Pair skater
Ludmila Belousova / Oleg Protopopov in 1968
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| Highest governing body | International Skating Union |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | |
| Team members | Pairs |
| Mixed gender | Yes |
| Equipment | Figure skates |
| Presence | |
| Olympic | Part of the Summer Olympics in 1908 and 1920; Part of the first Winter Olympics in 1924 to today |
Pair skating is a figure skating discipline. International Skating Union (ISU) regulations describe pair teams as consisting of "one lady and one man." The sport is distinguished from ice dancing and single skating by elements unique to pair skating, including overhead lifts, twist lifts, death spirals, and throw jumps. Pair teams also perform the elements of single skating in unison. The discipline requires similar technique and timing on all elements of the performance in order to create an impression of "two skating as one". Serious skating accidents are most common in pairs.
In February 1908, pair skating made its first appearance at the World Championships, in Saint Petersburg. Its Olympic debut took place in London in October 1908. The discipline has been dominated by Canada, China, Germany, and particularly the Soviet Union and Russia; from 1964 to 2006, Soviet or Russian skaters won every pairs Olympic gold medal. Pair skating has evolved significantly since its early beginnings. Some elements common in the modern-day sport were not introduced until decades later.
Pair skaters execute a variety of elements, some of which are unique to the discipline. Each element receives a score according to its base value and grade of execution (GOE), resulting in a combined technical elements score (TES). At competitions, a technical specialist identifies each element. Elements may be assigned a level of difficulty, ranging from B (Basic) to Level 4 (most difficult). A panel of judges determines GOE, ranging from +3 to -3, based on how well the pair executes the element. The GOE may be weighted according to the element's base value.
The ISU defines a fall as a loss of control with the result that the majority of the skater's body weight is not on the blade but supported by hands, knees, or buttocks. Women are referred to as "ladies" in ISU regulations.
Pair lifts are mostly overhead, rotational, and require ice coverage, i.e. to travel a distance across the ice. According to the current ISU rules for senior-level competition, the man must rotate more than once, but fewer than three-and-a-half times. Scores are affected by the type of lift, type of entry, ice coverage and speed across the ice, changes of position, the quality of the lady's position, the man's stability and cleanness of turns (i.e. minimal snow flying), type of dismount, and unique features. Optional features to increase one's score include performing a difficult entry or dismount, a release to one hand, changes of position during the lift, stopping the rotation, turning a carry lift into rotational one, or reversing rotation (i.e. both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions).
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