Figure skating
Figure skating is judged skating on ice. Singles and pairs skate a short program and then free skating; ice dance couples skate a rhythm dance and then a free dance. Each segment scores the technical elements, such as jumps and lifts, each graded by the judges for execution, plus the program components, minus deductions.
Checked 20 October 2026
New to figure skating? Start here
How long
A short program of 2 minutes 40 seconds and a free skate of 4 minutes (seniors)
Lengths are from the rule book.
The big events, and why they matter
- 1Winter Olympic Games (figure skating)The title figure skating is measured by.Every 4 years · Holder: Mikhail Shaidorov
- 2ISU World Figure Skating ChampionshipsThe sport's own world title.Yearly · Holder: Ilia Malinin
- 3ISU Grand Prix and Grand Prix FinalThe autumn series, ending in a Final for the top six.Yearly · Holder: Men's: Ilia Malinin · Women's: Alysa Liu
- 4Asian Winter Games (figure skating)Asia's winter multi-sport title.About every 4 years; next Almaty 2029 · Holder: Cha Jun-hwan and Kim Chae-yeon
India
- World Figure Skating Championships: No medal. The register notes India's entries (Ami Parekh, from 2007)
- ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final: No medal
Countries to know
India and the nations that have done best, biggest titles first.
- United StatesFigure skating at the Olympic Games: 19 golds, 17 silvers, 21 bronzes (latest 2026); World Figure Skating Championships: 64 golds, 65 silvers, 85 bronzes (latest 2026)
- RussiaWorld Figure Skating Championships: 36 golds, 27 silvers, 28 bronzes (latest 2021); ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final: 32 golds, 31 silvers, 26 bronzes (latest 2019)
- Soviet UnionFigure skating at the Olympic Games: 10 golds, 9 silvers, 5 bronzes (latest 1988); World Figure Skating Championships: 44 golds, 42 silvers, 24 bronzes (latest 1991)
- CanadaFigure skating at the Olympic Games: 6 golds, 11 silvers, 13 bronzes (latest 2026); World Figure Skating Championships: 36 golds, 40 silvers, 39 bronzes (latest 2026)
- AustriaFigure skating at the Olympic Games: 7 golds, 9 silvers, 4 bronzes (latest 1972); World Figure Skating Championships: 35 golds, 46 silvers, 32 bronzes (latest 1982)
Who runs it
| Rules made by | International Skating Union (ISU), Sports Rules: Single & Pair Skating and Ice Dance, as of 12 June 2026 |
| International federation | International Skating Union (ISU) |
| In India |
Where and when it is played
On ice, every program skated to music. The big events: the Winter Olympic Games every four years, the ISU World Figure Skating Championships every year and the ISU Grand Prix and its final every year.