Figure Skating

Grace and power united in one sport, combined with music, dance and in some cases the ability to carry out these movements in pairs in perfect synchrony: a genuine art form.

This is what figure skating is about, making it one of the sports that is generally most popular with the public of the Universiade, thanks not only to the competitions, but also to the final performance organised at the end of the sports programme. On this occasion the lack of stress linked to the competition allows the athletes to show off their full potential, perhaps taking a few extra risks and offering the spectators an incredible spectacle.

At the first Universiade, held in Chamonix, France in 1960, 6 men and 7 women took part in the individual figure skating competitions and the first two winners were the Frenchman Alain Calmat and the Czechoslovakian skater Eva Grozajoeva. In total, up to this year’s edition, the figure skating competition for men and ladies has already been held 23 times out of 25 at the Winter Universiade.

Great figure skating champions have participated and won important medals at the Universiade, like the Russian skater Irina Slutskaya or the Chinese pairs Zhang-Zhang and Shen-Zhao.

During the 2015 Winter Universiade in Granada, the figure skating programme provides for 4 events, leading to the awarding of important medals: men’s singles, ladies’ singles, pairs, ice dance and synchronized skating.