FS Archive

Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean won gold for Great Britain, receiving twelve perfect scores (6.0), (a maximum 9 of them for artistic impression, the others in the technical merit mark) in the free dance segment of the ice dance competition, a feat that was never matched. They received the most maximum 6.0 marks of any figure skaters at the Olympics.

1. Igor Bobrin - Bronze (USSR) 2. Pershina/Akbarov and Cherkasova/Shakhrai (USSR) 3. David Santee (USA) 4. Torvill/Dean (GBR) 5. Denise Biellmann (SUI) 5. Scott Hamilton (USA)

Medalists: 1. Denise Biellmann (SUI) 2. Elaine Zayak (USA) 3. Claudia Kristofics-Binder (AUT)

The 1981 World Figure Skating Championships, was 71st edition of World Figure Skating Championship were held in Hartford, Connecticut, United States from March 3 to 8. Medalists: 1. Jayne Torvill / Christopher Dean (GBR) 2. Irina Moiseeva / Andrei Minenkov (USSR) 3. Natalia Bestemianova / Andrei Bukin (USSR)

The free skate was a close competition between Fratianne and Biellmann, the Swiss skater winning with six majority placements for first to three for Fratianne. Pötzsch placed third in the free skating but it was enough for her to hold onto the gold medal. Fratianne won silver and Lurz still led Biellmann comfortably for the bronze. Pötzsch’s gold medal was won with seven first-place votes to two for Fratianne. Pötzsch had been coached by Jütta Muller, well-known East German figure skating coach. Pötzsch retired in 1981.

The two favorites had divided the last three World titles – Linda Fratianne (USA) winning in 1977 and 1979, and Annett Pötzsch (GDR) winning in 1978. Pötzsch was known to be the stronger compulsory skater and she won that phase, with Fratianne third, also trailing West Germany’s Dagmar Lurz. In 12th place was Switzerland’s lovely and athletic Denise Biellmann, who was another sublime free skater who was never able to overcome her difficulty with school figures. She was best known for the Biellmann Spin, an acrobatic spin performed with the trail leg held behind her and up over the skater’s head, requiring extreme flexibility. Fratianne won the short program with Pötzsch fourth, but Pötzsch still led going into the free skate, with Fratianne second and Lurz, fifth in the short, third. Biellmann was second in the short program, moving up to eighth place.

The battle for the gold was the closest in Olympic ice dance history. Four judges ranked the Soviets first, four ranked the Hungarians first, with the British judge having them tied. This brought it down to the tie-breaker of total ordinals, which the Soviets won, 13-14, giving them the gold medal.

Nataliya Linichuk and Gennady Karponosov (URS) won the 1978 and 1979 World Championships, and the 1979-80 Europeans, and were coached by Yelena Chaykovskaya, who had coached the 1976 ice dance gold medalists. They were expected to be challenged by the 1976 silver medalists, Irina Moiseyeva and Andrey Minenkov, and a Hungarian couple, Krisztina Regőczy and András Sallay. In the end, Moiseyeva and Minenkov were not a factor for gold, placing third. Linichuk and Karponosov won the compulsory dance and the optional set dance, leading over the Hungarians into the free dance.

In order of skating: 1. Konstantin Kokora (URS) 2. Robin Cousins (GBR) 3. Jan Hoffmann (GDR) 4. Igor Bobrin (URS) 5. David Santee (USA) 6. Charles Tickner This was possibly the most wide-open men’s Olympic championship. Nobody had established himself as the world’s best skater since John Curry turned professional after the 1976 Winter Olympics. There were four contenders – Robin Cousins (GBR), second at the 1979 Worlds and 1980 European Champion; Vladimir Kovalyov (URS), World Champion in 1977 and 1979 but somewhat erratic and never a European Champion; Charlie Tickner (USA), the 1978 World Champion; and Jan Hoffmann (GDR), runner-up at the 1977-78 Worlds and European Champion in 1977-79. Hoffmann jumped into the lead after the compulsory figures, with Tickner second and Cousins fourth. Kovalyov placed fifth and withdrew from the competition, due to illness. Cousins won the short program with Hoffmann second and Tickner only fifth. Going into the free skate, Hoffmann still led, with Cousins second and Tickner third. But Cousins also won the free skate to win the gold medal over Hoffmann, Tickner taking the bronze. Cousins received the only 6.0 in figure skating at Lake Placid, in his short program. Americans would placed 3-4-5, with David Santee fourth and Scott Hamilton fifth. Cousins never won a World Championship.

In order of skating: 1. Scott Hamilton (USA) 2. David Santee (USA) 3. Robin Cousins (GBR) 4. Jan Hoffmann (GDR) 5. Charles Tickner (USA)

Figure skating at the 1980 Winter Olympics took place at the Olympic Center Arena in Lake Placid, New York, United States. The 1980 figure skating competition was contested indoors at the Olympic Fieldhouse. There were only minor changes to the program and scoring system used since 1976. In men’s and ladies’ compulsory figures, these were reduced from three groups to two groups for the draw for the figures to be skated. This meant that skaters had to train for fewer figures. In the pairs, the short program was increased from 25% to 28.57% (2/7th) of the total pairs’ score. Top 4 Pairs - in order of skating: 1. Marina Pestova / Stanislav Leonovich (URS) 2. Irina Rodnina / Alexander Zaitsev (URS) 3. Manuela Mager / Uwe Bewersdorff (GDR) 4. Marina Cherkasova / Sergei Shakhrai (URS) Each judge ranked each pair by Ordinal Placement from first through last place. The Ordinal Placement for each judge was based on Total Points awarded by that judge to the pairs. The points were based on 28.57% (2/7th) for the Original Program, and 71.43% (5/7th) for Free Skating. Final placement was determined by a Majority Placement rule. Thus, if a pair were ranked first by a majority of the judges, that pair was placed first overall, and the process was repeated for each place. Ties were broken by a Subsequent Majority rule, i.e., if the pairs were ranked for the same position by the same number of judges, Majority Placement for the next higher position for each pair determined who was ranked higher. The tiebreakers were then, in order, 1) Number of Majority Placements, 2) Total Ordinals of Majority, 3) Total Ordinals, 4) Total Points. The greatest pair of the 1970s was the husband-wife team of Irina Rodnina and Aleksandr Zaytsev. Together they have won the World Title every year from 1973-78, and the Europeans in 1973-78 and 1980. In 1979, Rodnina took the year off to have a baby. They came back in 1980 to win the Olympic Gold. For Rodnina, it was her third consecutive gold medal, having won in 1972 with Aleksey Ulanov, making her only the second figure skater to win three consecutive gold medals, after Sonja Henie. She is the first pair skater to win the Olympic title with two different partners, followed only by Artur Dmitriev of Russia. Set to compete at the 1980 Worlds, she withdrew with a shoulder injury and thus retired after Lake Placid, having won three Olympic gold medals and 10 World Championships.

The 1965 European Figure Skating Championships were held at the Palace of Sports of the Central Lenin Stadium in Moscow, Soviet Union from February 11 to 15, 1965. Champions: Men's singles - Emmerich Danzer (AUT) Ladies' singles - Regine Heitzer (AUT) Pair skating - Liudmila Belousova / Oleg Protopopov (URSS) Ice dance - Eva Romanová / Pavel Roman (CZE)

The 1977 World Figure Skating Championships were held in Tokyo, Japan from March 1 to 6. In order of skating: Moiseeva & Minenkov, Vladimir Kovalev, Rodnina & Zaitsev. Champions: Men's singles - Vladimir Kovalev (USSR) Ladies' singles - Linda Fratianne (USA) Pair skating - Irina Rodnina / Alexander Zaitsev (USSR) Ice dance - Irina Moiseeva / Andrei Minenkov (USSR)

The 1976 World Figure Skating Championships were held at the Scandinavium in Göteborg, Sweden from 2 to 7 March. Champions: Men's singles - John Curry (UK) Ladies' singles - Dorothy Hamill (USA) Pair skating - Irina Rodnina / Alexander Zaitsev (USSR) Ice dance - Lyudmila Pakhomova / Alexandr Gorshkov (USSR)

The husband-and-wife team of Lyudmila Belousova and Oleg Protopopov were the first Soviet/Russian pair skaters to achieve international acclaim and they provided the stimulus which ultimately led to many successes by future Soviet pairs skaters. Oleg Protopopov first skated pairs with Margarita Bogoyavlenskaya and won two bronzes at the Soviet Championships in 1953 and 1954 with her, before he began skating with Lyudmila Belousova in 1954, the couple marrying in 1957. They won a bronze (1955) and four silvers (1957-59, 1961) behind Nina and Stanislav Zhuk, before winning six titles (1962-64, 1966-68) at the Soviet Championships. After finishing second three times at both the World and European Championships in 1962-64, behind the German pair of Marika Kilius and Hans-Jürgen Bäumler, they upset them to win the gold medal at Innsbruck in 1964, repeating their gold medal in 1968 at Grenoble. In addition to their two Olympic gold medals they were World and European Champions four times (1965-68). They finished second at the Soviet and European Championships and third at the World Championships in 1969, each time losing to Irina Rodnina and Aleksey Ulanov. They won their last medals (bronze) at the Soviet Championships in 1972, before finally retiring from competition. In 1979 they eventually defected to Switzerland and settled to live in Grindenwald, obtaining Swiss citizenship in 1995. They have since spent many years competing in professional ice shows.

Skaters in order of skating: 1.Margot Glockshuber / Wolfgang Danne (FRG) *Bronze Medal 2.Cynthia Diane Kauffman / Ronald Lee Kauffman (USA) 3.Tatyana Zhuk / Aleksandr Gorelik (URS) *Silver Medal 4.Lyudmila Belousova / Oleg Protopopov (URS) *Gold Medal 5.Heidemarie Steiner / Heinz-Ulrich Walther (GDR) 6. Tamara Moskvina / Aleksey Mishin (URS)

Skaters in order of skating: 1. Jan Hoffmann (GDR) 2. Sergey Volkov (USR) 3. Emmerich Danzer (AUT) 4. Sergey Chetverukhin (USR) 5. Timothy Wood (USA) *Silver Medal 6. John Petkevich (USA) 7. Wolfgang Schwarz (USA) *Gold Medal

Skaters in order of skating: 1. Galina Grzhibovskaya (USR) 2. Yelena Shcheglova (URS) 3. Hana Maskova (TCH) *Bronze Medal 4. Peggy Fleming (USA) *Gold Medal 5. Zsuzsa Almassy (HUN) 6. Gabriele Seyfert (GDR) *Silver Medal 7. Beatrix Schuba (AUT) 8. Albertina Noyes (USA)

Examples of figure skating from weak to good, for Ladies, Men and Pairs Skating.

Definition: The varied and/or intricate footwork, positions, movements, and holds that link all elements. In singles, pairs, and synchronize skating this also includes the entrances and exits of technical elements. Criteria: Variety Difficulty Intricacy Quality (including unison in Pair Skating and Ice Dancing) Balance of workload between partners (Pair Skating and Ice Dancing) Variety of Dance holds (not excessive side by side and hand in hand – Ice Dancing) Transitions can be short or long, including the use of blade, body, head, arms, legs as dictated by the music. (Minimum use of cross-cuts)

Definition: Over all skating quality: edge control and flow over the ice surface demonstrated by a command of the skating vocabulary (edges, steps, turns, etc), the clarity of technique, and the use of effortless power to accelerate and vary speed. Criteria: - Balance, rhythmic knee action, and precision of foot placement - Flow and effortless glide Rhythm, strength, clean strokes, and an efficient use of lean create a steady run to the blade and an ease of transfer of weight resulting in seemingly effortless power and acceleration. - Cleanness and sureness of deep edges, steps, and turns: The skater should demonstrate clean and controlled curves, deep edges, and steps. - Varied use of power/energy, speed, and acceleration: Variety is the gradation – some of which may be subtle. - Mastery of one foot skating: No over use of skating on two feet. - Multi directional skating: Includes all direction of skating: forward and backward, clockwise and counterclockwise including rotation in both directions. Pair Skating and Ice Dancing: Equal mastery of technique by both partners shown in unison. Ice Dancing: Compulsory Dance – Ice Coverage

Examples of figure skating from weak to good, for each discipline and synchronised skating.

Examples of figure skating from weak to good, for each discipline and synchronised skating.

Definition: is the involvement of the skater/couple/teams physically, emotionally, and intellectually as they translate the intent of the music and choreography. Execution: is the quality of movement and precision in delivery. This includes harmony of movement in Pair Skating and Ice Dancing. Criteria: - Physical, emotional, and intellectual involvement In all skating disciplines each skater must be physically committed, sincere in emotion, and equal in comprehension of the music and in execution of all movement. - Carriage Carriage is a trained inner strength of the body that makes possible ease of movement from the center of the body. Alignment is the fluid change from one movement to the next. - Style and individuality/personality Style is the distinctive use of line and movement as inspired by the music. Individuality/personality is a combination of personal and artistic preferences that a skater/pair/couple brings to the concept, manner, and content of the program. - Clarity of movement Clarity is characterized by the refined lines of the body and limbs, as well as the precise execution of any movement. - Variety and contrast Varied use of tempo, rhythm, force, size, level, movement shapes, angles, and, body parts as well as the use of contrast. - Projection The skater radiates energy resulting in an invisible connection with the audience. - Unison and “oneness” (Pair Skating and Ice Dancing) Each skater contributes equally toward achieving all six of the performance criteria. - Balance in performance (Pair Skating and Ice Dancing) Spatial Awareness between partners – management of the distance between partners and management of changes of hold (Pair Skating and Ice Dancing) The use of same techniques in edges, jumping, spinning, line, and style are necessary concepts of visual unison; both skaters must move alike in stroke, and movement of all limbs and head with an equal workload in speed and power. (Pair Skating)