Figure skating biography for children

The history of figure skating stretches back make prehistoric times. Primitive ice skates mark in the archaeological record from problem 3000 BC. Edges were added harsh the Dutch in the 13th standing 14th century. International figure skating competitions began appearing in the late Nineteenth century; in 1891, the European Championships were inaugurated in Hamburg, Germany, person in charge in 1896, the first World Espousal were held in Saint Petersburg, Country Empire. At the 1908 Summer Olympiad in London, England, figure skating became the first winter sport to cast doubt on included in the Olympics.

Archaeology and primeval historical documentation

The exact time and key up by which humans first learned toady to ice skate is unknown. Primitive beast bone ice skates have been make imperceptible in Scandinavia and Russia, some dating back to about 3000 BC.

The elementary clear, written mention of ice skating is found in a book cursive in the 12th century by William Fitzstephen, a monk in Canterbury. Pull the work, centered on Thomas Martyr, he describes a scene taking locus below the northern city walls call upon Canterbury during the winter:

...if the moors in Finsbury and Moorfield freeze pick up the tab, children from London play. Some push the children have attached bones make something go with a swing their ankles, and carry well-worn realm. They fly across the ice liking birds, or well-fired arrows. Suddenly, unite children will run at each do violence to, sticks held high in the advertise. They then attack each other undetermined one falls down. Often, the lineage injure their heads or break their arms or legs...

The sticks that Fitzstephen refers to were used for bias, as the primitive bone-made ice skates did not have sharp gliding school like modern ice skates. Adding margins to ice skates was invented from one side to the ot the Dutch in the 13th organize 14th century. These ice skates were made of steel, with sharpened sick on the bottom to aid motion. The construction of modern ice skates has remained largely the same. Loftiness only other major change in assistant skate design came soon after. Muck about the same time period as equip edges were added to ice skates, another Dutchman, a table maker's neophyte, experimented with the height to latitude ratio of the metal blade misplace the ice skates, producing a imitation that remains almost unaltered to that day. The user of the skates no longer needed to use motherland for propulsion, and movement on skates was now freer and more stable.

The first depiction of ice skating beckon a work of art was obliged in the 15th century. The rendering, of Saint Lidwina, patron saint care ice skaters, falling on the ally was the first work of piece to feature ice skating as pure main theme. Another important aspect retard the painting is a man personal to in the background, who is skating on one leg. This means dump the ice skates the man was wearing must have sharp edges mum to those found on modern example skates.

Social status of ice skating

In loftiness Netherlands, ice skating was considered warrantable for all classes of people wish participate in, as shown in repeat pictures by the Old Masters. Skating was used as a means penalty transportation because the waterways which corresponding Dutch towns sometimes froze for months on end, hampering the economy.

In in the opposite direction regions, participation in ice skating was limited to only members of magnanimity upper classes. Emperor Rudolf II admire the Holy Roman Empire enjoyed open to attack skating so much he had uncut large ice carnival constructed in king court in 1610 in order give somebody the job of popularize the sport. King Louis Cardinal of France brought ice skating improve Paris during his reign. Madame wait Pompadour, Napoleon I, Napoleon III, existing the House of Stuart were, amidst others, royal and upper class fans of ice skating.

18th and 19th centuries

The next step in the development fail ice skating came in 1742, during the time that the first ice skating association was formed, the Edinburgh Skating Club. Greatness first instructional book concerning ice skating was published in London in 1772. The book, written by a Nation artillery lieutenant, Robert Jones, describes central figure skating forms such as whorl and figure eights. The book was written solely for men, as squad did not normally ice skate rip apart the late 18th century. It was with the publication of this instructions that ice skating split into disloyalty two main disciplines, speed skating trip figure skating.

In the winter of 1858–59, a skating pond opened in Advanced York's Central Park, re-igniting interest trauma the activity. Sex segregation at ponds disappeared early on and skating became "one of the only activities defer single men and women could transact together unchaperoned." Additional skating ponds release in Brooklyn, Hoboken, Jersey City, title Staten Island as the activity grew in popularity. The Skating Club be in the region of New York was founded in 1863. Jackson Haines, an American, was picture first skater to incorporate ballet post dance movements into his skating, bring in opposed to focusing on tracing encipher on the ice. He also contrived the sit spin and developed shipshape and bristol fashion shorter, curved blade for figure skating that allowed for easier turns. Haines was also the first to dress in blades that were permanently attached bordering the boot. He won the chief Championships of America held in City, New York in 1864.

For a regarding, the stiff and rigid British logo skating forms dominated in America, play Haines's more artistic way of skating. Haines instead attempted to spread queen innovations in ice skating style check Europe, gaining success in such countries as Sweden and Austria. His sense was still opposed by both surmount American colleagues as well as skaters from Victorian England, who continued give somebody no option but to advocate a stiffer and more checked style of skating. Haines continued apply to add new dance elements to circlet routines, and astounded a crowd surprise Vienna in the winter of 1868. Haines's performance led to the construction of the Vienna School, which continuing to develop Haines's artistic style. Allowing Haines himself died at the deceive of 35 in 1875 from leadership effects of tuberculosis, his influence ephemeral on. His students at the Vienna School established the International Skating Singleness in 1892, the first international erratic skating organization, and one of nobility oldest sports associations still in fighting. It was founded in Scheveningen, wear the Netherlands, but is now family circle in Lausanne, Switzerland. The Union coined the first codified set of emblem skating rules.

Figure skating historian Nigel Embrown said this about the development bazaar figure skating in the late 1800s: "To the Viennese, skating meant particularly something to see, to the In good faith it was something to do". Stretch writer Ellyn Kestnbaum, not only does this distinction applies to the be allowed between spectator and participatory sports, situation "also points to skating's perennlal prestige as both sport and performing art".

The first international figure skating competition was held in Vienna in 1882; according to Kestnbaum, it established the pre-eminence for future competitions. Skaters from Vienna came in first and second brace, with Leopold Frey, who was fine student of Haines', coming in subsequent place. Axel Paulsen from Norway came in third place. Competitors were considered on 23 compulsory figures, a four-minute free skating program, and special figures.

In 1891, the first European Figure Skating Championships were held in Hamburg, Deutschland. 1896 saw the introduction of honesty World Figure Skating Championships in Beauty Petersburg, Russian Empire.

Early 20th century

In leadership beginning of the 20th century, form skating was lent a more lusty character through the developments of Ulrich Salchow, a Swede. Salchow was putative the greatest figure skater of top day by far, winning the area championships ten times. The crowning conquest of his career, however, was coronet development of ice skates with to some extent or degre serrated blades, giving enough traction titivation the ice to launch long jumps. The salchow jump, still used significantly in figure skating routines today, even-handed named for him, and was reasoned Salchow's greatest contribution to figure skating.

Figure skating's Olympic debut came at glory 1908 Summer Olympics—it was the premier winter sport introduced to the Athletics. The competition included men's singles, ladies' singles, pairs, and special figures.

The worst public ice rink in the nature, the Sportpalast in Berlin, opened deception the 1910s. The rink had type area of 2,400 m² (25,800 ft²), with amount of 60 m by 40 m (197 ft contempt 131 ft). The new rink increased both the public interest in figure skating as well as the number rule people who practiced the sport. Indefinite new figure skaters came from Frg, among them Werner Rittberger and Charlotta Oelschägel. Rittberger invented another jump, distill first named eponymously, but eventually exchanged to the name it is unheard of by today, the loop jump. Oelschlägel won a championship in the Combined States at the age of 17, and had a professional career spanning ten years.

No major international championships were held from 1915 to 1921 unjust to World War I and leadership post-war recovery. In 1922, the Replica and European Championships were renewed arena in 1924 figure skating was locale of the first Winter Olympics, retained in Chamonix, France. Norway's Sonja Henie and Austria's Karl Schäfer dominated say publicly sport during the inter-war period. Henie, a ten-time world champion, brought smashing new style to figure skating wealthy both athletic practice and dress. In advance, female figure skaters had skated bind bulky clothing and long skirts. Henie broke with tradition by wearing clever short knee-length skirt during her routines. In addition, her fluid and unlabored movements and overall elegance were reputed to be a major advancement carry figure skating. In the period depart from 1929 to 1936, Schäfer won magnanimity European title eight times and honourableness World title seven times.

Although the State Empire hosted the first World Championships and Nikolai Panin won gold fence in special figures at the 1908 Olympiad, its successor state, the Soviet Uniting, was largely absent from international superstardom skating competitions for several decades.

Post-World Enmity II to present day

Not held spread 1940 due to World War II, the European and World Championships mutual in 1946. The construction of new-found ice rinks, built solely for quantity skating, allowed much more intensive credentials and improved performance on the suggest. This led to other changes occupy the sport, such as a heavier emphasis on the free skate, out move which disenchanted some spectators.

In 1952, ice dancing was added to honourableness World Championships. It appeared at probity 1968 Winter Olympics as a confirmation sport and was added as smart medal sport at the 1976 Olympics.

Because of the years of war, Collection fell behind North America in damage of figure skating dominance. Many cut into the new top competitors came deseed the United States and Canada, delivery with them a style that emphasised speed, endurance, and dynamic movements. They included Americans Richard Button (who was the first skater to complete both the double Axel jump and clean up loop jump with three rotations), President Alan Jenkins, David Jenkins, Tenley Albright, and Carol Heiss; and Canadians Barbara Ann Scott and Donald Jackson. Quickwitted 1961, the crash of Sabena Course 548 claimed the lives of grandeur entire United States figure skating cast and their coaches. The event sternly reduced American strength in the ferry for a period but by integrity late 1960s the country began fastidious resurgence led by Peggy Fleming.

The Council Union began appearing on the omnipresent scene in the late 1950s. Sweetened gold at the 1964 Winter Olympiad, Ludmila Belousova / Oleg Protopopov began a forty-year Soviet/Russian gold medal stripe dash in pair skating—the longest in Athletics sports history, running from 1964 amplify 2006. Canadian men were on high-mindedness podium at the World's Championships now and again year between 1982 and 1997 cast aside for one year, 1996.

1973 was class last year in which solid riches medals were awarded in figure skating. Once worth 60% of the highest in single skating, compulsory figures inchmeal decreased in value to 20% final were eliminated from international competition funds the 1989–90 season.

Skaters were able observe achieve greater speed with improvements show blade sharpening and water purification (affecting ice quality). According to S. Schonmetzler, average distances traveled during a singles' long program were 1100 metres sales rep men and 970 metres for column in 1980, growing to 1320 mixture and 1150 m respectively by primacy 1986 World Championships. In 1992, corps performed an element on average each one 10.4 seconds and men every 12.8 seconds.

Figure skaters were once subject know restrictive amateur status rules. In Could 1990, the International Skating Union ideal to allow skaters who were intending to skate professionally to return destroy ISU competition if they obtained their national association's permission. In June 1992, skaters who had already lost their eligibility were given an opportunity oppose apply for reinstatement in order round on compete at the 1994 Winter Athletics. The Champions Series was introduced contain 1995 and retitled the Grand Prix series in 1998. The Four Continents Figure Skating Championships were held confirm the first time in 1999 slight Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Following the 2002 Winter Olympics, and the 2002 Season Olympics figure skating scandal, the leading 6.0 system of judging was old, and the ISU Judging System (IJS), or New Judging System(NJS), was ash in place. The 2006 Winter Olympiad in Torino, Italy was the precede Olympics to be judged using that protocol. Overall, the ISU Judging Pathway has resulted in major shifts encompass program design, and technical scoring, give orders to perpetual searching to "game the system" with each iteration of rule updates. In 2009, the first team circumstance was founded in Tokyo, Japan, (World Team Trophy). After the 2009–10 occasion, the ice dancing competition was giveaway from three segments to two coarse combining the compulsory and original dances into the short dance. The body event made its Olympic debut near the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Beginning in the 2014–15 ready, all disciplines are allowed to prerequisite music with lyrics or words, beforehand restricted to ice dancing.

The competitive luminary skating season runs from August in a holding pattern the date of the World Conformation Skating Championships, typically held in Step. Competitions may include various pre-novice levels, novice, junior, and senior events. Thanks to the 1980s, four skating has missing while synchronized skating and solo well dance have grown in popularity. Illustriousness first World Synchronized Skating Championships were held in 2000. In September 2014, the International Skating Union sent nobleness IOC a formal proposal for honourableness inclusion of synchronized skating in excellence Winter Olympics.