Ice Skating Trivia

1. Where did Torvill and Dean begin their skating career?

From Quiz Go For Gold: The Phenomenal Torvill and Dean

Answer: Nottingham

Specifically, they skated at the Nottingham Ice Stadium. By 1975, almost seventeen-year-old Jayn Torvill and fifteen-year-old Christopher Dean were already experienced competitors. Chris had won the British Primary Championships and the Junior Dance Championships with Sandra Elson, while Jayne and her first partner, Michael Hutchenson, were Junior Champions and then runners up at the seniors before winning the British Championship. According to Chris, it was his stepmother who first suggested to his father that he should be paired with Jayne, since they were both currently without partners. Mr. Dean took some convincing, as did skating champion turned coach Janet Sawbridge, but in the end, with the agreement of Mr. And Mrs. Torvill, what would prove to be an inspired piece of skating matchmaking was made. The chemistry between Jayne and Chris was apparent almost at once, though it would take years of unrelenting work and dedication to refine it into the signature Torvill and Dean magic. "Within a few months we were placed in a couple of club competitions, and began to look ahead. First we would take the inter-gold-medal test... which was the exam requirement for national competition set by the National Skating Association. We had to have it to enter the 1976 British championships. "Along the way, Janet said she was putting us forward for selection for two competitions in Europe, in Oberstdorf...Germany, and St Gervais, in France...long-established stepping-stones for would-be senior competitors on the route to major international championships." ("Facing the Music" p.p. 35-6) As for the Nottingham Ice Stadium, in 1993 construction began on a new national ice center to replace the old stadium. The new facility opened in 2000, with the surrounding area named Bolero Square in honor of Torvill and Dean and their achievement.

From Quiz Champions on Ice

Answer: St Petersburg

The championships were organised by the International Skating Union. The first event had just four competitors and was won by Gilbert Fuchs.

From Quiz Go Figure

Answer: He carried the Canadian flag during the opening ceremonies

Sure enough, figure skaters have superstition too, though this one is attributed to all of athletics in Canada. For many years, Canadian Olympic fans have worried about the curse of the flag-bearer. When an athlete carries the country's flag during the opening ceremonies of any Olympic Games, they're doomed. Brian Orser did it in 1988 in Calgary, losing the Battle of the Brians and taking his second silver medal during an Olympic Games; he failed to place in subsequent tournaments, ultimately going pro and moving into coaching in later years. One of the first men to land an axel, Orser is also known for being able to perform a backflip on skates - something he did with more frequency in professional performances for "Stars on Ice".

From Quiz Elements of Figure Skating

Answer: Grade of execution (GOE)

The maximum number of GOE points possible for jumps according to the ISU Judging System is three points. The grade of execution factors in position of takeoff, landing, and in the air, degrees of rotation, and overall performance of the jump. The number of rotations, type of jump, and whether or not the jump is part of a combination all contribute towards basic points, not GOE.

From Quiz Figure Skating Pairs

Answer: Ludmila Belousova and Oleg Protopopov

Belousova and Protopopov earned their country's historical medal in 1964. They married and later lived in Switzerland.

From Quiz Ladies Figure Skating Facts

Answer: Beatrix Schuba

Beatrix Schuba was an Austrian skater who won the Olympic gold medal in 1972. She also won World Championship titles in 1971 & 1972. However, her World Championship titles would not come without a great deal of controversy. During this era of skating, judges placed a great deal of importance on how well skaters performed during the compulsory figures competition. Considered by many to be the greatest skater of all-time in this discipline, Schuba won the compulsory figures at the 1971 World Championships, giving her a huge lead going into the long program. It was during the long program that the controversy began. Schuba would not have a very good skate while American skater Janet Lynn, who was in 5th place after compulsories, gave the performance of the night, but only finished in 4th place. During the medal ceremony, the spectators in the audience booed Schuba and would not be satisfied until Janet Lynn was brought out from backstage to take a curtain call bow. AFter the Olympics, the ISU instituted a new short program for the 1972-1973 season. This program would require skaters to complete designated jumps, spins & footwork in order to prevent a similar result from happening in the future.

From Quiz Torvill and Dean

Answer: Nottingham, England

There is a National Ice Centre in Nottingham and this was where Torvill and Dean did all of their training. A public area known as Bolero Square is named in honour of the pair's Olympic achievements. They are, after all, Britain's most famed ice skaters.

From Quiz Skaters and Countries

Answer: Canada

Elvis Stojko was the first to land both a quad-double combination, and a quad-triple combination. The quad-double was landed at the 1991 World Championships and the quad-triple at the 1997 Grand Prix Final. He is a two time Olympic Silver Medalist, (Lillehammer and Nagano.)

From Quiz Evgeni Plushenko

Answer: Once Upon A Time In America

Though many skated to Gladiator in 2000-01 season, Evgeni was not one of them. His program was a medley of various works, including 'Cotton Club' and 'Once Upon A Time In America'. In later versions he also had 'Mortal Kombat' in there. He did skate to Carmen and Michael Jackson, but in the following year when he won the Olympic Silver Medal, and was too injured to compete in the 2002 World Championships.

From Quiz Great Skates

Answer: Brian Orser

Brian Orser's free skate for the 1984 Olympics was called "King of Kings". He wore a purple costume and skated it almost flawlessly. He placed second overall to Scott Hamilton, who was ahead after compulsory figures, although Orser won the freeskate. Kurt's first Olympics was in 1988.

From Quiz Figure Skating Elements

Answer: Bunny hop

The bunny hop was changed to be known as a "power jump".

From Quiz Got the Moves?

Answer: Lutz

The Lutz is one of the hardest jumps to learn properly-most skaters flip the edge to an inside one before taking off, therefore turning the jump into a FLIP.

From Quiz Female Skating Queens

Answer: Sonja Henie

Sonja Henie won the Olympic Gold medal in 1928 (St. Moritz, Switzerland), 1932 (Lake Placid, New York), and 1936 (Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany). She also starred in 13 movies, including "Iceland", "Happy Landing", and "Thin Ice".

From Quiz Figure Skating for Dummies

Answer: Kristi Yamaguchi

Kristi Yamaguchi took out the gold medal in the women's figure skating event during the 1992 Olympic games. Kristi has also won gold in the 1991 and 1992 World Championships. Kristi has also competed in pair skating events and in 1988 Kristi and Rudy (her pair) won the Junior World Championships in pairs.

From Quiz Figure Skating Moves

Answer: jumps, spins and field movements

Here are some examples of jumps: salchow, toe loop, loop, lutz, flip. Here are some examples of spins: layback, sit spin, camel spin, back spin. And some of the field movements: spread eagle, inna bower, spiral, footwork.

From Quiz Ice Skating Moves

Answer: triple axel & triple axle

A normal axel is just one and a half turns. Very few people have actually landed the triple axel in competition. Midori Ito was the first woman to land a triple axel in woman's competiton.

From Quiz Figure Skating - Best Sport Ever

Answer: Midori Ito

Midori Ito and Tanya Harding were the 1st and 2nd to land the Triple Axle in competition, back in the early 90's. No lady was able to repeat that accomplishment until the 2003 season at Skate America, where both Yukari Nakano and Ludmila Nelidina landed them within minutes of each other.

From Quiz Figure Skating

Answer: Axel

An Axel is a jump that takes off forward, rotates one and a half times in the air, and lands backwards.

From Quiz Great Skaters

Answer: Michelle Kwan

Michelle Kwan had a dream season in 2003 year, and I felt so happy about it also. She landed 6 triple-jumps at both Nationals and World Championships.

From Quiz History of Women's Skating

Answer: her rib

Tara Lipinski made St. Ludwina well known by wearing her medal during the Olympics. No broken ribs there.

From Quiz World Championships and Olympics

Answer: Sarah Hughes Gold, Irina Slutskaya Silver, Michelle Kwan, Bronze

Sarah Hughes came from fourth place in the short program to win her first ever Olympic gold medal.

From Quiz Figure Skaters

Answer: Alexandrovna

Katia Gordeeva won the 1988 and 1994 Olympics with her pairs' partner and husband Sergei Grinkov, and he then died of a sudden heart attack in 1995 at age 28. They have a daughter named Daria, nicknamed Dasha, who was three years old at the time of his death.

From Quiz Skaters Around the World

Answer: Uzbekistan

This skater placed 20th at the 2001 Worlds.

From Quiz Figure Skating Champions

Answer: Portia Duval-Rigby and Francis Rigby

Portia and Francis of Australia did not qualify to skate in the original or free dances.

From Quiz Figure Skating

Answer: Natalia Mishkutienok

It was in 1992. He won again in 1998 with Oskana Kazakova

From Quiz Who Skated to This Music?

Answer: Michelle Kwan

Michelle in my opinion outskated everyone at the Olympics, in any event. She had the grace and the power, and she is by far one of the greatest figure skating artists of all time.

From Quiz Slippery Figure Skating

Answer: Canada

Michelle Kwan won her first Worlds in Edmonton,Alberta at the age of 15.

From Quiz Think You Know Figure Skating?

Answer: Artur Dmitriev

Artur won the 1992 Albertville Games with Natalia Mishkutenok, and the 1998 Nagano Games with Oksana Kazakova.

From Quiz Figure Skating

Answer: Sergei Grinkov

Sergei Grinkov was 4 time World Champion with his wife, and figure skating partner, Ekaterina Gordeeva.

From Quiz Can You 'Figure' it Out?

Answer: Moira Kelly

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