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Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old ice skating quotes, ice skating sayings, and ice skating proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.

modification of Dutch schaats, from Middle Dutch schaetse stilt, from Old French dialect (Flanders, Hainaut) *escace, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old English sceacan to shake — more at shake

Ice skating, which is sometimes referred to as “figure skating” or simply “skating”, is the act of moving on ice skates, either outdoors or on a rink. The basic body position for ice skating is upright and skating, with the top half of the body dominant over the lower half of the body. It is a sport where you stand on ice skates and push your weight against the ice to move. The skates help you glide across the frozen surface with less effort than walking or running.

“Meteorite hunting is not for wimps. The best places to look are also the coldest and windiest. You need very old ice, and you need wind, lots of it, strong and unrelenting. Antarctica fits the bill.”

“I seemed to vow to myself that some day I would go to the region of ice and snow and go on and on till I came to one of the poles of the earth, the end of the axis upon which this great round ball turns.”

Whether literally or metaphorically, you’ve most likely been in a similar situation. When on thin ice, it raises feelings of anxiousness and caution. Here are some quotes that capture this icy feeling.

Ice is simply water in its frozen or solid form. We experience ice in many ways, from the essential cube in our cold drinks to the winter season when snow falls. Ice can contrast with striking beauty and shine while also pointing to danger and chills. We’ve compiled some of the best ice quotes reflecting its glimmer and natural state.

No matter how you view thin ice, it often denotes a dangerous or risky situation. Literally skating on thin ice requires safety precautions to avoid injuries. Also, the metaphor of skating on thin ice means doing something scary or with potentially unpleasant results should the thin ice give way.

Here, you’ll find ice quotes talking about its unique place in nature and the feeling that comes with the winter season. You’ll also find inspiration about protecting bodies of ice on earth and how their decline point to the impacts of climate change.

“As a scientist, my attention became totally focused on global warming some 15 years ago by the elegant and powerful measurements of carbon dioxide trapped in ice cores taken as much as 2 miles deep from the great East Antarctica ice sheet.”

Glaciers are an accumulation of crystalline ice, snow, sediment, liquid water, and rock. One of the unique qualities of ice is the presence of ice burns. Like how fire or heat burns, having something cold on your skin for an extended period can increase the chances of a burn. “For humans, the Arctic is a harshly inhospitable place, but the conditions there are precisely what polar bears require to survive – and thrive. ‘Harsh’ to us is ‘home’ for them. Take away the ice and snow, increase the temperature by even a little, and the realm that makes their lives possible literally melts away.” On the one hand, we can create ice within our homes when we freeze water for various purposes, such as cooling our drinks or taking care of swollen injuries.Jen’s a passionate environmentalist and sustainability expert. With a science degree from Babcock University Jen loves applying her research skills to craft editorial that connects with our global changemaker and readership audiences centered around topics including zero waste, sustainability, climate change, and biodiversity.Although the winter season or cold may not be everyone’s favorite period, we can still take note of the charm of the cold weather. From skating over ice to winter vistas, frozen droplets make their way from the sky to building rooftops and the ground.Many creative minds have referenced ice in their writing from line to line and poem to poem. Here, we capture some ice quotes from the arts and literature to fuel your creative mind.”Everything’s borne out of human experience, of course – rejection, humiliation, poverty, whatever. People aren’t born bad, no matter how harsh the circumstances. There is a person in there, and that person is not made of ice.”

“What most people know but don’t realize they know is that the world is almost entirely solar-powered already. If the sun wasn’t there, we’d be a frozen ice ball at three degrees Kelvin, and the sun powers the entire system of precipitation. The whole ecosystem is solar-powered.”Whether you enjoy skating in the winter or simply love the feeling of watching a frozen pond, you’ll appreciate the ice sayings here. Our compilation of ice quotes reflects on the ice and its charm in this section. These quotes serve as reminders that we can love all seasons – fall, spring, summer, and winter – in all their glory. “As a species, we’ve somehow survived large and small ice ages, genetic bottlenecks, plagues, world wars and all manner of natural disasters, but I sometimes wonder if we’ll survive our own ingenuity.” Many people take icy winter weather as a cue to embrace warmth, togetherness, and family. When the winter’s chill comes, and we stay indoors, the cold and snow remind us to cherish small moments. In this light, ice is not dangerous.”Often extinctions in the ocean occur at the same time as those on land. Then again, the ice age extinctions lost many big animals, but not many sea faring ones.” “Fire and Ice Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice. From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire. But if it had to perish twice, I think I know enough of hate To say that for destruction ice Is also great And would suffice.” “The human life is all one thing, like a blade tracing loops on the ice: a little kid, a twenty-three-year-old infantry sergeant, a middle-aged writer knowing guilt and sorrow.”

Just as many things exist as opposites, ice opposes fire or heat. With ice, we get a cold feeling and a unique translucent visual, from the unique shapes that ice forms to melting metaphors.

“The climate has always changed – after all, we’ve had numerous ice ages without human influence – but human activity has undoubtedly exacerbated Earth’s natural trends beyond its capacity to adjust.”

Check out our list of 100 Figure Skating Quotes To Inspire Any Skater. They are perfect for using on your social media feed or in a greeting card to your coach or skating partner.There is something about ice skating that just makes people feel happy. It’s a classic winter pastime that can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of age or ability.

Do you like puns? Do you like ice skating? If so, then you’ll love these ice skating puns! In this article, we’ll explore some of the best ice skating puns plus the best Ice skating Instagram captions for your feed.This Site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Ice skating puns are a great way to add some levity to your skating experience. They can be funny, clever, or just plain entertaining. And who knows, maybe you’ll even learn a new word or two along the way! Do you love ice skating and want to share it with the world? Well, we’ve got just the perfect thing for you! With these ice skating puns and Instagram captions, you can share those amazing moments with the world while skating.

Guys, these are the complete list best, good, and short captions for ice skating pictures. We hope that you like the exclusive collection of clever first time winter ice skating quotes. Please share this article with your friends and family on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Reddit.This is the amazing season to do adventure activities with friends. Skiing, ice skating, snowboarding, and cold games are major games to play with friends.

Filed Under: Instagram Captions Tagged With: Cheesy Ice Skating Captions, couples ice skating captions, first time ice skating captions, funny ice skating captions, Ice Skating Captions, Ice Skating Picture Captions

Winter is a supernatural season. The first snowfall makes everyone excited. Ice skating is your dream and passion. Snowfall means its sign of holiday season started.In this article, we’ve gathered comprehensive list of best captions for ice skating with your partner that are clever and cute. Ice skaters are always looking for good captions with friends, boyfriend, and girlfriend for their ice skating pictures.

To help you to start with the process of choosing a good caption, we’ve handpicked ultimate list of best ice skating quotes, puns for Instagram pics with your partner.

The contemporary figure skate, which is the type best suited for general pleasure skating as well as for figure skating, is easily distinguished from other skates by the toe pick at the front of its blade. The blade itself is about 4 mm (about 0.157 inch) wide. A hollow ridge along the blade emphasizes its two sharpened outer edges; these are the surfaces on which skating movements are made. The blade is approximately the same length as the boot or shoe to which it is attached. The boot, which is usually black for men and white for women, has a strong, reinforced arch support and a stiffening material around the heel and under the arch. The speed skate is low-cut, allowing for freer movement of the ankle. Its blade is much longer than the shoe (usually between 42 and 46 cm [16.5 and 18 inches] long for men) and only 1 mm (0.039 inch) thick. The hockey skate is a hard, protective boot with a short blade that is curved at the ends to allow for quick turns.

Ice skating probably developed in Scandinavia as early as 1000 bce, the first skates being made from shank or rib bones of elk, oxen, reindeer, and other animals. It is not known when the metal runner was introduced, but early Dutch prints depict skates with metal blades. Until the middle of the 19th century the metal portion of the skate was fastened to a wooden base or footplate and the whole of the skate was fastened to the foot with leather thongs or straps. A major improvement came from the United States in 1850 when E.W. Bushnell of Philadelphia introduced the all-steel skate, which replaced the cumbersome wooden footplate. The main developments in the figure skate after 1900 were the addition of the toe pick, a group of sawlike teeth located at the toe of the blade, which enabled skaters to obtain better purchase in the ice when doing certain jumps, and the innovation of the “closed-toe” blade of one-piece steel, which added strength to the skate and permitted a much lighter-weight blade.

As a recreation skating has been continuously practiced on the canals of the Netherlands since the Middle Ages by both males and females. Skating on the frozen ponds and fens was popular in England in the 17th century, and the first skating club was formed in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1742. In the 1740s British servicemen introduced ice skating to North America. It was also popular at the French court about 1776; Marie-Antoinette was among the skaters. Napoleon Bonaparte skated at Auxerre in 1781.

ice skating, the recreation and sport of gliding across an ice surface on blades fixed to the bottoms of shoes (skates). The activity of ice skating has given rise to two distinctive sports: figure skating, which involves the performance of various jumps, spins, and dance movements; and speed skating and short-track speed skating, both of which are forms of racing on ice skates. Ice hockey is the best-known team sport that involves skating.And if you’re both pros at skating? You could always opt for some ice skating quotes for Instagram that’ll be sure to make hearts melt. With your ice skating captions on lock, you can focus on gliding on the ice with your love and having a snowball — and, you know, not falling. Whenever you’re ready to post, you can grab one of these ice skating captions, tap the “share” button, and quickly get back to those dreamy winter days.You and your SO go on a lot of adventures together and, therefore, take a lot of pictures. Since this particular kind of date will feel like a scene from a rom-com, you want to be properly prepared. Leading up to the day (or night) of, you’re going to pick out your outfit, and make sure it coordinates with your partner’s #ootd. You may scope out a few cafes that have legendary drinks, or a neon sign that’s perfect for taking pictures. That being said, chances are there are going to be some pretty hilarious moments and maybe even a lot of falling, so having some funny ice skating puns to post with your pics is a must.

Whenever the temperature drops, and you’re looking for something fun to do, you always try to go on an exciting winter date with your special someone. You may want to see the tree in NYC’s Rockefeller Center, or go to the local rink with your love. Whatever the date may include, by the end of your adventure, your camera will likely be filled to the brim with pictures of you and your significant other. Together, you’ll pose with your hot chocolate for Instagram or show the world you’re having a skate time together by putting together a TikTok. For all of that #content, you need some ice skating puns as captions with your partner that are equally clever and cute. Ice skating is a popular sport that can be enjoyed by anyone. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced ice skater, Here are some great ice skating captions to help capture the fun and excitement of ice skating. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned ice skater, these quotes will inspire you to get out there and enjoy the sport. So, without further ado, here are the best ice skating captions for Instagram!When you’re sharing photos of your ice skating adventures on social media, it’s important to include captions that give your followers a sense of what it’s like to experience the sport.

A properly fitted pair of skates is a must. If you’re not sure whether you’ll stick with skating, rental skates are a good choice. Rental skates are high quality, and you’ll be able to try a variety of sizes. Aside from skates, make sure you bring a pair of gloves to protect your hands during falls, dress in warm clothing you can move in and bring pads and a helmet if they make you feel more comfortable.Do you need a cool way to work out over the winter? Ice skating has many health and wellness benefits, plus it’s lots of fun! Learn about how ice skating can help you reach your fitness goals and find some tips on getting started.

Strengthening your muscles and improving your joint health leads to better balance. So does trying to stay standing on the ice. By learning to engage your muscles to stay standing, you’re not only toning them, but also improving your control over your body and your endurance.Steiner, M. Kathryn. “Fitness Benefits of Ice Skating.” Live in Motion. New England Baptist Hospital blogs, January 23, 2017. Accessed September 12, 2017.

According to Harvard Medical School, ice skating will burn up to 200 calories per hour, making it a great way to lose or maintain weight when combined with a healthy diet.A basic skating class is the safest bet if you’ve never been on the ice before or haven’t skated since childhood. These classes teach important skills like how to stop and how to fall! Starting out by learning the right way is a lot more fun than struggling, clutching the rink wall and possibly getting hurt. View the activities guide for information on current ice arena programs and lessons!

For skaters, that change looks like a dismantling of pillars of figure skating: In so many ways, it\u2019s still traditional, elite and White \u2014 just as it was 100 years ago. So while a terminology change and greater acceptance of LGBTQ+ skaters is a step forward, for many, they are steps that are coming very late.Now, she trains other trans and nonbinary skaters, including Jonathan Van Ness of \u201cQueer Eye\u201d fame. She is also part of the Diversify Ice Foundation, which works to uplift Black and Brown skaters, and serves on U.S. Figure Skating\u2019s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force, which includes pairs skater Timothy LeDuc (who this year became the first out nonbinary Winter Olympian) and Jaclyn Ward Helms, the first Black national judge for U.S. Figure Skating.For skaters, that change looks like a dismantling of pillars of figure skating: In so many ways, it’s still traditional, elite and White — just as it was 100 years ago. So while a terminology change and greater acceptance of LGBTQ+ skaters is a step forward, for many, they are steps that are coming very late.

\u201cThe sport is dying in North America. If the sport does not change and find a way to appeal more to youth culture, then kids are just going to say, \u2018No.\u2019\u201d said Philip Hersh, the former Olympic sports writer at the Chicago Tribune who has covered the previous 11 Winter Olympics. \u201cThey are not blind to the fact that sport is losing its popularity, but they’re also not yet willing to make the big changes necessary \u2014 to take the chances necessary.\u201dPeople like LeDuc, Weaver, and Halverson have helped push the sport significantly in terms of LGBTQ+ representation over the past few years. Jason Brown, who will be competing for Team USA in Beijing, Amber Glenn, a reserve for this year’s team who was the first openly LGBTQ+ woman figure skater on Team USA, Olympian Adam Rippon, and others have also brought a new wave of prominence and acceptance.

\u201cAs people have tried to post-rationalize why they use the word \u2018ladies\u2019 as opposed to women, that\u2019s what they\u2019ve come to,\u201d he said.We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives Creative Commons license as long as you follow our republishing guidelines, which require that you credit The 19th and retain our pixel. See our full guidelines for more information.

The change finally came last year, when the International Olympic Committee\u2019s Gender Equality Review Project proposed a rule change to the International Skating Union, calling for a balanced portrayal of men and women, the ISU said in a statement. The rule ultimately passed in the summer of 2021, making figure skating the last sport to do so at the international level.Figure skating is also the last winter sport to change that naming convention: The 2022 Winter Olympics is the first to let women compete as women, not ladies. It’s a subtle change — one that audiences may miss — but a meaningful one. For a century, figure skating has clung to rigid gender rules, about everything from costumes to who can compete as a pair, that have enforced specific expectations about how athletes should look or behave. Some skaters have even reported hiding their gender identity in order to conform.

But while representation will make a significant difference, it places the burden on those who come out and have to face homophobic and transphobic comments from a skating community — particularly some foreign skating communities, like in Russia, where coaches have made disparaging comments against LGBTQ+ skaters — that does not fully accept them.The terminology of “ladies” is a relic of the origins of figure skating, but over the past five to 10 years steam has built for change, said Jackie Wong, the expert behind Rocker Skating, a figure skating analysis site. Other countries, including Canada, had already adopted the change for some time, but the International Skating Union (ISU), the sport’s international governing body, and the United States were holdouts.Eliot Halverson, a former U.S. Junior National Champion and a figure skating coach who is nonbinary trans, said that coming up in the sport meant facing a lot of coded language from coaches and others who told her to put on more weight or be more powerful \u2014 things she was being encouraged to do to appear less feminine in competition.

Ice dancers, especially, are beholden to what is nearly always love story choreography, all centered around romantic heteronormative portrayals. Few skaters have been able to successfully break out of that expectation \u2014 American brother and sister pair Maia and Alex Shibutani were rare exceptions \u2014 and there is little room for any artistic expression that is more gender fluid. In order to compete in U.S. adult nationals, you must first test technical skills before a panel of judges to qualify, and the rules for testing and competition are different. The test specifies that a pairs couple must be a man and a woman. The rules to compete allow any pair, such as a nonbinary skater and a woman, but they\u2019d have to compete against other like couples, Kellar said. In 1924, figure skating became the first sport in the Winter Olympics to allow women to compete. But though the men competed under categories for “men,” women could only compete under “ladies.” Halverson\u2019s work now has been focused on changing the pipeline for skating, so that gender diverse skaters have the opportunity to come up in the sport without sacrificing who they are. Resistance to change has fallen perhaps heaviest on LGBTQ+ skaters who are navigating their love for a sport that is still operating with specific gender categories and with few allowances for skaters who don\u2019t identify as heterosexual and cisgender.The terminology of \u201cladies\u201d is a relic of the origins of figure skating, but over the past five to 10 years steam has built for change, said Jackie Wong, the expert behind Rocker Skating, a figure skating analysis site. Other countries, including Canada, had already adopted the change for some time, but the International Skating Union (ISU), the sport\u2019s international governing body, and the United States were holdouts.

Figure skating is also the last winter sport to change that naming convention: The 2022 Winter Olympics is the first to let women compete as women, not ladies. It\u2019s a subtle change \u2014 one that audiences may miss \u2014 but a meaningful one. For a century, figure skating has clung to rigid gender rules, about everything from costumes to who can compete as a pair, that have enforced specific expectations about how athletes should look or behave. Some skaters have even reported hiding their gender identity in order to conform.

In order to compete in U.S. adult nationals, you must first test technical skills before a panel of judges to qualify, and the rules for testing and competition are different. The test specifies that a pairs couple must be a man and a woman. The rules to compete allow any pair, such as a nonbinary skater and a woman, but they’d have to compete against other like couples, Kellar said. \u201cYou are so laser focused on what you think you should be and what the hoop looks like that you’re being asked to jump through, and for this sport it’s pretty clear what that hoop looks like,\u201d Halverson said. \u201cI was very cognizant of the fact that I was not the shape of that hoop \u2014 I was not really the mold of what would fit through.\u201d “The term ‘ladies’ takes away our power, our athleticism, our sexuality,” Weaver said. “Even in the English language there are instances where ‘ladies’ feels right versus where ‘woman’ feels right — ‘the ladies who lunch’ versus ‘the first woman to land a triple axel.’ When we talk about any type of athletic feat or strength or power, we use the word ‘women.’”“The honest truth for me is that I’m scared for [LeDuc]. I think it’s really the job of the figure skating community that is forward-thinking, kind and that has love in their hearts to fight the battle for them so they can just skate,” Weaver said.Some of that legacy remains. The sport is dominated by White, well-off athletes who are molded, coached and judged by former athletes or judges who adhere to traditional aspects of the sport. It\u2019s still extremely expensive for kids to participate in figure skating, and much of the technical structure has rewarded heteronormative couplings and performances. That\u2019s particularly true in pairs skating and ice dance \u2014 the two disciplines of figure skating that are done in pairs. Pairs skating involves jumps and throws, while ice dance is a form of ballroom dancing on ice. In both disciplines, the rules are written to specify moves the man should do and moves the woman should do. It was only recently that women figure skaters started to wear pants more in competition \u2014 for ice dancers the rule was just changed for the 2021-2022 season.

In Canada, the country she\u2019s represented, women figure skaters have been called women figure skaters for as long as she\u2019d been competing \u2014 at least a decade. Leanna Caron, the former president of Skate Canada, was one of the people who pushed the International Skating Union to make the change to women, Weaver said, along with other skaters and fans who felt the terminology was outdated and sexist. Men weren\u2019t being called \u201cgentlemen,\u201d after all.

Ice dancers, especially, are beholden to what is nearly always love story choreography, all centered around romantic heteronormative portrayals. Few skaters have been able to successfully break out of that expectation — American brother and sister pair Maia and Alex Shibutani were rare exceptions — and there is little room for any artistic expression that is more gender fluid.

In 1924, figure skating became the first sport in the Winter Olympics to allow women to compete. But though the men competed under categories for \u201cmen,\u201d women could only compete under \u201cladies.\u201d Ice dancer Kaitlyn Weaver, a two-time Olympian and three-time World medalist, said the terminology further emphasized the gendered nature of the sport. Women were celebrated for being graceful, polite, demure \u2014 all the qualities of a \u201clady\u201d \u2014 instead of being athletic. Kids who are trying to come up in the sport are still facing those binary rules about gender, where pairs and ice dancing is portrayed to young skaters as a sport for a man and a woman. It’s an “insular world,” Kellar said. Eliot Halverson, a former U.S. Junior National Champion and a figure skating coach who is nonbinary trans, said that coming up in the sport meant facing a lot of coded language from coaches and others who told her to put on more weight or be more powerful — things she was being encouraged to do to appear less feminine in competition. “There are structural hurdles and then there are cultural hurdles but I think we benefit from having the conversation about gender in the same space as we are talking about: ‘What do want out of the sport — at an elite level and at a recreational level?’” Kellar said. The sport, they said, “seems in many ways a relic that doesn’t have space for a modern cultural conversation.”

Athletes like Elladj Baldé, the former competitive Canadian figure skater who has captivated TikTok with videos of his skating performing backflips and hiphop moves, have drawn a new generation to the sport — specifically because he is authentically himself: a Black man performing to modern music. Competitively, figure skating hasn’t moved to a place where routines like Baldé’s could be performed in competition. And the sport still suffers from significant underrepresentation of people of color and other diverse groups.Resistance to change has fallen perhaps heaviest on LGBTQ+ skaters who are navigating their love for a sport that is still operating with specific gender categories and with few allowances for skaters who don’t identify as heterosexual and cisgender.

All of it is happening as the popularity of figure skating, particularly in the United States, continues to wane. More athletes and fans are calling for a significant cultural shift in figure skating that sheds its gendered, classist and racist roots and embraces a more diverse vision of what the sport can be. In the last couple of years, those calls have grown louder and more powerful, leading to small changes in terminology and costume rules and larger changes that have created a more accepting culture for LGBTQ+ skaters.Kellar and Rand, who have been training to nail their lift so they can compete, don’t know if they’ll even be allowed to make it that far if they can’t compete against everyone in the competition.

That change has been pounding on the door of figure skating for years. The sport is increasingly losing touch with the world around it. In the height of figure skating’s popularity in the mid-1990s, nearly 50 million people tuned in to watch the women’s figure skating short program in 1994. At best, figure skating helped draw about 20 million viewers to the men’s short program four years ago, which was the only skating discipline in which the U.S. had a chance at a gold medal.In Canada, the country she’s represented, women figure skaters have been called women figure skaters for as long as she’d been competing — at least a decade. Leanna Caron, the former president of Skate Canada, was one of the people who pushed the International Skating Union to make the change to women, Weaver said, along with other skaters and fans who felt the terminology was outdated and sexist. Men weren’t being called “gentlemen,” after all.

But as a competitor, Halverson said she felt she had to do what she could to be successful in the sport \u2014 even if it meant \u201cderailing\u201d her on her path to finding her gender identity.

\u201cThere are structural hurdles and then there are cultural hurdles but I think we benefit from having the conversation about gender in the same space as we are talking about: \u2018What do want out of the sport \u2014 at an elite level and at a recreational level?\u2019\u201d Kellar said. The sport, they said, \u201cseems in many ways a relic that doesn’t have space for a modern cultural conversation.\u201d

\u201cThere are these rules that don’t quite match up between the rules for testing and then the rules for competing,\u201d said Kellar, who is also the executive director of the League of Women Voters of Maine. \u201cThere\u2019s no recognition for nonbinary people.\u201d

To republish, simply copy the HTML at right, which includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to The 19th. Have questions? Please email [email protected].But while representation will make a significant difference, it places the burden on those who come out and have to face homophobic and transphobic comments from a skating community \u2014 particularly some foreign skating communities, like in Russia, where coaches have made disparaging comments against LGBTQ+ skaters \u2014 that does not fully accept them. But as a competitor, Halverson said she felt she had to do what she could to be successful in the sport — even if it meant “derailing” her on her path to finding her gender identity. Halverson’s work now has been focused on changing the pipeline for skating, so that gender diverse skaters have the opportunity to come up in the sport without sacrificing who they are.The change finally came last year, when the International Olympic Committee’s Gender Equality Review Project proposed a rule change to the International Skating Union, calling for a balanced portrayal of men and women, the ISU said in a statement. The rule ultimately passed in the summer of 2021, making figure skating the last sport to do so at the international level.

This year, more out LGBTQ+ skaters, including the first out nonbinary Winter Olympian, will compete in the Games than ever before. This year there will be nine openly LGBTQ+ figure skaters in Beijing. There were three in 2018 and none in 2014. Overall, at least 35 out LGBTQ+ athletes will compete this year, double the number that competed in the last Winter Olympics. \u201cThat’s my partner’s career. I’m an ice dancer \u2014 that’s both of our lives and our families and our communities that have put everything behind us,\u201d she said. \u201cIt gives me shivers every time,\u201d Halverson said. \u201cIf I was able to, as a little 10-year-old in the sport, watch Timothy win a national title and have that joy and that moment of qualifying for the Olympics as a publicly open, nonbinary person, that would have changed my whole perception of what I was capable of and what the sport was like.\u201dBut there was pushback from some who felt uncomfortable calling the teenagers who dominate figure skating “women,” Wong said. Many of the leading athletes in the women’s discipline are under 18, but that’s not necessarily a new phenomenon. When Peggy Fleming first went to the Olympics to represent Team USA in 1964, she was 15.