What is figure skating?
Figure skating, as its name suggests, involves skating "figures" on ice. The sport requires competitors to skate selected patterns, or figures, as part of their routines. Ice skating has developed from a practical way to get around on ice into the elegant mix of art and sport it is today.
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.
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.
Olympic history of figure skating
Figure skating is the oldest sport on the Olympic Winter Games programme. It was contested at the Olympic Games London 1908 (in summer) and again in 1920 in Antwerp (also in summer), pre-dating the first Olympic Winter Games. 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.
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.
Dick Button and Hanyu Yuzuru are the only men to have won back-to-back Olympic gold medals in the sport.
Figure skating athletes to watch
Ilia Malinin is the only skater, male or female, to have successfully landed the most difficult jump—the quadruple Axel—in competition, and is always a hot ticket at any event.
His closest challenger in the men's event is Japan's Kagiyama Yuma, while there is a host of skaters waiting to pounce on any unforeseen mistakes by the top two and make their mark, such as France's Adam Siao Him Fa.
Japan, as one of the sport's powerhouse countries, can also count on three-time world champion Sakamoto Kaori in women's singles, as well as the strong pair of Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi.
Malinin's U.S. compatriots, including the likes of Amber Glenn, Isabeau Levito, and Alysa Liu in women's singles and Madison Chock and Evan Bates in ice dance, are also in the mix.
Canada, meanwhile, offer Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps in pairs, as well as Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier in ice dance.
Don't count out German pair Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin or a strong Italian contingent improving in time for Milano Cortina 2026 either.
Figure skating at Milano Cortina 2026: competition rules and event format
There are five events in figure skating at Milano Cortina 2026, which will be held in the Milano Ice Skating arena from 6–19 February.
- Men single skating
- Women single skating
- Pair skating
- Ice dancing
- Team event
Each of the four individual events—men's and women's singles, pairs, and ice dancing—will see skaters compete in the short program or rhythm dance, after which only the top few athletes (usually 24 in singles and fewer in pairs and ice dancing) progress to the free skating/free dance segment.
There will also be a team event at the start of the schedule, where points are awarded to each team based on their skaters' finishing position in each segment.
On 21 February, selected skaters will participate in the traditional curtain-closer, the non-competitive exhibition gala.
