| Figure skating is a sport in which
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| | include:
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| individuals, mixed couples, or groups
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| | Synchronized skating, for mixed-gender
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| perform spins, jumps, and other moves on
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| | groups of 12 to 20 skaters. This
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| ice, often to music. Figure skaters
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| | discipline resembles a group form of ice
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| compete in multiple levels, from novice
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| | dance with additional emphasis on precise
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| to elite, and at national and
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| | formations of the group as a whole and
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| international competitions. The
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| | complex transitions between formations.
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| International Skating Union (ISU)
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| | Compulsory figures, in which skaters use
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| regulates figure skating judging and
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| | their blades to draw circles, figure 8s,
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| competitions. Figure skating is an
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| | and similar shapes in ice, and are judged
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| official event in the Winter Olympic
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| | on the accuracy and clarity of the
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| Games. In languages other than English,
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| | figures and the cleanness and exact
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| figure skating is usually referred to by
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| | placement of the various turns on the
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| a name that translates as "artistic
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| | circles. Figures were formerly included
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| skating".
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| | as a component of singles competitions
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| Major international competitions are
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| | but were eliminated from those events in
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| sanctioned by the ISU. These include the
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| | 1990. Today figures are rarely taught or
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| Winter Olympic Games, the World
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| | performed. The United States was the last
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| Championships, the ISU Grand Prix of
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| | country to retain a separate test and
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| Figure Skating, the European Figure
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| | competitive structure for compulsory
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| Skating Championships, and the Four
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| | figures, but the last national-level
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| Continents Figure Skating Championships.
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| | figures championship was held in 1999.
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| The sport is also associated with show
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| | Moves in the field (known in the UK as
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| business. Major competitions generally
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| | field moves), which have replaced
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| include exhibitions at the end in which
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| | compulsory figures as a discipline to
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| the top-placing skaters perform for the
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| | teach the same turns and edge skills in
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| crowd. Many skaters, both during and
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| | the context of fluid free skating
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| after their competitive careers, also
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| | movements instead of being constrained to
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| skate in ice skating exhibitions or shows
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| | artificially precise circles.
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| which run during the competitive season
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| | Fours, a discipline that is to pairs as
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| and the off-season.
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| | pairs is to singles. A fours team
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| Olympic sports in figure skating comprise
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| | consists of two men and two women who
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| the following disciplines:
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| | perform singles and pairs elements in
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| Single competition for men and women (who
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| | unison as well as unique elements that
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| are referred to as "ladies" in ISU
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| | involve all four skaters.
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| rulebooks), wherein skaters perform
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| | Theatre on ice, also known as "ballet on
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| jumps, spins, step sequences, and other
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| | ice" in Europe. This is a form of group
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| elements in their programs.
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| | skating that is less structured than
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| Pair skating teams consist of a woman and
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| | synchronized skating and allows the use
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| a man. Pairs perform singles elements in
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| | of props and theatrical costuming.
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| unison as well as pair-specific elements
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| | Adagio skating, a form of pair skating
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| such as throw jumps, in which the man
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| | most commonly seen in ice shows, where
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| 'throws' the woman into a jump; lifts, in
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| | the skaters perform many spectacular
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| which the woman is held above the man's
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| | acrobatic lifts but few or none of the
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| head in one of various grips and
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| | singles elements which competitive pairs
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| positions; pair spins, in which both
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| | must perform.
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| skaters spin together about a common
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| | Special figures, the tracing of elaborate
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| axis; death spirals, and other elements.
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| | original designs on the ice, common in
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| Ice dancing is again for couples
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| | the early days of skating.
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| consisting of a woman and a man skating
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| | Acrobatic skating, also known as
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| together. Ice dance differs from pairs in
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| | "Acrobatics on ice" or "Extreme Skating",
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| focusing on intricate footwork performed
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| | is a combination of circus arts,
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| in close dance holds, in time with the
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| | technical artistic gymnastics skills, and
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| music. Ice dancers do not perform the
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| | figure skating. Acrobatic skating merges
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| acrobatic jumps, throws, and lifts of
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| | many sporting worlds and has become
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| pair skating.
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| | popular worldwide.
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| Other disciplines of figure skating
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