Behind the sport: figure skating

Published by on March 25, 2021

A successful figure skater must have a combination of steady balance, speed, strength, control, and grace. The seemingly effortless jumps and spins can be deceiving until you give them a try yourself. Exploring the rigorous forces involved in every maneuver, the intense psychological aspect, and the conditioning techniques gives us a behind-the-scenes look at a competitive figure skater.

The layback spin is a signature spin for female athletes. The skater leans their upper body backwards or sideways and transitions between different poses such as grabbing the skate blade or lifting their leg overhead. As a skater transitions between varying positions, their moment of inertia changes. Decreasing their moment of inertia leads to an increase of angular velocity, or spin speed (Hoo, et al., 2021). This increased rotational speed could be as simple as bringing arms closer into the body (Pérex, 2015). Skaters must develop plans for maximum rotation and stability when completing spins. Figure 1 shows different spin positions and their moment of inertia that skaters may consider. Position four has the greatest moment of inertia, and position one has the least.

Figure 1: Moments of inertia developed on six layback spin positions. Position four, skater leaning backwards with extended arm, has the greatest moment of inertia. This is due to athlete mass being dispersed the most along the plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation. Position one, skater leaning backwards holding onto blade of skate, has the smallest moment of inertia (Hoo et al., 2021).

Performing jumps also requires rigorous planning and practice. In long programs, male skaters must complete eight jumps that are entirely triple and quadruple revolutions (King, 2005). Vertical velocity is generated when the skaters apply a downward force on the ice, and the amount of velocity acquired determines the time they have in air for revolutions. The skater moves their limbs to create a torque, generating an angular momentum to complete the required revolutions (King, 2005). These physical challenges may be heightened by the emotional and mental barriers that come along with figure skating as well.

The competitive nature of the sport may cause deep psychological impact. Many skaters feel the need to achieve both self-satisfaction and display competence to spectators (Vealey and Campbell, 1998). More competitive skaters rely on social approval of their ability and orientation to feel achieved, whereas recreational skaters rely on developing competence in relation to other skaters on the ice (Vealey and Campbell, 1998). The competitive nature of the sport may even prompt adolescents into developing an eating disorder. Weight control behavior is often developed as a response to physique anxiety and the high-performance environment controlled by judges (Monsma and Malina, 2004).

Many figure skating associations also require competitive athletes to undergo aerobic and anaerobic conditioning. Anaerobic conditioning is important for developing a base that may be used in short programs that are two-three minutes in length (US Figure Skating, n.d.). This is a short period with intense maneuvers such as jumps, spins, and footwork which require cells to go without oxygen, where lactic acid may build up. A long program is typically 8 minutes long and cells often undergo aerobic respiration. The goals of aerobic conditioning are prolonged increased heart rate with limited lactic acid buildup (US Figure Skating, n.d.).

A lot of time and practice goes into the sport, whether that is planning maneuvers, managing mental health, or conditioning. Decoding the background work of a figure skater helps to develop an appreciation for the graceful, elegant programs you see in the Olympics!  

References

Hoo, Q., Liu, X. and Cao, X., 2021. Strategy on choice of layback spin in figure skating. European Journal of Physics, 42. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6404/abb6c6.

King, D., 2005. Performing triple and quadruple figure skating jumps: implications for training. Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology, 30(6), pp.743–753.

Pérex, J.-P., 2015. Feynman and the kinetic energy of an ice skater. European Journal of Physics, 37. http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0143-0807/37/1/015003.

US Figure Skating, n.d. Conditioning Aerobic and Anaerobic. Available at: <https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/51012524/conditioning-aerobic-and-anaerobic-us-figure-skating>.

Vealey, R. and Campbell, J., 1998. Achievement Goals of Adolescent Figure Skaters: Impact on Self Confidence, Anxiety, and Preformance. Jounral of Adolescent Research, 3(2), pp.277–243.

Monsma, E. and Malina, R., 2004. Correlates of eating disorders risk among female figure skates: a profile of adolescent competitors5. 5(4), pp.447–460. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1469-0292(03)00038-4.