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Figure skating is a sport and activity in which individuals, duos, or groups perform on figure skates on ice and was the first winter sport included in the Olympics, in 1908.

See the fact file below for more information on Figure skating or alternatively download our comprehensive worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

The convenience and efficiency of ice skating to cross large, icy areas is shown in archaeological evidence by the finding of primitive animal bone skates in places such as Scandinavia, Sweden, Great Britain, Russia, Germany and Switzerland.

Wooden skates with iron facings appeared in the 14th Century. Skates that were made entirely of iron were introduced in the 17th century. Steel skates, with straps and clamps that fastened them to the shoes and boots, were sold in the 1850s.

Skates that had the blades permanently attached to the boot were invented around the beginning of the 20th century.

The next step in the development of ice skating came in 1742, when the first ice skating association was formed. It was called the Edinburgh Skating Club.

The first instructional book concerning ice skating was published in London in 1772. The book was written by a British artillery lieutenant named Robert Jones. His book describes basic figure skating forms such as circles and figure eights. This book was only written for men, because women did not ice skate in the 18th century. This manual has ice skating split into its two main disciplines, speed skating and figure skating.

Jackson Haines, an American, revolutionized figure skating in the 1860s. He began having skaters skate to music and use ballet moves in their programs.

Figure skating was the first winter sport included in the Olympic Games when it appeared at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.

The singles and pairs competitions also appeared in the 1920 Antwerp Summer Games before making their winter debut in Chamonix in 1924.

Modern figure skating is divided into four parts: single skating events for both sexes, pair skating, ice dancing, and synchronized skating.

A figure skate can be easily distinguished from other skates by the toe pick at the front end of the blade.

Figure Skating Worksheets

This bundle contains 11 ready-to-use Figure Skating worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about Figure skating which is a sport and activity in which individuals, duos, or groups perform on figure skates on ice and was the first winter sport included in the Olympics, in 1908.

Download includes the following worksheets:

Figure Skating Facts.

Boot Trend.

Skate Anatomy

Edinburgh Skating Club.

The First Book.

Word Finder.

Hall Of Figures.

Famous Skaters.

Jump Or Fall.

Competitive Schedule.

Modern Figure Skating.

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Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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Figure Skating Facts, Worksheets & Sport Information For Kids

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Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version Download sample Figure skating is a sport and activity in which individuals, duos, or groups perform on figure skates on ice and was the first winter sport included in the Olympics, in 1908.

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What are the highest scores ever recorded in figure skating?

Ladies figure skating highest scores

Short program: 80.85 (Yevgenia Medvedeva, 2017 World Team Trophy)
Free skate: 160.46 (Yevgenia Medvedeva, 2017 World Team Trophy)
Total score: 241.31 (Yevgenia Medvedeva, 2017 World Team Trophy)

Mens figure skating highest scores

Short program: 112.72 (Yuzuru Hanyu, ISU Challenger Series 2017 Autumn Classic International)
Free skate: 223.20 (Yuzuru Hanyu, ISU 2017 World Figure Skating Championships)
Total score: 330.43 (Yuzuru Hanyu, ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2015/16)

Pairs' figure skating highest scores

Short program: 84.17 (Tatiana Volosozhar/ Maksim Trankov, 2014 Olympic Winter Games)
Free skate: 157.25 (Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot, 2017 Grand Prix Final)
Total score: 237.71 (Tatiana Volosozhar/ Maksim Trankov, 2013 Skate America)

Ice dancing figure skating highest scores

Short dance: 82.68 (Tessa Virtue/ Scott Moir, 2017 Skate Canada)
Free dance: 120.58 (Gabriella Papadakis/ Guillaume Cizeron, 2017 Internationaux de France)
Total score: 202.16 (Gabriella Papadakis/ Guillaume Cizeron, set at 2017 Grand Prix Final)

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Figure skating 101: Highest scores ever recorded

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What are the highest scores ever recorded in figure skating?

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Figure skating has developed from a practical way to get around on ice into the elegant mix of art and sport it is today.

Early pioneers

The Dutch were arguably the earliest pioneers of skating. They began using canals to maintain communication by skating from village to village as far back as the 13th century. Skating eventually spread across the channel to England, and soon the first clubs and artificial rinks began to form. Passionate skaters included several kings of England, Marie Antoinette, Napoleon III and German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Steel & Ballet

Two Americans are responsible for the major developments in the history of the sport. In 1850, Edward Bushnell of Philadelphia revolutionised skating when he introduced steel-bladed skates allowing complex manoeuvres and turns. Jackson Haines, a ballet master living in Vienna in the 1860s, added elements of ballet and dance to give the sport its grace.

Oldest sport

Figure skating is the oldest sport on the Olympic Winter Games programme. It was contested at the 1908 London Games and again in 1920 in Antwerp. Men's, women's, and pairs were the three events contested until 1972. Since 1976, ice dancing has been the fourth event in the programme, proving a great success.

Hollywood star

Sonja Henie made her Olympic debut in Chamonix in 1924, aged just 11, and was so nervous she had to ask her coach what to do midway through her routines. However, she won gold in the next three Olympic Games and developed a huge legion of fans. She later moved into films, where she greatly increased the popularity of her sport.

Discover the reference document for Figure skating.

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Figure Skating Equipment and History - Olympic Sport History

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Figure skating has developed from a practical way to get around on ice into the elegant mix of art and sport it is today. Early pioneers The Dutch were arguably the earliest pioneers of skating. They began using canals to maintain communication by skating from village to village as far back as the 13th century.

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Ice skating is a sport in which people slide over a smooth ice surface on steel-bladed skates. Millions of people skate in those parts of the world where the winters are cold enough. Although most people ice-skate for recreation and exercise, skating for form and speed is a highly competitive international sport. Ice-skating skills are also an important part of the game of ice hockey. Ice-skating shows, such as the Ice Follies and the Ice Capades, have entertained millions of spectators. These shows also provide a means for skaters to exploit their talents commercially. The increasing number of indoor rinks has made year-round ice skating possible.

History of Ice Skating
People probably skated on ice in the Scandinavian countries before the Christian era. The first skates are believed to have been sharp splinters of animal bone fitted to the bottoms of boots to ease travel over ice. Some drawings and references in literature to ice skating date from the Middle Ages. The modern word skate is derived from the Dutch word schaats, meaning "leg bone" or "shank bone."

Skating as a sport developed on the lakes of Scotland and the canals of the Netherlands. In the 13th and 14th centuries wood was substituted for bone in skate blades, and in 1572 the first iron skates were manufactured. The iron blades reduced the friction of forward motion, and their resistance to lateral slipping enabled skaters to push themselves ahead. Instructional books were published, and the first skate club was founded in Edinburgh in 1742. The metal-bladed skates were soon introduced in North America by Scottish immigrants.

Ice skating did not develop as an organized competitive sport until the introduction of steel skate blades permanently attached to leather boots. The earlier iron blades dulled quickly, and street shoes, to which they were tied with straps, lacked ankle support. Using the steel skates, a U.S. ballet dancer named Jackson Haines created a free-flowing skating technique that incorporated waltzlike movements. Ice speed skating, which had developed in the Netherlands in the 17th century, was given a boost by the innovations in skate construction. Figure skating became an Olympic event in 1908. Speed skating for men was part of the 1924 Olympic Games, but it was not until 1960 that women's speed skating was placed on the Olympic agenda.

Skate Design
The figure-skate blade differs from the ice-hockey or speed-skate blade because it is slightly concave, or "hollow ground." The hollow, which runs the length of the blade, creates two edges, which come in contact with the ice. The forward part of the blade, the toe-rake, is saw-toothed and is used for jumps and spins on the toes. The figure-skate boots, which are traditionally black for men and white for women, are made of sturdy leather and have stiffening supports at the heel and under the arch. They are tightly laced up over the ankle to help prevent the foot from rolling from one side or the other. Speed skates have a considerably longer blade and a single, thin edge. The toe of the blade is smooth and turned up. The boot is made of lighter leather than the figure-skate boot and is lower, coming just to the top of the ankles. Beginning with the 1996-97 season of international competition an innovation called the clap skate made its appearance in speed skating. In this skate, the blade is not attached to the back of boot but is spring-hinged at the front. This makes a clapping noise when used for skating, hence the name. Clap skates require a change in technique for the speed skater, who now must push off with the front of the foot rather than the heel. The advantage of these skates is that the skater maintains contact with the ice longer, producing faster times. By the time of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, clap skates were the norm, and world records tumbled, sometimes several times in a single race.
Competitive Ice Skating
Figure Skating. Figure skating is primarily a sport of amateurs. Competitions are held for men's and women's singles, pairs, and ice dancing. For years the singles competitors were judged on compulsory figures and two free skating programs. The compulsory-figures category required each skater to perform repetitions of 3 figures drawn from a possible 41 patterns, which were judged according to a skater's precision, balance, control, and gracefulness in retracing the figure. In 1990 the International Skating Union eliminated the compulsory figures from singles competition. Both men and women skaters must perform a shorter technical program with specific required moves, and a longer, more creative free skate. The skaters are judged on their ability to perform jumps, spins, spirals, and to skate a program coordinated with music. There has been a trend toward more athleticism in free-skating events, adding more complicated and daring jumps.

Pairs competitions are similar to singles, in that they are judged on shorter technical and longer free-skating performances. In pairs skating, the same jumps, spins, and twirls as in the singles events are used, along with lifts and partner-assisted jumps. The partners must remain in unison as they perform their routines. Ice dancing differs from pairs skating in that lifts are prohibited and specific movements required. Ice dancers must perform two compulsory dances and an original dance, all to predetermined music or rhythms. The longer free dance uses more interpretive steps, as well as creative moves.

Ice figure skating was popularized by Sonja Henie, who won numerous amateur competitions before turning professional in 1936. Dick Button, Peggy Fleming, and Dorothy Hamill also toured with ice revues after illustrious amateur careers. The typical ice show is similar to a circus on ice skates and features costumes, trick skating, and gags to entertain the audience rather than to display true figure-skating expertise.

Speed Skating. The long, narrow blades of the modern speed skate permit skaters to maintain speeds of about 48 km/h (30 mph). Formal competitions are usually held outdoors on large rinks. The skaters race two at a time, competing against the clock. Men who participate in major international meets may enter five events: 500 m (1,640 ft), 1,000 m (3,280 ft), 1,500 m (4,920 ft), 5,000 m (16,400 ft), or 10,000 m (32,800 ft). Women also may compete over five courses: 500 m, 1,000 m, 1,500 m, 3,000 m (9,840 ft), and 5,000 m. Men's speed skating, as traditionally, remains dominated by Americans, Russians, Norwegians, and the Dutch. In women's speed skating, American, German, Dutch, and Japanese women have dominated in recent years.

Short track speed skating takes place on a small rink with very tight curves. The skaters compete against each other in groups of four, rather than against the clock, with heats to eliminate slower skaters. Men and women both compete at 500 m and 1,000 m; the women's relay is at 3,000 m, while the men's relay is 5,000 m. The skaters wear helmets, gloves, and knee and elbow pads to prevent injury, and the skates are taller than regular speed skates, to prevent the boot from touching the ice when the racer leans sharply in the curves. Short track speed skating was first included in the Winter Olympics in the 1992 Games at Albertville.

James M. Greiff

Bibliography: Bezic, S., and Hayes, D., The Passion to Skate (1996); Holum, D., The Complete Handbook of Speed Skating (1983); House, M. G., Ice Skating Fundamentals, 2d ed. (1996); Malone, J., Encyclopedia of Figure Skating (1998); Van Wert, W. F., The Invention of Ice Skating (1997); Vandervell, H. E., A System of Figure Skating (1993).

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Ice skating is a sport in which people slide over a smooth ice surface on steel-bladed skates. Millions of people skate in those parts of the world where the winters are cold enough. Although most people ice-skate for recreation and exercise, skating for form and speed is a highly competitive international sport.

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There are so many choices in figure skates for the prospective figure skater when purchasing his or her first pair of skates.

Inexpensive figure skates may draw some buyers, but anyone who "knows figure skating" also knows that figure skates must be purchased from stores that deal exclusively with figure skates and figure skating supplies. An "unwritten rule" in the ice skating world that is passed on to those new to the sport is that cheap boots and blade sets that are sold at sporting good stores or department stores are not acceptable.

Entry Level Figure Skates

There are many entry level figure skates available for beginning and recreational skaters. Jackson is one of the most popular brands, but other figure skate companies are producing entry level skates.

In recent years, entry-level skates have been manufactured with a soft and comfortable boot. Leather and vinyl figure skates are also available for beginning ice skaters.

The soft entry level boot is not meant for intermediate or advanced figure skating but is an excellent choice for the recreational skater who wishes to enjoy being on the ice with family and friends.

Boot-Blade Figure Skate Packages

Boot and blade figure skate combination packages are also available for beginning and intermediate level skaters.

When purchasing a boot-blade package, be aware that the boots should be somewhat stiff to give feet and ankles support, but should be flexible enough to break in and feel comfortable.

It is recommended that skaters purchase figure skates from a store that deals exclusively with figure skates. If that is not an option, take the time to learn about the many different kinds of skates that are available for purchase.

Buying Boots and Blades Separately

Buying boots and blades separately is always an option, even for beginning figure skaters.

Until recently, most figure skaters bought boots and blades separately. There are many high-quality boots and blades. Take the time to get familiar with the boots and blades available.

All advanced skaters buy boots and blades separately.

Buying Used Figure Skates

Sometimes good used boots and blades are better than inexpensive, lower-quality new skates. Make sure that the used boot has support. Also, make sure that the blade has some "sharpening life" left.

Blades

Higher quality figure skate blades are sharpened less often. They also have better flow on the ice. Don't skimp on the blades. As a figure skater masters spins and jumps, the quality of the blade will affect spin and jump quality.

Correct Fit

The foot has to fit in the boot. There should be no extra room in the boot, especially in the heel. The boot should "fit like a glove."

Understand that good figure skating boots may hurt at first. Expect a "break-in" period.

Consult a Figure Skating Coach

Figure skating coaches may recommend a certain figure skate for a new ice skater. Take the time to consult your coach before purchasing skates.

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How to Buy Your First Pair of Skates for Figure Skating

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There are so many choices in figure skates for the prospective figure skater when purchasing his or her first pair of skates. Inexpensive figure skates may draw some buyers, but anyone who "knows figure skating" also knows that figure skates must be purchased from stores that deal exclusively with figure skates and figure skating supplies.

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Figure skating, sport in which ice skaters, singly or in pairs, perform freestyle movements of jumps, spins, lifts, and footwork in a graceful manner.

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research facts
- About 3,000 years ago, people in northern Europe invented skates to get across frozen lakes. The blades were made from animal bones. Iron blades were invented about 1,000 years later.

-At the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924, Gillis Grafström (SWE) won the men’s gold medal in figure skating. Herma Planck-Szabo (AUT) won the women’s competition. The winners in pairs were Helene Engelmann and Alfred Berger (AUT). There was no ice dance competition at the time.
(pulled from artical)

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Important facts

-According to the Team Event Qualification System for the Figure Skating Team Event, the following Teams have qualified for the Figure Skating Team Event at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, in PyeongChang / KOR (in order of qualification).

-TEAM PARADISE
RUS | 2016/2017 season (100%)
2015/2016 season (100%)
2014/2015 season (70%)

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figure skating is a on ice sport