FIGURE SKATING

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, with its introduction occurring at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are men’s singles, women’s singles, pairs skating, and ice dance. Synchronized Skating is a non-Olympic discipline with the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships it’s highest level of international competition.

The International Skating Union (ISU) regulates international figure skating judging and competitions. These include the Winter Olympics, the World Championships, the World Junior Championships, the European Championships, the Four Continents Championships, the Grand Prix series (Senior and Junior), and the ISU Challenger Series.

Figure Skating is structured to support gradual progression from learn-to-skate through to Junior then Senior level, building upon fundamental skills and developing more intricate and daring elements at age-appropriate stages. This progression is formalised through the Testing system, whereby Skaters are judged on their ability to execute various elements based on each ISA Test level. Competitive skaters are required to participate in the ISA Testing structure in order to compete at each level of competition. For example, to compete in a Basic Novice division, a Skater must have passed all applicable Basic Novice tests. Similarly, as a Skater progresses to higher levels of competition, they will be required to incorporate more difficult elements in their program(s).