Synchronized Skating
Synchronized skating is a sport of the figure skating discipline in which 8 to 20 skaters perform routines as a team on an ice rink.
Similar to other types of figure skating, routines are performed to background music. There are several required formations that each routine should consist of, which are, lines, blocks, wheels, circles and intersections. Routines should also consist of step-sequences which involve, simple turns like three-turns, double-three turns, and mohawks and choctaws, plus more difficult turns like twizzles, brackets, counters and rockers. Lifts are also required for the senior divisions.
In competitions, each team has to perform two routines, a Short Program and a Free Skating Program, where teams have to exhibit various required elements in the short program and showcase their creativity in the free skating program.
Various aspects like precision, teamwork, speed, difficulty of moves, and execution are used to judge the routines. The sport uses the ISU Judging System, which assigns two different type of scores, the technical elements score and the program components score. The team with the highest total score is the winner of the competition.
ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships held annually is the highest level international competition for the sport.
Similar Sports
- Figure Skating — an artistic ice skating sport where athletes perform routines on an ice rink.
- Ice Dancing — one of the events in figure skating, which has its roots in ballroom dancing.
- Ice Skating Sports
- Synchronized Diving - a diving sport in which two divers perform the exact same dive simultaneously.
- Synchronized Swimming — athletes perform synchronized dance routines to music while floating in the water.
Related Pages
- Complete list of sports
- The Encyclopedia of Sports
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