Like a ballet on ice, figure skating is one of the Winter Olympics' most graceful sports.

The Rules of the Game
Figure skating is made up of four events: ladies' singles, men's singles, pairs and ice dancing. Combining athletic and artistic abilities, skaters in both the singles and pairs events must perform a short program and a long program known as a free skate. Each skater's routines are choreographed to music and scored by nine judges. In the short program, athletes are judged on required moves such as spins, footwork sequences and jumps. In the free skate routine, skaters can be original and select their own music and maneuvers. A well-balanced program is important because judges can take off points if there are too many or too few jumps.

The Olympic ice dancing event is like ballroom dancing on ice. Pairs of skaters must keep their steps in time with the music and maintain contact with each other, making it more difficult to do lifts and jumps.

By Amanda Lanzillo