If people asked to name one of the winter sports, most people would likely think of figure skating. Figure skating is a well-known sport as winter sports for people. It is about performing complex movements including spins, jumps, step sequences on the ice which is reminiscent of ballet. Moreover, figure skating can be categorized into several types, and this is something that most people are unaware of. There is single skating, pair skating, ice dancing, and synchronized skating.
Single Skating
This is the most common type of figure skating that you would easily recall when you imagine figure skating. Evident from the name, women and men individually perform their movements and they perform the required techniques such as spins, jumps, and step sequences fluently to get a higher score.
Pair Skating
Unlike single skating, pair skating is required to perform with a partner. Yet, it is very similar in the fact that they also need to perform the required skills including spins, jumps, and step sequences. For the jumps, there are two types of jumps. Side-by-side jumps are where male and female athletes perform the same jump side by side. To add on, throw jumps are in which a man throws a female athlete and a woman jumps.
Ice Dancing
Ice dancing requires a partner as well. However, unlike pair skating, ice dancing does not include jump. Ice dancing is a performer dancing on the ice while skating.
Synchronized Skating
Synchronized skating is performed as a team and composed of twelve to twenty skaters. They perform countless complicated step sequences with the same movement simultaneously. Unlike other types of skating explained above, synchronized skating is not included in Olympic sports.
By: Woojin Jung