Every Figure Skating Event at the Olympics, Explained

Short program vs. free skate. Pairs vs. ice dance. Team event vs. individual. Here's what you're actually watching at Milano Cortina 2026.

If you've tuned into the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics and found yourself wondering "wait, didn't I already watch figure skating?" — you're not alone. Figure skating isn't one event. It's five separate medal events, each with its own format, rules, and flavor. And within those events, there are different programs (short vs. free, rhythm dance vs. free dance) that each serve a different purpose.

It can be a lot to keep track of, especially if you're watching casually. So here's your complete guide to what each event actually is, what makes it different, and what to watch for.

The Five Olympic Figure Skating Events

At Milano Cortina 2026, figure skating medals are awarded in five events:

1. Men's Singles
2. Women's Singles
3. Pairs
4. Ice Dance
5. Team Event

The first four are individual discipline events. The team event is a country-vs-country competition that pulls skaters from all four disciplines. We'll break down each one.

Men's and Women's Singles

Singles is what most people picture when they think of Olympic figure skating: one skater on the ice, performing jumps, spins, and footwork to music. Men's and women's singles follow the same format, though the technical content differs (more on that below).

Each singles event has two programs: the short program and the free skate. The combined score from both determines the final placement.

The Short Program

Think of the short program as the opening statement. It's shorter (around 2 minutes and 40 seconds), tightly structured, and leaves almost no room for error. Skaters must perform a specific set of required elements:

• A double or triple Axel
• A triple or quad jump preceded by connecting steps
• A jump combination (two jumps back-to-back)
• One flying spin or spin with a flying entry
• One combination spin (spin with at least one change of foot and two positions)
• One spin in one position (sit, camel, or upright)
• A step sequence covering the full ice surface

That's seven elements, every one of them mandatory. Miss one or substitute the wrong element, and it simply doesn't count. There's no making it up later. This is what makes the short program so nerve-wracking — one fall on the required Axel and your entire competition could be over before the free skate even starts.

The short program is also where you see the biggest upsets. A top-ranked skater who stumbles here might not even make the final group for the free skate.

The Free Skate (Long Program)

The free skate is the main event. It's longer (4 minutes for all singles skaters as of the 2022-23 season), allows more elements (up to 7 jump elements plus spins and a step sequence), and gives skaters more creative freedom in how they build their program.

While there are still rules about what you can and can't do (like the Zayak Rule limiting jump repetitions), the free skate is where skaters get to show the full range of what they can do. This is where you'll see the quads stacked up, the dramatic choreography, and the programs designed to leave the audience on their feet.

The free skate is also where the back-half bonus becomes a major strategic factor. Jumps performed in the second half of the program earn a 10% base value bonus, which is why you'll see skaters like Ilia Malinin saving some of their biggest jumps for the final two minutes when they're already exhausted.

Pairs

Pairs skating features one man and one woman skating together, and it's where figure skating gets genuinely jaw-dropping. The format follows the same short program / free skate structure as singles, but the elements are completely different — and significantly more dangerous.

What Makes Pairs Unique

In addition to side-by-side jumps and spins (where both partners perform the same element in unison), pairs must perform elements you won't see anywhere else in skating:

• Throw jumps — the man literally launches the woman into the air, and she completes rotations and lands on her own. Triple throw jumps send the woman several feet through the air.
• Twist lifts — the woman is thrown upward, rotates in the air, and is caught by the man before landing. Think of it as a throw jump where your partner catches you instead of the ice.
• Overhead lifts — the man holds the woman above his head, often with one arm, while she holds artistic positions. The woman's head can be 8+ feet off the ice with no safety net.
• Death spirals — the man anchors himself in a low pivot position while swinging the woman in a circle so low her head nearly touches the ice. It looks exactly as dramatic as the name suggests.

Pairs also do side-by-side jumps, and the key here is unison. Both skaters need to take off and land at nearly the same time. A jump that would score well for a singles skater can lose points in pairs if the timing between partners is off.

Pairs Programs

Like singles, pairs compete in a short program and a free skate. The short program has required elements (a throw jump, a side-by-side jump, a twist lift, a lift, a death spiral, a spin, and a step sequence), while the free skate allows more elements and more creative freedom.

The 2025 world champions Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi of Japan are the favorites at Milano Cortina after scoring a personal best of 155.55 in the team event free skate — look for them in the individual event.

Ice Dance

Here's where most people get confused: ice dance is NOT the same as pairs. They look similar at first glance (two skaters, one man and one woman), but the rules, the elements, and the entire vibe are fundamentally different.

The Big Difference: No Jumps, No Throws

Ice dance does not include jumps, throw jumps, or overhead lifts. That's the single biggest distinction from pairs. Ice dance is essentially ballroom dancing on ice — it's about rhythm, musicality, footwork precision, and the connection between partners.

Instead of jumps and throws, ice dance elements include:

• Twizzles — synchronized one-foot turns that both partners perform side by side. These require incredible precision and are one of the hardest elements to execute in unison.
• Lifts — but NOT overhead. Dance lifts keep the woman below the man's shoulders and emphasize creative positions, transitions, and musical timing rather than sheer height.
• Step sequences — intricate, patterned footwork performed in hold (dance position) that covers the full ice surface.
• Pattern dance elements — specific required steps performed in traditional ice dance holds, often derived from ballroom dances like the waltz, tango, or foxtrot.

Ice Dance Programs: Rhythm Dance + Free Dance

Ice dance doesn't use the "short program / free skate" names. Instead, it has its own structure:

Rhythm Dance: This is the equivalent of the short program. The ISU assigns a specific musical theme or rhythm each season that all teams must incorporate. For the 2025-26 season, teams must include specific pattern dance elements based on prescribed rhythms. The rhythm dance is about showing that you can interpret an assigned style with personality and technical precision.

Free Dance: This is the creative showcase. Teams choose their own music and choreography, and the requirements are less rigid. This is where ice dance teams build their artistic identity — think Madison Chock and Evan Bates' "Paint It Black" flamenco program that helped Team USA win the team event gold at Milano Cortina.

The easiest way to tell them apart while watching: if someone gets launched into the air, it's pairs. If it looks like the most technically demanding ballroom dance you've ever seen, it's ice dance.

The Team Event

The team event is the newest addition to Olympic figure skating, introduced at Sochi 2014. It's a country-vs-country competition where each nation fields skaters from all four disciplines (men's singles, women's singles, pairs, and ice dance).

How the Team Event Works

Ten nations qualify based on their combined world rankings across all disciplines. The competition has two phases:

Phase 1 — Short Programs/Rhythm Dance: Each nation's skaters perform their short programs (or rhythm dance for ice dance). Teams are ranked 1st through 10th in each discipline, earning 10 points for 1st place down to 1 point for 10th. After all four short programs, the top 5 teams advance.

Phase 2 — Free Skates/Free Dance: The top 5 teams' skaters perform their free skates (or free dance). Points are again awarded by placement (10 for 1st through 6 for 5th). All eight segment scores are totaled to determine the final standings.

Team USA just won the 2026 team event gold at Milano Cortina, defending their Beijing 2022 title. Ilia Malinin's 200.03-point free skate sealed the deal for the Americans over a strong Japanese team that pushed them to the wire.

How Scoring Works Across All Events

Every figure skating event at the Olympics uses the same International Judging System (IJS). Regardless of whether you're watching men's singles, pairs, or ice dance, the score has two parts:

• Technical Element Score (TES) — points for each element performed, adjusted by how well it was executed (the Grade of Execution, or GOE)
• Program Component Score (PCS) — points for overall skating skills, composition, and presentation

TES + PCS minus any deductions (like falls) = the total segment score for that program. The two segment scores are added together for the final competition score.

What counts as a "good" score varies by discipline. A 300+ total is elite for men's singles. A 220+ total is elite for women's. Pairs and ice dance have their own scales. The component scores matter proportionally more in ice dance than in singles, which makes sense — ice dance IS the artistry discipline.

For a full deep dive into how points are calculated, check out our complete guide to figure skating scoring.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Schedule

The team event is already complete (congratulations, Team USA). Here's what's still coming in the individual events — starting with the men's short program tonight:

Note: All events are at the Milano Ice Skating Arena. Check your local listings for broadcast times — Italy is 6 hours ahead of EST.

What to Watch For as a New Fan

Now that you know what each event is, here's how to get the most out of watching:

In men's singles (short program is TONIGHT), count the quads. Top men will attempt 4-6 quadruple jumps across both programs. Ilia Malinin is the favorite and the only skater to have landed a quadruple Axel (4.5 rotations) in competition. Watch for whether he attempts it — it would be a historic Olympic moment. Also keep an eye on Japan's Kagiyama Yuma and France's Adam Siao Him Fa as the main contenders for silver and bronze.

In women's singles, watch for the triple Axel. It's the benchmark difficulty element. Also pay attention to artistry — the women's event typically has some of the most emotionally compelling programs. Japan's Sakamoto Kaori is a three-time world champion and a strong contender.

In pairs, watch the throw jumps and lifts. The athleticism is unreal. The throws are where the biggest risks (and biggest rewards) live. If a throw triple Lutz is landed cleanly, that's genuinely dangerous and extremely difficult.

In ice dance, watch the twizzles and the storytelling. Ice dance is the most subjective discipline, and the best teams make you forget you're watching a competition at all. Madison Chock and Evan Bates are skating in their fourth Olympics together as a married couple — their programs are always worth watching.

In the team event (already complete), the atmosphere is usually more relaxed and team-spirited. Skaters cheer from the sidelines, and there's a camaraderie you don't see in individual events. If you missed it, it's worth going back to watch the highlights.

Still Curious? Keep Going

This guide gives you the big picture, but there's a lot more to explore if the Olympics have gotten you hooked on skating:

• How Figure Skating Scoring Works (Full IJS Breakdown) — the complete deep dive into TES, PCS, GOE, and everything that goes into those numbers you see on screen
• How Skaters Plan Where to Put Jumps in Their Routine — the strategy behind jump layouts, the back-half bonus, and why placement matters for scoring
• Figure Skating Terminology Guide — don't know your Lutz from your loop? Start here.
• How to Start Figure Skating as an Adult — if watching the Olympics makes you want to try it yourself, we wrote this for you