Olympic Figure Skating 2018: Event Schedule, Format and Scoring System
Russia were the big winners in the figure skating events at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, as they claimed three of the five gold medals up for grabs.
With the Russians embroiled in doping controversy, the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, will see new medalists in figure skating, set to take place between Feb. 9 and Feb. 23 at the Gangneung Ice Arena.
The team event (won by Russia in 2014) kicks off the action on Feb. 9 and runs to Feb. 12.
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The pairs event, in which the Russians also prevailed four years ago, then takes place on Feb. 14 and 15 before the men's singles on Feb. 16 and 17.
Japan's 2014 gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu will be returning to defend his title despite having missed recent competition due to a right ankle injury, per the Japan Times.
The ice dancing category then takes centre stage on Feb. 19 and Feb. 20, with the ladies' singles completing the competitive action on Feb. 21 and 23.
Russia's Adelina Sotnikova won the ladies' event in Sochi, while United States duo Meryl Davis and Charlie White took home gold in the ice dancing category—see their winning routine below:
Davis and White will not be returning at Pyeongchang to defend their title, per Nick Zaccardi of NBC Sports.
A full schedule for the figure skating events at the 2018 Winter Olympics can be found on the Games' official website.
Each event includes a short program and a free skate.
In both the men's and ladies' singles, 24 of the 30 competitors advance from the short program to the free skate.
In much the same way, the free event in the pairs sees the competition cut from 20 to 16, and in the ice dancing event, 24 couples are reduced to 20 from the short dance to the free dance.
The team event incorporates a short program and free skate in each of the four disciplines, with the five highest-ranked countries advancing from the first to the second stage.
In each of the figure skating events, the short program, as well as acting as an eliminator, is also incorporated into overall scores as a final tally is taken from combining a competitor or duo's short score and free score.
Sports Illustrated's Charlotte Carroll provided an exhaustive guide to figure skating's complex scoring system in the lead-up to the events at the 2018 Games.
Figure skating at the Winter Olympics is always an event that captures the imagination, and 2018 is likely to be no different.
With huge amounts of talent on show, all five disciplines in figure skating are set to be fascinating contests as each competitor looks to win gold and reach the pinnacle of their sport.
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