Single skating
Nathan Chen from the United States holds both the highest single men's short program and free skating scores; Russian skater Kamila Valieva holds both the highest single women's short program and free skating scores.[4] A choreographic sequence, which occurs during the free skating program in singles skating, "consists of any kind of movements like steps, turns, spirals, arabesques, spread eagles, Ina Bauers, hydroblading, any jumps with maximum of 2 revolutions, spins, etc.".[8] The first World Championships, hosted by the newly formed International Skating Union (ISU), occurred in 1896, and consisted of four competitors, all men.[9] Figure skating is the oldest winter sport contested at the Olympics, starting at the London Games in 1908.[17] Nathan Chen from the United States holds the highest single men's short program score of 113.97 points, which he earned at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.[18] Russian skater Kamila Valieva holds the highest single women's short program score of 90.45 points, which she earned at the 2022 European Figure Skating Championship in Tallinn, Estonia.[13] Junior men and women single skaters are not allowed to perform quadruple jumps in their short programs, and junior women single skaters cannot include triple Axels in both their short and free skating programs.[15] American skater Nathan Chen holds the highest single men's free skating program score of 224.92 points, which he earned at the 2020 ISU Grand Prix Final.[22] Kamila Valieva from Russia holds the highest single women's free skating score of 185.29 points, which she earned at 2021 Rostelecom Cup.[39][40] Writer Ellyn Kestnbaum stated that the ISU established the rule "in order to encourage variety and balance rather than allowing a skater to rack up credit for demonstrating the same skill over and over".[40] Sports writer Dvora Meyers calls the rule change "an institutional response" because it was made even though male skaters had also performed repetitive jumps in the same program during the same time period.[36][43] Also starting in 2018, single skaters could only repeat the same two triple or quadruple jumps in their free skating programs.Fluctuations in speed and variations in the positions of a skater's arms, head, and free leg are permitted.[32] As of 2022, skaters could include single jumps as choreographic elements into their step sequences without incurring a penalty.[4][49] Skaters can choose any kind of step sequence they wish, and can include jumps, but they must fully use the ice surface.[44] According to the ISU, a choreographic sequence, which occurs during the free skating program in singles skating,[50] "consists of at least two different movements like steps, turns, spirals, arabesques, spread eagles, Ina Bauers, hydroblading, any jumps with maximum of 2 revolutions, spins, etc.".Judges penalize single junior and senior skaters one point up to every five seconds for ending their programs too early or too late.[56][57] The first senior singles skater who used music with lyrics during a major international competition was Artur Gachinski from Russia, during his short program at Skate America in 2014.[55] The clothing worn by single skaters at ISU Championships, the Olympics, and international competitions must be "modest, dignified and appropriate for athletic competition—not garish or theatrical in design".Clothing can reflect the character of the skaters' chosen music and must not "give the effect of excessive nudity inappropriate for the discipline".[58][59][60] Since 1988, the ISU required that women skaters wear skirts during competition, a rule dubbed "the Katarina Rule", after East German skater Katarina Witt,[61] who "skated her tapdance-based short program in a showgirl-style light blue sequined leotard with high-cut legs, low-cut chest, and similarly colored feathers on her headdress and sleeves and around the hips as the only perfunctionary gesture in the way of a skirt".Figure Skating states that by the time skaters get to a national or world championship, they have received enough feedback about their costumes and are no longer willing to take any more risks of losing points.[53] The Boston Globe and other media outlets stated that, as of 2018, the ISU Judging System (IJS) was structured to reward difficult elements, so skaters earned more points despite falling on multi-rotational, complicated jumps than their competitors who skated "clean" programs with less difficult elements and did not lose points from falling.[68] Injuries to the lower body (the knee, ankle, and back) are the most common for both single skaters and ice dancers.[69] Single skaters also tend to have more injuries caused by chronic overuse of their lower limbs or backs.Researchers Jason Vescovi and Jaci VanHeest state that 50–75% of injuries can be prevented because they are caused from "training and/or performance issues".
Carolina Kostner2009 World Championshipsgoverning bodyInternational Skating UnionFigure skatesOlympicthe first Winter Olympics in 1924figure skatingLondon Games in 1908short programfree skatingNathan ChenKamila ValievaCompulsory figuresstep sequencestoe loopSalchowspiralsspread eaglesIna BauershydrobladingHistory of figure skatingShort program (figure skating)2019 Skate Americapair skatingsynchronized skatingfree skateWorlds Championships in 1973European Championships in 19742022 Beijing Olympics2022 European Figure Skating Championshipstep sequence2020 ISU Grand Prix Final2021 Rostelecom Cupchoreographic sequenceFigure skating jumpsAlina Zagitova2018 Winter OlympicsPyeongchang, South KoreaElaine Zayak1982 World ChampionshipsFigure skating spinsThe New York TimesYu-Na Kim2008 Grand Prix FinalNobunari OdaArtur GachinskiSkate America in 2014Katarina WittNew York PostThe Boston GlobeISU Judging System2021–22 seasonWayback MachineInternational Skating Union (ISU)National federationsWorld StandingsRecords and statisticsGlossary of termsHistoryFigure skateCompetitionSeason6.0 systemIce danceFour skatingDemise and revivalSpecial figuresCompulsory danceOriginal danceRhythm danceFree danceOlympic GamesWorld ChampionshipsEuropean ChampionshipsFour Continents ChampionshipsGrand PrixChallenger SeriesWorld Team TrophyYouth Olympic GamesWorld Junior ChampionshipsJunior Grand PrixJunior World Challenge CupDeath spiralTwizzle turnCompetition elements in ice danceAxel jumpEuler jumpFlip jumpLoop jumpLutz jumpSalchow jumpToe loop jumpQuadruple jumpUpright spinLayback spinBiellmann spinSit spinCamel spinThree turnBracket turnChoctaw turnCounter turnCrossoverMohawk turnRocker turnBackflipBesti squatCantileverIna BauerSpiralSpread eagleIce showsIce theatreWorld Professional Figure Skating ChampionshipsAdult figure skatingDoping in figure skatingCountry changesGrand SlamKiss and cryWorld Figure Skating Hall of FameWorld Figure Sport SocietyFigure skaters (men)Figure skaters (women)Figure skaters (pairs)Figure skaters (ice dance)