Figure skating, the oldest sport in the Winter Olympic Games, has a rich history that extends beyond the Winter Olympics. It first appeared in the Summer Games in London in 1908 and again at the 1920 Games in Antwerp. Until 1972, the sport included only men’s and women’s singles and pairs events . Ice dance was introduced to the Olympic program in 1976. Russia, who was banned from every Winter Olympic sport following the invasion of Ukraine, and the United States have consistently produced top-tier figure skaters and have a strong tradition of excellence in the sport, with the U.S. leading the all-time medal standings. What are the figure skating events at the Olympics? Figure skating, the oldest sport at the Winter Games, has a rich history that extends beyond the Winter Olympics. It first appeared in the Summer Games in London in 1908 and again at the 1920 Games in Antwerp. Until 1972, the sport included only men’s and women’s singles and pairs events. Ice dance was introduced to the Olympic program in 1976. At Milan Cortina 2026, five Olympic figure skating medal events are scheduled: men’s singles, women’s singles, pairs, ice dance, and the team event. 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics May 19, 2025 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina: See dates, sports, how to watch, more 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics Jun 16, 2025 Get to know Team USA Olympians ahead of the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics Jun 9, 2025 How to watch the 2026 Olympics in Milan Cortina What is the difference between singles, pairs, and ice dance in figure skating? Singles (men’s and women’s) feature individual skaters performing jumps, spins, step sequences and choreographed routines. They follow prescribed element structures in a short program and a free skate. Pairs involve a man and a woman performing elements such as lifts, twist lifts, throw jumps, death spirals, spin combinations, step sequences and choreographic sequences with unison and harmony. Ice dance places the emphasis on rhythm, musical interpretation, footwork and dance holds. It includes a rhythm dance and a free dance, with no overhead lifts or throw jumps, focusing on precision and musical connection. What is the figure skating team event and how does it work? The team event brings together the five disciplines from up to 10 individual nations. Each nation fields one entry in each of the eight segments total (short program/rhythm dance, free skate/free dance). The short programs and rhythm dance performances (men’s short program, women’s short program, pairs short program and rhythm dance) determine which top-five countries advance — those five then skate in all four free skate and free dance performances (men’s free skate, women’s free skate, pairs free skate, free dance). Team scores are aggregated to determine overall team standings and medal winners. How is Olympic figure skating scored (technical and component scores)? Olympic figure skating uses the ISU International Judging System (IJS), sometimes called the Code of Points. Each element (jump, spin, lift, step sequence) has a base value. Judges then award a Grade of Execution (GOE) from −5 to +5, adjusted in final scoring. Technical Element Score (TES): Sum of base values plus or minus GOE adjustments. Program Component Score (PCS): Marks for presentation quality and artistry. Under the latest ISU rules, judges score five components — Skating Skills, transitions, performance, composition and interpretation of the music — typically on a 0.25–10 scale in 0.25 increments; marks are averaged after dropping extremes. The TES and PCS are added together to produce the total segment score; final placement is the sum of short and free program scores. Where will the Milan Cortina 2026 figure skating competitions take place? All figure skating events, including the five medal disciplines and all eight team‑event segments, will take place at the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan. This multipurpose arena has hosted major international figure skating competitions and will seat approximately 9,800 spectators during the Games. The arena also will host all short track events. The Milano Ice Skating Arena, located at Via Giuseppe di Vittorio, 6, Assago MI, is reachable by public transit, and is approximately 30 minutes from the center of Milan. When to watch figure skating at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics Figure skating at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics will take place from Friday, Feb. 6 to Thursday, Feb. 19, ending with the women’s free skate. Stay tuned on the NBC Olympics schedule page for updates. ...read more read less