Short program (figure skating)

The short program of figure skating is usually the first of two phases in figure skating competitions for single skating, pair skating and synchronized skating. As the name suggests, it is the shorter of the two programs, the other one being the free skating. The short program has also been known by other names. From 1989 to 1992, it was called the original program, and from 1993 to 1994, it was called the technical program.

The short program was first introduced in the 1964 season for pair skating competitions, which originally consisted of free skating only. The new short program for pairs was originally called the "connected program" and had only six required elements, drawn from designated groups in lifts, solo jumps, pair spins, solo spins, "spiral spins" (death spirals), and step sequences. The maximum time allowed was 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

For single skating, figure skating competitions used to consist of compulsory figures and free skating only. The short program was introduced in the 1972–73 season as part of a reform to reduce the weight of the compulsory figures and provide an additional event suitable for television coverage of skating competitions. Originally, the short program for singles had only six required elements (three jumps, two spins, and one step sequence). It was performed for the first time at the Nebelhorn Trophy late in the summer of 1972. A seventh element, the spin combination, was added to the short program the following season.

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