Go Figure Trivia Quiz

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".

Answer: Four and a half

Although most quadruple jumps are completed with four rotations in the air, the Axel is a unique jump in that it's performed from the back with an extra half rotation so that the skater lands forward-facing. As such, while other quadruple jumps like the Loop, Toe Loop, Salchow, and Lutz are performed with four spins starting backwards-facing and ending as such, the Axel has the extra. Kurt Browning was the first to land the Quad in competition in 1988, a feat later matched by Todd Eldredge, Alexei Yagudin, and others.

The popularity of the quad and the amount of skaters training for it have made it almost expected for some of the grander championships despite its intense difficulty.

Answer: Tara Lipinski

Emerging in figure skating circles in the mid-1990s in her early teens, Lipinski was known for her tight spins and almost-perfect performances across the board. She made the Olympic team for Nagano early on and skated her way to a Gold Medal, beating out fellow American Michelle Kwan and promptly retiring from amateur skating on top.

She followed up by joining "Stars on Ice" but dropped out a few years later, effectively retiring from the rink. She was, at the time, the youngest Gold Medalist in the Winter Olympics.

Answer: One knee

The Camel is a typically-used spin in which you form the letter T. One leg remains below to stabilize and spin while the other is extended out behind you, parallel to the ground, with your knee raised above your hip. This can be done in the air as a Flying Camel Spin or planted on the ground; it usually leads into another spin (eg. a Sit Spin).

The third spin in the roster is the Upright Spin which actually has many variations-- more than the other two.

Answer: Pairs Skating

The notorious scoring issue in the 2002 Winter Games was sparked when the first and second place teams faced the judges. Russian team Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze faltered in their Long Program/Free Skate while Canadians Jamie Salé and David Pelletier excelled. Nonetheless, the judges awarded the gold to the Russians and, when officials investigated they found that the French judge, the swing vote in the final program, was pressured into voting the Russians through to win. Both pairs were given the gold and the entire scoring system for figure skating was revamped.

Answer: Elvis Stojko

Stojko, who trained at the famous Mariposa Skating Club in Ontario, Canada, became a national figure during the skating boom of the 1990s and became a figure to watch during Lillehammer and Nagano. In both instances he won Silver. After placing eighth in Salt Lake City, Stojko dropped off the skating radar, eventually retiring in 2006. Known for his quadruple jumps, it was injury that did him in in the Olympics, preventing him from making the risky moves and keeping him away from the Gold.

In later years he turned his attention to karate, but not before bringing seven Canadian National Championship years with him.

Answer: True

The Death Spiral is a move completed by two skaters-- any less would not make sense. In this technique, the male skater holds in place, crouched down to the ground while holding the partner's hand and spinning them outward from their body in a circle. Though the pivoting center figure is not at too much risk, their partner is; inertia pulls the second body outward and the move can be both tricky to execute and dangerous to perform without practice.

There are variations on this move and they are very often seen in competition due to their technical advantages.

Answer: Nancy Kerrigan

Although the plan to break Kerrigan's leg before the World Championships in 1994 was planned and nearly executed by her ex-husband, Harding also received backlash for her involvement in the crime (which only bruised Kerrigan's leg but forced her to pull out nonetheless).

After the event, Kerrigan went on to win an Olympic Silver Medal in 1994 while Harding faded into semi-obscurity, trying her hand in boxing and racing after becoming uncoachable following the scandal.

Answer: Toe pick

Toe picks are important for the skater as it allows them to get a small bit of grip on the ice when performing moves that require a pivot or stop. To use the toe pick you need to use the front of the blade. and if used improperly you're likely in for a tumble; they're typically used for jumps.

While single and pairs skaters have longer blades, ice dancers use shorter blades with smaller toe picks to perform their maneuvers.

Answer: Throws

Neither throws nor jumps are allowed in Ice Dancing; since this event is inspired by technical movements and ballroom dancing, it places most of its techniques in footwork, coordination, and movement. Spins and lifts, while still appropriate, take a bit of a turn from the requirements seen in the other skating events while hydroblading can be used across the board.

In fact, hydroblading was popularized in Ice Dancing, partly because it has a higher difficulty, especially when two skaters perform the technique in tandem. Hydroblading occurs when the skater sinks low on one leg with their other leg extended outward to the opposite side.