buy a judgement procedures incomprehensible, & a universal practice of judges attending contender' recitation dubious in the extreme. These are too usually believed that judges typically judge a rival performance on top numbers of competitions like than just the performance in the competition at hand - competitors must "pay their dues" by uniform performances prior to it is rewarded per judges inside major meets. Disputes across judgement are non rare; last, a pairs competition at a 2002 Olympic Winter Games ended in disceptation while the judge from either France admitted to existence pressured by her federation to "fix" a outcomes of the event. Like than addressing problems of judgement corruption & incompetence at their source, a International Skating Union has added to a controversy by introducing secrecy to limit the public answerableness of judges for their decisions.

    Sales person competitions inside figure skating are non governed by any central organization or even most common placed of system. Single promoters of these cases tend to explore formats & system that come designed to showcase a talents of the specific skaters it develop invited to participate, & which can alter wildly from either one event to a second.

    A Ice Skating Institute (ISI), an international ice rink trade organization, runs its have competitory & end line text program aimed at unpaid skaters. Originally headquartered around Minnesota, a organization today operates away from Dallas, Texas. There are Tenner geographic territory inside a United states. ISI competitions come open to any member that stand registered their tests. There are super couple "qualifying" competitions, although a few dominion hang on to "Gold Competitions" for that year's number one-place winners. ISI competitions come especially popular within Asian countries that don't use constituted ISU member federations. A Gay Games have also involved skating competitions for equivalent-gender pairs & dance couples under ISI sponsorship.

    History

    When humans own been ice skating for centuries, figure skating in its todays form originated in the mid-19th century. A International Skating Union was founded in 1892, and a foremost Globe Championship -- for men sole -- was held around 1896. Around 1902, a woman, Madge Syers, entered the competition first, finishing 2nd. the ISU quickly banned women from either competing against men, however established a separate competition for "ladies" inside 1906. Pairs skating was introduced at a 1908 World Championships. A number one Olympic figure skating competitions as well took place around 1908.

    In March 20, 1914 an international figure skating championship was held in New Haven, Connecticut which was a antecedent of each the United States and Canadian national championships. Nonetheless, international competitions within figure skating were interrupted by World War I.

    In the Twenties & Thirties, figure skating was dominated by Sonja Henie, who turned competitory profits into the remunerative office career as a film star & road skater. Henie likewise placed a fashion for female skaters to get into short skirts & whiten boots. A top male skaters of this time period involved Gillis Grafstrom and Karl Schafer.

    Skating competitions were once more interrupted for many years by World War II. When a war, by having numbers of European skating rink inside ruins, skaters from either a United States and Canada began to dominate international competitions and to introduce technical indicator innovations to the sport. Dick Button, 1948 & 1952 Olympic Champion, wwhen a number one skater to perform a double axel and triple loop jumps, too as a flying camel spin.

    In February 15, 1961, the entire America figure skating team & their coaches were flushed in the crash of Sabena Flight 548 in Brussels, Belgium en route to the World Championships around Prague. This tragedy sent the America skating program into a period of rebuilding.

    At a equivalent instance, a Soviet Union rose to become the dominant power in the sport, especially in the disciplines of pairs skating & ice dance. At each Winter Olympics from either 1964 until a present day, a Russian pairs duo has won gold, typically considered the yearn winning streak within modern sports history. (Around 2002, Russians Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze shared gold with Canadians Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, keeping the streak alive.)

    Compulsory figures formerly accounted for higher to 60% of the score around singles figure skating, which intended that skaters world health organization may build up the large lead around numbers can win competitions potentially whenever it were mediocre loose skaters. When television coverage of skating events became extra crucial, therefore did yours free! skating. Beginning around 1968, a ISU began to more & more reduce the weight of numbers, and within 1973, the short program was introduced. By using these changes, a emphasis around competitory figure skating shifted to increasing strenuosity in the loose skating. Per instance numbers were eventually eliminated completely from either competition around 1990, Midori Ito had landed the foremost triple axel by the woman, & Kurt Browning the first quadruple go for it by the human.

    Television also played a role around removing a restrictive amateur status rules that it used to be that governed a sport. Sequentially to locate skaters world health organization can otherwise keep around given higher their eligibility to participate around remunerative sales person cases, within 1995 a ISU introduced prize money at its major competitions, funded by revenues from selling the TV rights to people cases.

    Notable figure skaters

    Men

    Brian Boitano Kurt Browning Jeffrey Buttle Dick Button Philippe Candeloro Steven Cousins Robin Cousins Toller Cranston John Curry Scott Davis Sergei Dobrin Todd Eldredge Grzegorz Filipowski Timothy Goebel Gillis Grafstrom Jackson Haines Scott Hamilton Donald Jackson
    Brian Joubert Ilia Kulik Stéphane Lambiel Evan Lysacek Brian Orser Guy Owen Axel Paulsen Viktor Petrenko Evgeni Plushenko Ulrich Salchow Emanuel Sandhu Michael Shmerkin Karl Schafer Elvis Stojko Alexei Urmanov Johnny Weir Paul Wylie Alexei Yagudin

    Women

    Tenley Albright Miki Ando Shizuka Arakawa Oksana Baiul Denise Biellmann Surya Bonaly Chen Lu Tiffany Chin Josee Chouinard Sasha Cohen Peggy Fleming Dorothy Hamill Tonya Harding Carol Heiss Sonja Henie Sarah Hughes Midori Ito Nancy Kerrigan Carolina Kostner Michelle Kwan Tara Lipinski Janet Lynn
    Karen Magnussen Elizabeth Manley Laurence Owen Maribel Vinson-Owen Maribel Y. Owen Eva Pawlik Anna Rechnio Joannie Rochette Irina Rodnina Lucinda Ruh Yuka Sato Beatrix Schuba Barbara Ann Scott Irina Slutskaya Elena Sokolova Fumie Suguri Rosalynn Sumners Madge Syers Debi Thomas Katarina Witt Viktoria Volchkova Kristi Yamaguchi

    Pairs

    Tai Babilonia & Randy Gardner Ludmila Belousova & Oleg Protopopov Yelena Berezhnaya & Anton Sikharulidze Isabelle Brasseur & Lloyd Eisler Kitty Carruthers & Peter Carruthers Ekaterina Gordeeva & Sergei Grinkov Anita Hartshorn & Frank Sweiding Christine Hough & Doug Ladret Maria Jelinek & Otto Jelinek Oksana Kazakova & Arthur Dimitriev Jenni Meno & Todd Sand
    Natalia Mishkutienok & Arthur Dimitriev Kathryn Orscher & Garrett Lucash Irina Rodnina & Alexei Ulyanov Irina Rodnina & Aleksandr Zaitsev Jamie Salé & David Pelletier Xue Shen & Hongbo Zhao Barbara Wagner & Bob Paul Barbara Underhill & Paul Martini Dorota Zagorska & Mariusz Siudek Marcy Hinzmann & Aaron Parcham

    Ice Dancing

    Marina Anissina & Gwendal Peizerat Albena Denkova & Maxim Staviyski Natalia Bestemianova & Andrei Bukin Shae-Lynn Bourne & Victor Kraatz Galit Chait & Sergei Sakhnovski Oksana Grischuk & Yevgeny Platov Marina Klimova & Sergei Ponomarenko Tatiana Navka & Roman Kostomarov
    Lyudmila Pakhomova & Alexandr Gorshkov Jayne Torvill & Christopher Dean Maya Usova & Aleksandr Zhulin Renee Roca & Gorsha Sur Tanith Belbin & Benjamin Agosto Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas Susanna Rahkamo & Petri Kokko

  • Olympic Figure Skating Links
    Offers links to news and websites about the winter Olympic Games event.

    U.S. Figure Skating Association 2002 Olympic Winter Games
    USFSA introduction to the United States team members, event schedule, results, news, and performance pictures.

    International Olympic Committee - Figure Skating
    Includes history, equipment, events, glossary, and photographs.


    Sports: Events: Olympics: Winter Games
    Sports: Skating: Ice Skating: Events: International





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