A figure skating competition is a judged sports competition in figure skating .
66-559: The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final (formerly Champions Series Final ) is a senior-level international figure skating competition . Medals are awarded in men's singles, women's singles , pair skating , and ice dance . The event is the culmination of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series; skaters earn points for their placements and the top six from each discipline qualify to the Final. Although not an ISU Championship ,
132-424: A diagonal line. To increase the difficulty the team may pivot the line, change configuration, or incorporate retrogression into the line. For a wheel every figure skater must rotate around a common center point. There are many different formations that teams can form including a two to five spoke or a parallel wheel. Each spoke (line) of the wheel should be straight and the figure skaters should be leaning into
198-601: A fourth and sometimes a fifth Senior team has competed along in the intervening years. Throughout the years, the Finnish senior teams qualifying for the World Championships have been selected based on their performance at the two qualifiers and the national championships. In the season 2012–13, the teams were selected as follows: the Finnish Champion qualified automatically as Team Finland 1 for
264-400: A grade of execution score within a range of −5 to +5, which is added to or deducted from the base value. GOEs are proportional to the base value of each element. The highest and lowest scores for each element are thrown out, and the remaining scores are averaged to determine the final GOE for each element. The GOE is then added to or subtracted from the base value for each element, and the sum of
330-466: A local figure skating club . These events have open entries and typically many age or test level divisions, and are sanctioned by, and conducted using the rules of, the national skating federation in the country where they are held. Skaters from other countries may enter these events with the permission of their own federation. Made-for-television competitions in a variety of formats. At an international or major national skating competitions, skaters in
396-411: A particular element corresponds to a pre-determined base value. The base value is the number of points that are awarded for an executed element before the grade of execution or any deductions are applied. Judges assign a grade of execution from -3 to +3 to each of the elements. Each grade of execution, or GOE, corresponds to a point value. For each element, the highest and lowest GOE values are dropped and
462-466: A round shape. To increase the difficulty of a circle a team can include step sequences, traveling, and changes of rotational direction. Assisting of travel can also be present in a circle, and is usually noted by a skater trying to cut through the rotation of the circle on a straight path; this will be noticeable with the same jerky/whipping motion of the circle. There are many different types of lines. Lines can be two parallel lines, one straight line, or
528-400: A set factor to ensure the technical score and program components score are balanced. The five program components are: Each element of the program is assigned a base value, which gives skaters credit for every element they perform. Some elements, such as spins and step sequences, have levels of difficulty on which the base values are established. Judges grade the quality of each element using
594-443: A somewhat modified procedure. Because of the impossibility of having more than one team on the ice at the same time, each team gets their own designated practice time before the competition, and a short warmup period immediately before their performance in which the team members usually file onto the ice and skate around in a choreographed formation to take up the opening position for their program. At synchronized skating competitions,
660-490: A straight path and stop the flow of rotation in an effort to gain more distance up the ice. More often than not, assisting the travel can be spotted because a) a team member will look out of place and b) the wheel will whip or be very jerky in movement. An intersection, also known as a pass through, is when the figure skaters skate towards each other in lines and intersect. The intersection can be two lines, such as an angled intersection, but can have three or four lines, such as
726-508: A team. They move as a flowing unit at high speed over the ice, while performing elements and footwork. This complex sport originated in 1956 and was initially called "precision skating" due to its emphasis on the maintenance of intricate and precise formations and the requirement of precise timing from all members of the group. Synchronized skating is now well-established as an organized sport in several European countries with several of them having produced teams who frequently win championships at
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#1732800873256792-442: A triangle or box. At the point of intersection skaters could do turns or free skating movements to increase the difficulty. The entry to the intersection can be made more difficult by intersecting from an angle or from a whip. The no hold element has the same qualities as a regular block. The only difference is that the skaters are not connected in a no hold block. The goal of this maneuver is to stay in perfect alignment while doing
858-450: A very large number of competitors, they may be divided into groups for a qualifying or initial round, from which the best-placed skaters from each group advance to the final round. At club competitions it is also very common for the short program and free skating to be held as separate events with separate entries. Podium ceremonies are usually held in an off-ice area, and there is rarely a gala. Competitions in synchronized skating follow
924-490: Is also a more rigorous set of qualifying events called Championship events. Skaters must qualify for the Championship events through their respective adult sectional championship, which is held separately from standard-track sectionals. Adult Sectionals are typically held in late February or early March, with Nationals occurring in mid-April. Skate Canada organizes the annual Canadian Figure Skating Championships and
990-870: The Canadian Figure Skating Championships , while novice and pre-novice skaters qualify to skate at the Junior National Skating Championships, held separately from the national championship for juniors and seniors. Juveniles qualify directly from their sectional championships to the Junior National event. Skate Canada runs two separate tracks for synchronized skating competitions. The "festival" or recreational track allows for smaller teams, no test requirements, and more lenient age groupings, to encourage as many clubs as possible to field teams. The elite competitive track comprises competition at
1056-600: The Canadian Figure Skating Championships . As in the United States, top finishers from the previous year and skaters with conflicting international assignments receive byes to the national championships. The top junior, novice, and pre-novice skaters from each sectional championship qualify to skate at either the Eastern or Western Challenge competitions. From the Challenge events, junior skaters qualify to skate at
1122-659: The ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships , to be held biannually in odd-numbered years with the JWCC in even-numbered years. Other long-running, major international events attracting elite teams at different levels include the French Cup , Spring Cup , Neuchâtel Trophy , Cup of Berlin , Zagreb Snowflakes Trophy , Leon Lurje Trophy and Prague Cup . The ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships (WSSC) are
1188-879: The Skate Canada , held to determine the national champions of Canada . They were first held in 1983. Since 2000, it is during these events that the senior teams can qualify for the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships . Since 2023, the Junior and Senior level teams are competing in the combined synchronized and figure skating championships, held as a single event known as the Canadian National Skating Championships . Although not currently an Olympic sport , it has already been reviewed for Olympic eligibility. In 2007 synchronized skating
1254-536: The US Figure Skating Association , the divisions include Beginner, Pre-Juvenile, Preliminary, Open Juvenile, Open Collegiate, and Open Adult (the non-qualifying divisions/ the divisions that do not go to Nationals) and Juvenile, Intermediate, Novice, Junior, Senior, Collegiate, Adult, and Masters (qualifying levels). ISI ( Ice Skating Institute ) is another governing body which focuses on a more recreational form of competition and does not have
1320-592: The World Synchronized Skating Championship . All member nations of the ISU are allocated one entry for each level, countries that placed in the top five of the previous championship are awarded two team entries. A synchronized skating routine may consist of straight line sequences, wheels, blocks, circle step sequences, or also moves in isolation. Moves in isolation, used in advanced levels, consist of one or more skaters separating from
1386-673: The world championships for synchronized skating. Held since 2000, the WSSC is an annual international event organized by the International Skating Union . The top positions have been dominated by Finland , with three different World Champions ( Marigold IceUnity , Rockettes and Team Unique ) and 19 medals, and Sweden with the team ( Team Surprise ) with most World titles and medals for a single team (12 medals). Other major countries include Canada with five gold, four silvers and six bronzes (for NEXXICE , Les Suprêmes and
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#17328008732561452-615: The Finnish Synchronized Skating Championships at the Novice, Junior and Senior levels. Also, it holds two Finnish Championships Qualifiers before the nationals. Since the late 1990s, the senior-level battle for the qualifier wins and Finnish Championship—and the ensuing ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships (WSSC) entries—has mainly been fought between three teams from Helsinki, Marigold IceUnity , Rockettes and Team Unique , while
1518-617: The Grand Prix Final has been considered by the International Skating Union to be the most important international competition in a first half of figure skating season before start of the ISU Championships . The first three editions of the competition were titled the Champions Series Final. The current name was first used in the 1998–99 season. The competition omitted the compulsory dance prior to
1584-420: The ISU, unless otherwise specified. The ISU publishes violations and their points values yearly. Situations warranting deductions in synchronized skating include elements where one-quarter of the team or more fails to execute a maneuver in congruence with the majority of the team, falls, interruptions, illegal maneuvers (such as cartwheels, and violations of the rules concerning time, music, and clothing. In 1956,
1650-673: The International Skating Union's decision to completely discontinue the segment. Notes: Figure skating competition International competitions sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU) are governed by the union's rules. Skaters are entered by their respective national skating federations. National championships are held by individual national skating federations and governed by their domestic rules. Results from national championships are excluded from SB and PB scores. Club competitions , also known as non-qualifying competitions , organized by
1716-598: The Novice Moves in the Field test. The Collegiate team level consists of teams with 12-20 Figure skaters who must be enrolled in a college or degree program as full-time students. Skaters must also have passed the Juvenile Moves in the Field test. It is a Varsity Sport at colleges such as Miami University and Adrian College . Many more have developed club-level collegiate teams without varsity status such as
1782-614: The Senior, Junior, and Novice levels (with Senior being the most elite). The International Skating Union held the first official World Synchronized Skating Championships (WSSC) in 2000 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The top Junior teams from around the world competed from 2001 to 2012 at the ISU Junior World Challenge Cup (JWCC), held in a different location every year. The JWCC were accompanied in 2013 by
1848-484: The US Figure Skating national championship stands. The US Figure Skating Junior national championship has been removed, and all skaters juvenile and above must advance through their respective sectional championship, whether it be Eastern, Midwestern, or Pacific Coast. The qualifying season for juvenile skaters through senior skaters begins at one of nine regional championships, which are now typically held in
1914-529: The US these are test or skill levels. For example, a skater who competes in the junior division must have passed the junior skating test in that particular discipline, but not yet the senior test. In practice, the skills required to pass the tests are well below those that are required to be competitive at the corresponding level, and skaters choose which level to test based on the level they think they can compete at successfully, rather than vice versa. As of 2012, only
1980-585: The WSSC. Team Finland 2 at the WSSC was the team which earned the fewest points from the first qualifier, the second qualifier and the Finnish Championships. The points equaled the sum of the positions at the three competitions with growing coefficients: the coefficient was 0,3 for the first competition result, 0,5 for the second and 1 for the last. In the United States , there are several other recognized age and skill levels. Sanctioned by
2046-510: The actual competition ice surface for each competition segment before the event, which allows them to orient themselves in the arena and check for any problems with the timing or sound quality of their music. Coaches are not permitted on the ice with their skaters at competition practices, and instead stand or sit behind the rink boards. At international competitions except for the Olympic Games, skaters are not permitted to skate except on
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2112-451: The center of the wheel. The difficulty of the wheel can be increased by adding footwork, changing the rotational direction of the wheel, configuration of the wheel, or traveling. Traveling is difficult because a lot of the time teams will get called for "assisting the travel" which occurs when a team member (usually towards the center) is doing footwork that is not around the center point that is being traveled, but rather they cut through it on
2178-519: The competition, the start orders and warmup groups are determined by current standings, with either a random draw within each group or competitors skating in reverse order of standing, depending on the rules of the particular competition. As of 2007, all international and most national competitions use the ISU Judging System to determine competition results. The judges, event referee, and technical panel officials sit together on one side of
2244-451: The competition. The IJS is used at events in the national qualifying structure including the U.S. Championships as well as many local competitions at the juvenile through senior levels, including Excel. In the United States, the introductory levels of Aspire Beginner, Aspire Pre-Preliminary, Aspire Preliminary, Open Junior, Open Collegiate, Open Adult, and Open Masters are still judged under the 6.0 judging system. These levels can compete at
2310-551: The competitions leading up to them. The competition levels in Canada, from highest to lowest, are: Canada's figure skating organization is divided into 13 sections which generally correspond to provincial boundaries. Sectional championships for singles, pair skating , and ice dancing are generally held in November. The top four finishers at each level advance to the next event. Senior skaters qualify directly from sectionals to
2376-442: The entire ice surface. The lines should be straight and evenly spaced. To increase the difficulty of the block teams can add step sequences, pivot the block, or change the configuration. There are many different ways to complete this element. Teae circle, multiple circles, a circle within a circle, interlocked circles, or a disconnected circle. The circle should be evenly spaced between the sand variations, skaters and should form
2442-488: The event in order to qualify for a judging appointment. Following the competition, there may be a podium ceremony on the ice where medals, trophies, and flowers are awarded. Many competitions conclude with a gala or exhibition where the top finishers from each discipline, and sometimes invited skaters from the host country or club, perform show programs in a non-competitive setting. Qualifying and club competitions usually follow similar procedures. At these events, because of
2508-516: The first half of October. The top four skaters from each regional advance to one of three sectional championships in November, from which the top four advance to the national championship in January. (Up until the 1990s, competitions were held later in the season, with regionals typically in November and sectionals often not until January.) The regions and sections are: Some skaters are also given "byes" through qualifying based on their results from
2574-481: The first judges' handbook for synchronized skating. During the 1970s, the interest for this new sport grew and developed. Teams developed more creative and innovative routines incorporating stronger basic skating skills, new maneuvers and more sophisticated transitions with greater speed, style and agility. Due to the increased interest in the sport in North America, the first official international competition
2640-461: The first synchronized skating team was formed by Dr. Richard Porter. The 'Hockettes' skated out of Ann Arbor, Michigan and entertained spectators during intermissions of the University of Michigan Wolverines hockey team . In the early days, precision skating (as it was then called) resembled a drill team routine, or a precision dance company such as The Rockettes . In 1974, the ISU published
2706-399: The footwork. The neater the block and the harder the footwork, the more points a team can receive. The no hold element can also be used in circle work, creating a challenging and interesting appeal to a basic circle step sequence. Not only does it make it look interesting, but it adds a level of difficulty. The skaters must keep even spacing while rotating the circle, without the assistance of
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2772-423: The health and well-being of the athletes and members. The competitive levels of synchronized skating, like those in other disciplines of Figure skating , are now judged using the ISU Judging System that was introduced in 2004. Each element is assigned a difficulty level by the technical panel made up of a technical specialist, assistant technical specialist and a technical controller. Each level of difficulty for
2838-536: The highest-ranking levels, Junior and Senior division teams are required to perform a short program in addition to the free skate. The short program is more technical in nature, whereas the free skating program is longer and provides an opportunity to showcase expression, emotion and interpretation. Junior level teams compete in the Junior World Synchronized Skating Championships . At the senior level, teams compete at
2904-404: The ice together for few minutes of warmup, then each skater performs their program alone on the ice. The skaters then wait off the ice in the kiss and cry area for their marks to be read, while volunteers (usually children) called sweepers collect any flowers or other gifts from the ice. There is usually a break to resurface the ice after every 2 groups. In the second and subsequent phases of
2970-427: The ice, close to the ice level. The referee is responsible for running the competition, such as signalling the announcer and music booth, timing the warmup periods, and resolving any issues involving accidents or disruptions. Accountants are responsible for tabulating the marks and competition results. At many competitions, there are also trial judges sitting in a group behind the working officials, who practice-judge
3036-740: The international level. As of 2022, there are more than 600 synchro teams in United States alone. Synchronized skating currently uses a judging format similar to singles, pairs and ice dancing. The discipline is primarily judged on skating skills, transitions, performance, composition, interpretation and difficulty of elements. Each level performs a free skate program requiring elements such as circles, lines, blocks, wheels, intersections, no holds, and lifts at higher levels. Teams are required to perform step sequences, ranging in difficulty with each level. There are many different levels including Pre-Preliminary, Preliminary, Beginner, Pre-juvenile, Open juvenile, Intermediate, Novice, Junior, Senior, and Adult. In
3102-439: The judges' stand is positioned high above the ice for better visibility of the formations, and there is a second referee at ice level responsible for dealing with accidents and safety issues. The United States Figure Skating Association holds national championships in five skill divisions. From highest to lowest, these are: Unlike the International Skating Union , which categorizes novice, junior, and senior skaters by age, in
3168-447: The levels follow the ISU age guidelines for junior and senior level competitors, so that skaters who are age-eligible for both ISU junior and senior events often compete in both national competitions. The national championships in synchronized skating are also held as a separate event. Synchronized skating Synchronized skating , often called synchro , is an ice skating sport where between 8 and 20 skaters perform together as
3234-638: The medal ceremonies, teams gathered on the ice and created the shape of the Olympic rings . This image was then shared over social media as skaters petitioned to raise awareness of the sport. A petition to the International Olympic Committee was posted on change.org calling for 15,000 signatures and asking the IOC "Synchronized Figure Skating: Make it an Olympic Event." The petition states "The time has come to add this incredible event to
3300-530: The national championships and qualifying events held separately from those in the other disciplines. There are no regional championships in this discipline; teams qualify for the U.S. Synchronized Team Skating Championships at one of three sectional competitions. Adults (skaters 21 and older) in the US have a separate competitive track which culminates in the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships (colloquially Adult Nationals). Most divisions at this competition are non-qualifying events with open entries, but there
3366-938: The novice, junior, senior, and adult levels. The top 4 teams from each section qualify to compete at the Skate Canada Synchronized Nationals. Competitions organized by the Japan Skating Federation begin with 6 block championships: The block championships are held in October. In November, there are two regional championships—East Japanese and West Japanese—leading to the Japan Figure Skating Championships for senior-level skaters, which are usually held in December. National competitions for novice and junior competitors are held separately. In Japan,
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#17328008732563432-498: The now-discontinued Black Ice ), as well as the United States with two silvers and five bronzes (for Miami University and Haydenettes ). The Junior World Challenge Cup was held bi-annually starting in 2013 alternating with the newly introduced World Junior Championships until being discontinued after the 2015-16 season. The Finnish member of ISU, the Finnish Figure Skating Association, holds
3498-406: The number of competitors, skaters may only get a brief practice without music on the competition ice surface. Particularly in the lower-level age or skill divisions, it is common to use closed judging to save time; in this case, the judges record each skater's marks after their performance, but the marks are not read, only posted at the conclusion of the competition. At competitions where there are
3564-431: The officially designated practice sessions once they have been credentialed at the competition. The start order for the initial phase (short program or compulsory dance) of the competition has traditionally been determined by random draw, but at some competitions is now the reverse order of seeding or qualification placement. Again, skaters are divided into warmup groups. During the competition, each group of skaters takes
3630-460: The pinnacle of the sport of figure skating." Due to the abrupt appearance of COVID-19 , the 2019–2020 season was cut short to ensure safety of all teams. Elite US teams like the Haydenettes , Fond du Lac Blades, and Skyliners were not able to compete internationally due to travel restrictions set in place in late March and early April. The US Figure Skating Association is responsible for
3696-472: The previous season's competitions, if they qualify for the Junior or Senior Grand Prix Final, or if they are assigned by the USFSA to international competitions that conflict with their qualifying competitions. Skaters are currently not eligible for byes at any level if they cannot compete in their qualifying competition due to injury or illness. In the US, synchronized skating has its own competition track with
3762-699: The pull of another skater. This is a free skating move where one figure skater holds on to another. Different types of pairs element include spins, lifts, and pivots such as death spirals. Again, this element is really not a necessity for team skating, but it is seen at the Junior and Senior level. A pairs element can be used to boost skating skills and transition scores. This element is a sequence of movements that must include free skating moves such as spirals, spread eagles, Ina Bauers, and other flowing moves with strong edges, connected with linking steps. It must include at least three different free skating moves. There are international synchronized skating competitions at
3828-399: The regional level but cannot qualify for the national championships. The basic principle of the 6.0 system is a "majority" system. Each event is judged by an odd number of judges, and the winner of the event is the team placed highest by a majority of these judges. The IJS is based on cumulative points rather than the 6.0 standard of marks and placement. The IJS focuses on the skaters and not
3894-542: The rest are averaged then added to the base value. The sum of all the scores of the elements comprises the Technical Elements score. The judges will award points on a scale from 0.25 to 10 (in increments of 0.25) for three program components to grade overall presentation. As with Grade of Execution (GOEs), the highest and lowest scores for each component are thrown out, and the remaining scores are averaged. The final program components scores are then multiplied by
3960-607: The rest of the team to performs freestyle type moves. For example, three figure-skaters may separate and execute sit spins , while the rest of the team is performing a circle formation. The three figure skaters will then re-join the group and carry on with the routine. Similarly, Novice, Junior, and Senior programs include moves in the field. Wherein the whole team performs sets of moves such as biellmann spirals, 170 spirals, unsupported spirals, spread eagles , or Ina Bauers connected. The required elements must be performed in specific ways, as described by published communications by
4026-497: The same divisions as those of the USFSA. Teams can compete in the Tot, Jr. Youth, Youth Sr. Youth, Teen, Collegiate, Adult, or Master age groups, in any of five categories: Formation, Advanced Formation, Skating, Open Skating, and Dance. While most skaters participating in synchronized skating are female, the rules allow mixed-gender teams. The Senior team level consists of 16 skaters. Skaters must be at least 15 years old and have passed
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#17328008732564092-456: The same event are divided into groups for practice sessions before the competition. Because of safety concerns, there are usually no more than 6 singles skaters, 4 pair skating teams, or 5 ice dancing couples on the ice at the same time. After a warmup period, each skater's program music is played in turn. The other skaters must exit the ice while each skater performs their program. Skaters are usually given at least one "official" practice on
4158-430: The scores for all elements forms the technical score. The technical score is added to the program components score to determine the segment score (short program/rhythm dance or free skate/dance). The scores for each segment are then added together to determine the competition score. The skater with the highest competition score is declared the winner. In the event of a tie, the team with the highest free program score wins
4224-471: The team at The University of Delaware and the University of Michigan . The Miami University Synchronized Skating Team has been a trailblazer in collegiate synchronized skating, fielding the first completely funded varsity synchronized skating program in the United States, as well as working towards gaining "Synchro" NCAA status in the United States. The Canadian Synchronized Skating Championships were annual synchronized skating events, sanctioned by
4290-529: Was held between Canadian and American teams in Michigan in March 1976. With the internationalization of the sport, it has evolved, with increasing emphasis on speed and skating skills, and "highlight" elements such as jumps, spirals, spins, and lifts that originally were not permitted in competition. An element where the skaters are lined up in three to five, separate parallel lines. The block should travel over
4356-671: Was selected to be part of the Universiade or World University Games as a demonstration sport. Teams from several countries competed in Turin , Italy with Sweden, Finland, and Russia coming out on top. "Why Not Synchro" is an ongoing campaign on social media through the hashtag #whynotsynchro and #whynotsynchro2018 on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram . This was popularized at the Mozart Cup, held in Austria in January 2014. During
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