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Figure Skaters Make History

Olympic skaters wowed audiences with graceful performances and record-breaking moves

February 21, 2018
By Jennifer Hackett
ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images

Nathan Chen of Team USA performs his free skate routine during the men's figure skating event.

It's been an exciting week of figure skating events at the Olympics, which concludes on February 23. There are a total of five different events: men’s, women’s, pairs, ice dance, and the team event. So far, Americans have won medals in ice dancing and the team event. But U.S. skaters have also set new records during their routines.  

Each figure skating event consists of two parts: a short program and a free skate. The short program must be shorter than 2 minutes and 50 seconds. Athletes must perform seven different required elements, or moves, which vary depending on the event. They include jumps, spins, and step sequences that show off skaters’ fancy footwork on the ice.

The free skate—also called the long program—is about 4 minutes long. Jumps more than halfway through a free skate get bonus points from the judges. That's because big jumps are more difficult at the end of a routine when the skater is more tired. Learn more about Olympic figure skating from Scholastic MATH.

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Mirai Nagasu reacts during the figure skating team event after she completes her routine that included a successful triple axel.

RECORD SETTERS

The first U.S. skater to make history was 24-year-old Mirai Nagasu. During the team competition on February 12, she became the first American—and third woman—to land the notoriously tricky triple axel jump at the Olympics. To complete a triple axel, Nagasu jumped into the air on one foot while facing forward. Then she completed three-and-a-half rotations in the air. Finally she landed facing the opposite direction and on the opposite foot. “This is definitely history, or herstory, whatever way you want to put it,” Nagasu said in an interview.

On February 19, the brother-and-sister U.S. ice dancing team of Maia and Alex Shibutani skated their way to a bronze medal finish. That made it the fourth Olympics in a row where American ice dancers have won a medal. After their free skate, Maia tweeted that it was the best skate of their lives. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada won gold and set a new world record for the highest-ever score from the judges. Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France took home silver.

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Siblings Maia and Alex Shibutani of the United States won bronze in ice dancing.

During the men’s individual event, American Nathan Chen had a difficult short program. He fell multiple times and was in 17th place. But the 18-year-old’s free skate was a different story. Going into the free skate, Chen said he “had nothing to lose” and attempted six different quadruple spin jumps—where they make at least four revolutions. He landed all six and set an Olympic record for the number of quads landed in a single routine. “I wanted to show that I was capable of doing a good program,” he told ABC News.

Chen’s incredibly difficult free skate caused him to skyrocket from 17th to 5th overall. His final spot was the highest of the three American men competing in the event. Javier Fernandez of Spain took bronze, Shoma Uno of Japan took silver, and Yuzuru Hanyu, also from Japan, won gold. Hanyu became the first man in 66 years to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in figure skating.

On Friday, February 23, we'll see who takes home the gold in the women's event. Right now, two Russian athletes are in the lead, and Mirai Nagasu is in fourth place. Stay tuned for more Olympics updates, which continue through February 25.

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