Figure Skating: Resilience, Scoring, and Key Terms for the 2026 Winter Olympics

Resilience After Falls:: Top skaters like Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea demonstrate the ability to quickly recover from falls, emphasizing practice and communication.

Scoring System:: The International Judging System (IJS) evaluates technical elements (jumps, spins) and program components (composition, presentation, skating skills) to determine a skater's score.

No Perfect Score:: The current IJS system does not have a fixed "perfect score," unlike the retired 6.0 system.

Key Terms:: Familiarize yourself with terms like "carrot," "death spiral," "flutz," and "twizzle" to better understand the sport.

Historical Context:: The sport has evolved from the 6.0 system to the more nuanced IJS, focusing on detailed evaluation of performance elements.

Practice and Muscle Memory:: Consistent training ensures skaters can react instinctively.

Communication:: Partners rely on verbal and non-verbal cues to stay synchronized.

Mental Toughness:: Overcoming the disappointment and physical impact of a fall requires a strong mindset.

Technical Elements:: Each jump, spin, and sequence has a base value. Judges assign a Grade of Execution (GOE) from -5 to +5, adjusting the base value.

Program Components:: Judges score composition, presentation, and skating skills from 0.25 to 10. These scores are averaged and factored into the total.

Segment Score:: The combined technical and program component scores form the segment score.

Final Score:: The total competition score combines segment scores from the short program/rhythm dance and free skate/dance.

Carrot:: A jump that is underrotated, with the skater landing less than a quarter-turn short.

Death Spiral:: A dramatic paired move where the male pivots while the female circles him in an arched position close to the ice.

Double Carrot:: A jump where the skater lands half a turn or more short.

Flutz:: An incorrectly executed Lutz jump, where the skater jumps from the inside edge instead of the outside edge.

Hydroblading:: A low-gliding movement where the skater’s body is close to the ice, sometimes with hands touching the surface.

Ina Bauer:: Skating on parallel blades with toes pointing in opposite directions.

Spread Eagle:: Skating with feet apart, toes turned outward, and heels facing each other.

Twizzle:: Rapid, continuous single-leg rotations while moving across the ice.

Waxel:: An imperfectly performed Axel jump.

Zayak:: A routine or skater that overuses the same triple jump, named after skater Elaine Zayak.

Resilience is Key:: Figure skaters demonstrate remarkable resilience, recovering quickly from falls through practice and communication.

Understanding Scoring Enhances Viewing:: Knowing how the IJS works helps you appreciate the nuances of each performance.

Terminology Adds Depth:: Familiarizing yourself with figure skating terms allows you to follow commentary and understand the intricacies of the sport.