Figure Skating at the 1952 Winter Olympics

Figure skating was conducted outdoors in the Bislett Stadium, with compulsory figures being skated on the Jordal Ice Rink. Men and women skated compulsory figures and a free skating program, with the compulsory figures counting towards 60% of the final score, while pairs skated a single free skate program. Overall placements were determined by the majority placement system. Ice dancing was still not an Olympic event, but shortly after the Olympics, would finally be contested at the 1952 World Championships. One problem that was now becoming noted was the coalition of judges’ to influence the scores outside of the competition. Gustavus Witt (NED), then Chairman of the Figure Skating Committee of the International Skating Union (ISU), noted that in 1948-49 five judges had been banned for a year and six others received letters of censure. This problem would only get worse when the Soviet Union and the Communist bloc countries began competing internationally in 1956.