# Talk:Single skating

The ISU Regulations use the term "single skating".  I'd suggest renaming the article unless there is some non-figure form of single skating that it might be confused with.  Also, we should be careful not to use either "singles skating" or "singles' skating" on Wikipedia, same as we should use the official name of "pair skating" instead of "pairs skating".  Dr.frog 23:05, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

Agreed. --Fang Aili talk 23:20, 4 October 2006 (UTC)

While working on this article, I'm thinking that we should revamp this section, since none of its content has references anyway (although that'd be easily remedied).  Also, the other two articles about figure skating disciplines (pair skating and ice dance don't discuss how competition are structured at all, and I think that these three articles, when possible, should have the same basic structure.  The ice dance article, which is newly revamped (by me), has a "Competition segments" section because the changes in its segments throughout the years is important.  For single skating, I think that we should follow the same structure by changing the current section title to "Competition segments", and and include a discussion of figures and its history. Since the subsections of the new section (Compulsory figures, Short program, Free skating) are/should be summaries of these main articles, each of these articles should be improved first, so that's my next step in my personal goal of improving figure skating articles.  Any thoughts/discussion? Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 17:48, 10 September 2018 (UTC)

No discussion, but I've gone ahead and completed the above.  I've also included a subsection about figures. Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 05:03, 13 October 2018 (UTC)

I have basically re-written this article.  I have updated the content and changed the structure so that it resembles other figure skating articles.  Its references are complete, accurate, and reliable.  The images are appropriate to its content.  I would like to submit it to GAN, which I'll do in seven days from now (6 November 2018) if there's no objections.  If anyone has any thoughts about what should be added and/or removed, please speak up. Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 04:03, 30 October 2018 (UTC)

You might have noticed that this article now refers to female skaters as "women" and not "ladies" as per the ISU regulations.  I've done that throughout all the figure skating articles I've improved/created since taking them on late this summer; see User:Figureskatingfan/Sandbox 4.  I've referred to female skaters as women because not only do I agree with the practice personally, I think it better fits with the values of Wikipedia and Wikimedia, despite the archaic practices of the ISU in this matter.  I was prepared for it to be more of a controversy before this, but it doesn't seem like anyone has noticed.  Perhaps they won't now, but I think that I'd open up the discussion and record the choices I've made as an editor.  I'm prepared to take it to arbitration, if necessary. Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 04:12, 30 October 2018 (UTC)

This review is transcluded from Talk:Single skating/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.
Reviewer: Sportsfan77777 (talk · contribs) 04:45, 15 May 2019 (UTC)

I'll review this one. Sportsfan77777 (talk) 04:45, 15 May 2019 (UTC)
I'll add things in chunks.

Thanks, muchly appreciated. Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 04:59, 18 May 2019 (UTC)


### Lead
Using the ice dance article as a guide, I think you could expand the lead:

You could mention when men's and women's singles became Olympic sports, and when the first World Championships for each were held.
You could note that single skating and pair skating have long been the main disciplines at the Olympics.
You could summarize the history of who has dominated the sport over which eras.
You could add when the rules were established.
Aside from compulsory figures being removed, you could discuss other ways in which the sport has changed (or state it hasn't changed much, if it that is the case).
Remember that the lead is a summary of the article, so much of what you suggest adding should go into later sections, then summarized here, if necessary or if the content is important enough.
I think your first five points are really recommendations about adding a History or Background section to the article, like in Ice dance and Pair skating.  I understand the reasons for your recommendations, but I disagree about adding a History section to this article because the history of single skating, including those who have dominated the sport in different eras, is really the history of figure skating.  The other articles have these sections because they were added to figure skating later.  Plus, there is information about the histories of the other disciplines, for that reason, and not as much about the history of single skating alone, separated from general discussions about the sport's history.  Therefore, all the information you'd like added here belongs in History of figure skating.  I fully intend to someday tackle that article, once I'm more knowledgeable about the sport and I learn what sources are best to use.
Okay, I see what you are saying. Sportsfan77777 (talk) 06:54, 7 June 2019 (UTC)
Other comments:

Men's singles and women's singles,[note 1] along with the other figure skating disciples, pair skating, ice dance, and synchronized skating, are governed by the International Skating Union (ISU). ===>>> Men's singles and women's singles,[note 1] along with the other figure skating disciplines of pair skating, ice dance, and synchronized skating, are governed by the International Skating Union (ISU).
Done; thanks, it improves the sentence a lot.
There are two segments in all international competitions, the short program and the free skating program. <<<=== After this sentence, you could briefly define "short program" and "free skating".
I think this is unnecessary, since they're linked and the Competition segments section describes them below.
They include: jumps, spins, step sequences, and choreographic sequences. <<<=== (1) There is no need for the colon, and (2) The compulsory figures sentence near the beginning of the paragraph should go after this sentence (at least with the way it is currently written).
Done, another great suggestion.


### History
I think it would be worth adding a history section like in the ice dance article, even if it isn't as detailed.
For instance, how and when were formal single skating competitions established? When was the ISU established in relation to that?
You could expand on the things I suggested adding for the lead here as well.
See my comments above.


### New Lead comments
These aren't required to be addressed, but I'll suggest the first two of the points I had above again not so much to talk about the history, but to make it clearer in the lead that single skating is just the basic form of figure skating:
You could mention when men's and women's singles became Olympic sports, and when the first World Championships for each were held.
You could note that single skating and pair skating have long been the main disciplines at the Olympics.
I added a new section, History, with the content you requested, and then added a summary of it in the lead.


### Short program
For "Men single senior skaters must have the following elements in their short program: a double or triple axel; one triple or quadruple jump; a jump combination consisting of either a double jump and a triple jump, two triple jumps, a quadruple jump and a double jump, or a triple jump; one flying spin; a camel spin or sit spin with just one change of foot; a spin combination with just one change of foot; and a step sequence using the entire ice surface. Women single senior skaters must perform seven elements in their short program: a double or triple axel; one triple jump; a jump combination consisting of either a double jump and a triple jump, or two triple jumps; one flying spin; either a layback/sideways leaning spin or a sit or camel spin without a change of foot; a spin combination with just one change of foot; and a step sequence using the entire ice surface."
How many elements are required for the men? (Is it also seven?)
Just a suggestion: What do you think about grouping the elements based on the similarities and differences between the men's and women's requirements. For example: "Both men and women must perform seven elements in their short program. They both must include a double or triple axel; one triple jump; a jump combination consisting of either a double jump and a triple jump, or two triple jumps; a spin combination with just one change of foot; and a step sequence using the entire ice surface. Additionally, men may substitute the one triple jump for a quadruple jump; have a quadruple jump as part of their jump combination; and must also have a camel spin or sit spin with just one change of foot. Women must also have either a layback/sideways leaning spin or a sit or camel spin without a change of foot."
I think it's a very good suggestion, so I went with your version, which is more succinct and clear.  So yes, both men and women have seven elements.


### Jumps
Wikilink "Euler" to Euler jump
The page is missing from this reference: Hines, James R. (2011). Historical Dictionary of Figure Skating. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. [32]
To be consistent with the American skaters, "Alina Zagitova from Russia" ==>> "Russian skater Alina Zagitova"
Above addressed.  This article was improved before the creation of the Euler article, so thanks for the catch.


### Spins
All spins must have a different character. <<== I'm not sure I understood this sentence. Are the "characters" the three different basic positions of spins? Also, does this mean skaters cannot repeat spins?
The source from the ISU doesn't explain it, but according to an old document (2007) from USFS, skaters can't have the same abbreviations for spins more than once.  So yes, they can repeat spins, but any spin after the first isn't counted.  Since the ISU doesn't explain that, I took the easy way out and removed the sentence.


### Time
If the program's duration is completed less than 30 or more seconds early, skaters will receive no points for any elements performed during that time. <<=== Do you mean "completed 30 or more seconds early? And for "during that time", which time is that? (If the program is completed early, then there would be no elements performed in the remaining time anyway?)
I changed the wording to more closely follow the wording in the source.  If it's still unclear, we can remove it, too.
Ah, I think I see what it means now. Sportsfan77777 (talk) 03:06, 13 June 2019 (UTC)


### Falls and interruptions
Single skaters experience 0.97 injuries per athlete. <<=== Is that in a skater's entire career?
I looked at the abstract of the study cited by my source, and yes, over a skater's entire career.  Changed.
They can lose five points if they can resume their program three minutes after the interruption begins. ===>>> They can lose five points if they do not resume their program until three minutes after the interruption begins.
Yah, silly typo.  Thanks for the catch.


### Overall
A lot of the dashes should be this dash "–", not this dash "-" (e.g. for "2018–2019 season" and 50–75%). See MOS:DASH.
Fixed.
No dab links.
No bare refs.
Everything is cited.
The plagiarism detector isn't working, but I don't suspect any issues.
This link is dead: https://www.worldfigurechampionship.com/news/archives/04-2015
Removed it and included info from another article about compulsory figures competitions and festivals.
Four of the ISU links do not work either:
Special Regulations & Technical Rules Synchronized Skating 2016 https://www.isu.org/inside-synchronized-skating/synchronized-skating-rules/regulations-rules-sys/file
Communication No. 2168: Single & Pair Skating  https://isu.org/communications/17142-isu-communication-2168/file
"Special Regulations & Technical Rules Single & Pair Skating and Ice Dance 2018". https://www.isu.org/inside-single-pair-skating-ice-dance/figure-skating-rules/regulations-rules-fs/file
"Special Regulations & Technical Rules Synchronized Skating 2016". https://www.isu.org/inside-synchronized-skating/synchronized-skating-rules/regulations-rules-sys/file
All fixed.
Thanks for your comments thus far; looking forward to more, if needed. Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 04:59, 18 May 2019 (UTC)
@Sportsfan77777: are we moving forward with this review? Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 07:17, 5 June 2019 (UTC)

Figureskatingfan, sorry for the delay. I've been busy in real life. I should be able to finish this by next week. Sportsfan77777 (talk) 06:54, 7 June 2019 (UTC)
Figureskatingfan, I added the rest of my comments. The prose is excellent, especially for such a technical topic. For the lead comments, I got rid of my suggestions related to the history of figure skating, but kept the two related to better identifying single skating as a (the?) core discipline of figure skating. The other main thing is there are a few links that do not work. Placing on hold. Sportsfan77777 (talk) 05:14, 9 June 2019 (UTC)
Sportsfan77777, thanks for your great comments and feedback.  I get you about busyness, so I appreciate the time you took to help improve this article.  I believe that I've addressed and resolved all your comments. Christine (Figureskatingfan) (talk) 05:50, 12 June 2019 (UTC)
Figureskatingfan, the article looks great. Passing! Sportsfan77777 (talk) 03:06, 13 June 2019 (UTC)