ISU Men’s Senior Figure Skating
Requirements for Olympic-Eligible Male Skaters
The amateur guys of figure skating are held to strict requirements for their short and long programs. This is the only road they can follow to the Olympic Winter Games.
2010 is not that far away for Olympic-eligible figure skaters. If you’ve ever wondered what it might take for you to compete on the world stage at the event, you’re already too late for the upcoming Games.
The men who are truly on track for Victoria, B.C., are already collecting national and international competition experiences at their present Junior or Senior levels.
Male skaters who pass their ISU Senior Moves in the Field and Free Skate tests, athletes may compete in regional competitions that could send them to Sectionals, Nationals, Worlds, and the Olympics.
In the USA, there is no age minimum for senior-level skaters. In order to compete internationally, however, the International Skating Union requires skaters to be at least 15 years old.
Some national and international competitions have so many entrants that they need to hold a semi-finals during which skaters may be asked to perform their free skates. Top skaters are then invited to compete for the championship. Finals consist of a short program and a long program (free skate).
Short Program
Choreographed to a maximum of 2 minutes and 50 seconds of music, the short program is also referred to as the technical program for good reason. This is the skater’s time to show off all his hard work on technique. Eight required elements, including high-flying jumps, exact footwork, and excellent spins, can help him land on the top of the podium.
The skater must cram a lot of tricks into less than three minutes. The first required element is a double or triple axel, which requires rotating either two-and-a-half or three-and-a-half times in the air before landing on a single foot. The next solo jump has to be connected to the previous elements by steps or movements. It must be at least a triple, or it can be a quadruple jump if a quad is not used in the combo jump. The combination jump cannot include a repeated jump of any kind. It can consist of a triple-double, triple-triple, quad-double, or quad-triple.
A flying spin of any kind is also performed. It must be sustained for a minimum of eight revolutions. A combination spin cannot have a flying entry and must include only one change of foot. It must have at least two position changes held for a minimum of two revolutions each. A minimum of six revolutions on each foot is required during the combo spin. A camel or sit spin is also required. In a minimum of six revolutions, skaters can have only one foot change.
Two dissimilar step sequences round out the requirements for the men’s senior short program. Certainly, male figure skaters are expected to also demonstrate a certain competence in performance and musicality that will convince the judges and the audience that they deserve to compete on a national or international stage.
Long Program (Free Skate)
The ISU and USFSA allow the men a 10 second grace period on their strict 4 minute, 30 second long program. Also known as the free skate, the long program must include a maximum of eight jumps. At least one of the jumps must be an Axel; only two can be repeated if they are executed in a combo or sequence. There can be up to three jump combinations or sequences. Only one of the jump combo can include up to three jumps. The others can other combine two jump elements. In a jump sequence, the number is unlimited.
No more than four spins can be included in a long program. One spin must be a combo with a change of foot. Another must have a flying entry, while another must have only one position. Skaters can change feet and start with a fly in all spins, and each spin must include a minimum of six revolutions (ten in combos) with two revolutions in each position.
A maximum of two different step sequences are required. Great skaters use this requirement to show off their fast and furious footwork. This takes excellent conditioning, balance, technique and performance timing. A well-balanced program will showcase each of the above elements in a way that will encourage a bonus award for grade of execution (GOE).
