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Beijing 2022 - Figure Skating

Nathan Chen competes during the Men's Single Skating Short Program at the Winter Olympics PyeongChang 2018 on Feb. 16, 2018 in Gangneung, South Korea. (Photo by Getty Images)

Figure skating in the Olympics actually predates the Winter Games, with competitions in men’s, women’s, pairs and men’s “special figures” taking place at the 1908 Games in London. The former three events were also held at the 1920 Games in Antwerp. It was only four years after that when the first Olympic Winter Games were held in Chamonix, France. The Olympic figure skating program remained the same until 1976, when ice dance was added. The next significant change came in 2014 with the addition of the team event. Those five events will once again make up the program in Beijing.


Team USA is one of the sport’s traditional powers, with 51 total medals and 15 golds. No country has more, although Russia — if including the Soviet Union, Unified Team and 2018 Olympic Athletes for Russia — would eclipse the U.S. in both.


Both countries remain top contenders going into Beijing, though the dynamics have changed a bit. After an American woman medaled in every Winter Games from 1968 to 2006, the U.S. has now gone three Olympics without a women’s medal. Instead, Team USA will see its best medal hopes in the men’s and ice dance events, in addition to the team competition. Russia, meanwhile, has emerged as the power in women’s skating; competing in Beijing as the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), it has gold-medal potential in pairs and dance, too.


Three-time world champion Nathan Chen leads the way for Team USA. Now 22, Chen has been dominant since a disappointing Olympic debut four years ago in PyeongChang. The ice dance teams of Madison Chock/Evan Bates and Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue have both reached the podium at recent world championships as well.


The figure skating events in Beijing will take place at Capital Indoor Stadium, a venue that held volleyball matches during the 2008 Summer Games. When not hosting figure skating, the arena will also be home to short track speedskating events.


Updated on January 28, 2022.