The free skating segment of

figure skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...

, also called the free skate and the long program, is the second of two segments of competitions, skated after the short program. Its duration, across all disciplines, is four minutes for senior skaters and teams, and three and one-half minutes for junior skaters and teams. Vocal music with lyrics is allowed for all disciplines since the 2014—2015 season. The free skating program, across all disciplines, must be well-balanced and include certain elements described and published by the

International Skating Union The International Skating Union (ISU) is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Net ...

(ISU).

Overview

The free skating program, also called the free skate or long program, along with the short program, is a segment of

single skating Single skating is a discipline of figure skating in which male and female skaters compete individually. Men's singles and women's singles are governed by the International Skating Union (ISU). Figure skating is the oldest winter sport contested ...

pair skating Pair skating is a figure skating discipline defined by the International Skating Union (ISU) as "the skating of two persons in unison who perform their movements in such harmony with each other as to give the impression of genuine Pair Skating a ...

, and

synchronized skating Synchronized skating is an ice skating sport where between 8 to 16 skaters perform together as 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 ...

in international competitions and events for both junior and senior-level skaters.S&P/ID 2022, p. 9 The free skating program is skated after the short program. Its duration, across all disciplines, is four minutes for senior skaters and teams, and three and one-half minutes for junior skaters and teams. Vocal music with lyrics has been allowed in all disciplines since the 2014—2015 season. The first time vocal music was allowed at the Olympics was in 2018. According to figure skating historian James R. Hines, the Viennese style of figure skating, which developed into the international style adopted by the

(ISU), the organization that oversees figure skating, "provides a direct link to modern free skating". Free skating, developed when skaters connected individual

compulsory figures Compulsory figures or school figures were formerly a segment of figure skating, and gave the sport its name. They are the "circular patterns which skaters trace on the ice to demonstrate skill in placing clean turns evenly on round circles". For ...

into a cohesive program, has been a part of international competitions throughout the ISU's history, becoming more important and popular after World War II. The free skate, along with compulsory figures, were segments in competitions until 1973, when the short program was added. American skater

Nathan Chen Nathan Chen (born May 5, 1999) is an American figure skater. He is the 2022 Olympic champion, a three-time World champion (2018, 2019, 2021), the 2017 Four Continents champion, a three-time Grand Prix Final champion (2017, 2018, 2019), a ten ...

holds the highest single men's free skating program score of 224.92, which he earned at the 2019–20 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.

Alexandra Trusova Alexandra "Sasha" Vyacheslavovna Trusova ( rus, Александра Вячеславовна Трусова, , ɐlʲɪˈksandrə ˈtrusəvə; born 23 June 2004) is a Russian figure skater. She is the 2022 Olympic silver medalist, the 2021 Wor ...

from Russia holds the highest single women's free skating score of 166.62, which she earned at 2019 Skate Canada.

Anastasia Mishina Anastasia Viktorovna Mishina (russian: Анастасия Викторовна Мишина, born 24 April 2001) is a Russian pair skater. With her skating partner, Aleksandr Galliamov, she is the 2022 Olympic champion in the team event and 20 ...

and

Aleksandr Galliamov Aleksandr Romanovich Galliamov (russian: Александр Романович Галлямов, Tatar: Александр Романович Галләмов, born 28 August 1999) is a Russian pair skater. With his skating partner, Anastasia Mi ...

from Russia hold the highest pairs free skating score of 157.46, which they earned at the 2022 European Championships.

Requirements

Single skating

Nathan Chen at 2017 US Figure Skating Championships

According to the ISU, a free skating program for men and women single skaters "consists of a well balanced program of Free Skating elements, such as jumps, spins, steps and other linking movements executed with minimal two-footed skating, in harmony with music of the Competitor’s choice". Skaters have "complete freedom"S&P/ID 2022, p. 110 to select any free skating elements they choose; the sum of the elements make up an entire free skating program. All the elements must be linked together by connecting different steps and other free skating movements. Skaters must use the entire ice surface. Forward and backward crossovers, however, do not constitute connecting steps. If a skater performs more elements than what is prescribed, only the first attempt, or the allowed number of attempts, is counted in their final score. A well-balanced free skate for junior and senior men and women single skaters must consist of the following: up to seven jump elements, one of which has to be an

Axel jump Axel may refer to: People * Axel (name), all persons with the name Places * Axel, Netherlands, a town ** Capture of Axel, a battle at Axel in 1586 Arts, entertainment, media * ''Axel'', a 1988 short film by Nigel Wingrove * ''Axel'', a Cirque ...

; up to three

spins The spins (as in having "the spins")Diane Marie Leiva. ''The Florida State University College of Education''Women's Voices on College Drinking: The First-Year College Experience"/ref> is an adverse reaction of intoxication that causes a state of ...

, one of which has to be a spin combination (one a spin with just one position, and one flying spin with a flying entrance); only one

step sequence A step sequence is a required element in all four disciplines of figure skating, men's single skating, women's single skating, pair skating, and ice dance. Step sequences have been defined as "steps and turns in a pattern on the ice". Skaters ear ...

; and only one choreographic sequence. Skaters can execute up to three jump combinations or jump sequences in the free skating program and can consist of the same or a different single, double, triple, or quadruple jump. One jump combination may consist of up to three jumps, while the other two jump combinations can consist of up to two jumps. Any double jump, including the double Axel, cannot be included more than two times; i.e., as a solo jump or as part of a jump combination or jump sequence. Only two types of triple and quadruple jumps can be executed twice or attempted more than twice. Jumps are judged in the order of execution. The ISU requires that all spins "must be of a different character". Skaters must include a required number of revolutions in their spins: at least ten spins in their spin combinations and six revolutions for both their flying spin and the spin with only one position. Judges count the minimum number of required revolutions from the entry of the spin to, other than the wind-up in flying spins and spins with just one position, its exit. A change in foot is optional in the spin with spin combinations and spins with only one position.S&P/ID 2022, p. 112 Skaters have complete freedom in the selection of the kinds of step sequences they want to execute. They can include jumps in their step sequences, but they must fully utilize the ice surface. The ISU also states about step sequences: "Step sequences too short and barely visible cannot be considered as meeting the requirements of a step sequence". The pattern of choreographic sequences, which may be performed before or after the step sequence and must consist of at least two movements, is not restricted, but they must be clearly visible. They commence with the skaters' first skating movement and conclude with the "preparation to the next element", if it is not the last element of the free skating program. Additionally, skaters can use steps and turns to link two or more different movements together.

Pair skating

According to the ISU, free skating for pairs "consists of a well balanced program composed and skated to music of the pair’s own choice for a specified period of time".S&P/ID 2022, p. 118 The ISU also considers a good free skate one that contains both single skating moves performed either in parallel (called "shadow skating") or symmetrically (called "mirror skating") and "especially typical Pair Skating moves" such as pair spins, lifts, partner assisted jumps,

spirals In mathematics, a spiral is a curve which emanates from a point, moving farther away as it revolves around the point. Helices Two major definitions of "spiral" in the American Heritage Dictionary are: A well-balanced free skate for senior pairs must consist of the following: up to three lifts, not all from the same group, with the lifting arm or arms fully extended; only one

twist lift Figure skating lifts are required elements in two disciplines of figure skating, pair skating and ice dance. There are five groups of lifts in pair skating, categorized in order of increasing level of difficulty. Judges look for the following when ...

, only one solo jump; only one jump sequence or combination; only one pair spin combination; only one death spiral of a different type than what the skaters performed during their short program; and only one choreographic sequence. A junior pair free skating program must consist of the following: up to two lifts, not all from the same group, with the lifting arm or arms fully extended; only one twist lift; up to two different throw jumps; only one solo jump; only one jump sequence or combination; only one death spiral; and only one choreographic sequence. If a pairs team performs any number of elements more than what has been prescribed, only the first attempt (or the legal number of attempts) will be included in their final score.

Synchronized skating

A well-balanced free skate for synchronized skating must consist of elements and other linking movements that reflect the character of the music the teams choose and/or expresses a story, theme, idea, or concept also chosen by the team. The ISU, out of the following 14 elements, chooses and publicizes up to 10 required elements for junior free skating programs and up to 11 required elements for senior free skating programs yearly. These elements include: an artistic element, a creative element, an intersection element, a group lift element (only for senior teams, when required), a line or block linear element, a mixed element, a move element, a no-hold element, a pair element, a line or black pivoting element, a wheel or circle rotating element, a synchronized spin element, a wheel or circle traveling element, and a

twizzle A twizzle is "a multirotational, one-foot turn that moves across the ice" in the sport of figure skating. First performed by David Grant in 1990 the International Skating Union (ISU) defines a twizzle as "a traveling turn on one foot with one o ...

element. These elements must be "linked together harmoniously by a variety of connections and executed with a minimum of two footed skating".SS 2022, p. 105

References

Notes

Citations

Sources

"Special Regulations & Technical Rules Single & Pair Skating and Ice Dance 2021"
(S&P/ID 2022) International Skating Union. 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
"Special Regulations & Technical Rules Synchronized Skating 2022"
(SS Rules 2022) International Skating Union. 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022. {{figure skating Figure skating