Contents
Profile
Pair skating
- Sport
- Figure skating
- Olympic since
- 1908
- Participants
- Woman + man
- Programs
- Short program + free skate
- Typical
- Lifts, throws, death spiral
Athleticism for two
Pair skating combines the jumps and spins of singles skating with elements that are only possible as a pair. This makes it arguably the most spectacular discipline in figure skating – and also the one with the highest risk.
The typical elements
- Lifts: the man lifts the woman overhead while moving and turning across the ice. Position, changes and execution are scored.
- Twist lift: the woman is thrown into the air, rotates several times and is caught again by the man.
- Throw jumps: the man throws the woman into a jump (such as a triple loop or triple Salchow), which she lands on her own.
- Death spiral: the man forms the axis, and the woman circles almost horizontally on one edge just above the ice.
- Side-by-side jumps and spins: both jump or spin at the same time next to each other, as synchronised as possible.
- Pair spins: joint spins in contact.
Which jumps are performed is explained in jump types.
Pair skating vs. ice dance
| Pair skating | Ice dance | |
|---|---|---|
| Jumps | yes, including triples | no multi-rotation jumps |
| Throw jumps | yes | no |
| Overhead lifts | yes | no |
| Focus | athleticism and elements | rhythm and steps |
Short program and free skate
As in singles, a pairs competition consists of a short program and a free skate. In the short program, the elements are fixed – for example a twist lift, a throw jump, a side-by-side solo jump, a death spiral, a pair spin, a lift and a step sequence. In the longer free skate, pairs have more freedom but must show a set number of lifts, throws and jumps. Scoring follows the ISU judging system.
Risk and trust
Pair skating is one of the riskiest disciplines in ice sports. In overhead lifts, the woman is more than two metres up while the man skates backwards across the ice. In throw jumps she lands at high speed. Mistakes can lead to serious falls. That is why pairs first practise elements off the ice, then on the ice with a safety harness.
Because height and weight have to match, changing partners is often a big issue. Many successful pairs only came together after years in singles skating, sometimes across national borders. To compete at the Olympic Games, both partners must have the same nationality.
Germany and pair skating
Germany has a particularly successful tradition in pair skating. Olympic gold was won by, among others, Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot in 2018 in Pyeongchang with a free skate that set a world record at the time. Savchenko had previously been world champion several times with Robin Szolkowy.
Getting started
Most pair skaters start in singles and switch after a few years of experience. Because throws and lifts require strength and trust, training initially takes place with a safety harness (pole harness). You can find clubs near you via teams & clubs.
Frequently asked questions
+What is a death spiral?
The man pivots as an axis while the woman circles around him almost horizontally above the ice on one edge. It is one of the required elements in pair skating.
+What is a throw jump?
The man throws the woman into a jump, such as a triple Salchow, which she lands on her own.
+How does it differ from ice dance?
Pair skating has throws, overhead lifts and jumps; ice dance does not. There, steps and rhythm take centre stage.
Sources & further links
Editorially researched and checked against association and rulebook information. Found a mistake? Write to us via the Contact page.
Read more in the encyclopedia
Discipline
Ice dance
Ice dance is an Olympic figure skating discipline in which a couple performs mainly step sequences, dance holds, twizzles and short lifts to music. Unlike pair skating, there are no throw jumps and no multi-rotation jumps.
Term
Figure skating jumps: Axel, Lutz, flip & co.
Figure skating has six basic jumps: toe loop, Salchow, loop, flip, Lutz and Axel. They differ in the take-off – whether with the help of the toe pick (toe jump) or from the edge (edge jump). The landing is almost always backwards on the right foot (for anticlockwise rotators).
Term
Figure skating judging system (IJS, GOE, PCS)
Since 2004, figure skating has been scored under the ISU Judging System (IJS). The total score is made up of the technical score (base value of the elements plus the GOE execution score) and the program components, minus any deductions, for example for falls.
Sport
Figure skating
Figure skating combines athleticism and expression: skaters perform jumps, spins and step sequences to music, which a judging panel scores under the ISU judging system. Olympic disciplines are singles, pair skating, ice dance and the team event.