|
There are three main divisions of competition ice-skating: figure skating, ice dancing, and speed skating.
Figure skating first appeared in the Olympics during the 1908 games in London. These games debuted competition in the men's, women’s, and pairs' events. Figure skating became a permanent event in the Olympics in the 1924 Chamonix, France games. Figure skating consists of competitors performing artistic jumps and spins while dancing to music.
The 1924 Olympic games saw the introduction of speed skating into the Olympics. These game included speed skating events for men only. Women’s speed skating was introduced into the Olympics in 1960 during the Squaw Valley, California games. Speed skating consists of a race around an oval track. The fastest skater wins the competition.
Ice dancing was first introduced into the Olympics during the 1976 games in Montreal, Canada. The competition includes events for men, women, and pairs. Ice dancing consists of dancing to music while performing artistic movements. Ice dancing concentrates on the artistic presentation more so than figure skating does.
|