Pair skating

Pair skating is a figure skating discipline. International Skating Union (ISU) regulations describe pair teams as consisting of "one lady and one man." The sport is distinguished from ice dancing and single skating by elements unique to pair skating, including overhead lifts, twist lifts, death spirals, and throw jumps. The teams also perform the elements of single skating in unison. Pair skating requires similar technique and timing on all elements of the performance, as well as practice and trust between the partners. The aim is to create an impression of "two skating as one". Serious skating accidents are most common in the pair discipline.

In February 1908, pair skating first appeared at the World Championships, with three teams from Germany, the United Kingdom, and Russia competing in Saint Petersburg. Its Olympic debut was in October 1908, with three teams competing in London, one from Germany and two from the U.K. Since then, the discipline has been dominated by Canada, China and particularly Russia; from 1964 to 2006, the Soviet Union/Russia won every pairs Olympic gold medal. Pair skating has evolved significantly since its early beginnings. Some elements common in the modern-day sport were not introduced until decades later.