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Gender plays a role in all sports, and figure skating is no exception, evident in the rules that are enforced and the gender boundaries that can be seen through judges’ critiques. This blog questions why gender is so important in figure skating and how figure skating is just one of the many sports that is heavily controlled by gender boundaries and constraints.

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Figure skating is usually described and portrayed by the media as a femininely charged sport. Figure skating being deemed a feminine sport therefore challenges masculinity. Movement in figure skating is often described as effeminate, with the methods they employ that make their bodies move fluidly and angelically. Wenner (2002) reviews the presentation of males and females in sport media, observing that the media typically publishes photos displaying female bodies embodying feminine personalities and male bodies inhabiting masculine postures. With figure skating being stigmatised as a feminine sport, male figure skaters are often challenged and questioned regarding their sexuality or gender identity. Male figure skaters are consequently marginalised as effeminate males. Adams (2011) further contributes towards Wenner understanding of sport media, exclaiming that due to such binary understandings of gender it results with behaviour such as homophobia. Such behaviour can be seen with the treatment towards John Curry, a famous figure skater who received much publicity after his performance at the 1976 Olympics. After the Olympics passed there was a brief ‘scandal’ exposing his sexual orientation. Although the articles were ignored, the media’s response reveals how there is a binary understanding of gender and sexuality within sports (Jones, 2014). It should be acknowledged however that gender can be performative, and there are multiple methods of embodying gender. Figure skating is merely another method of expression to embody gender. 

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Due to gender portrayals playing such a large role within figure skating, it has over time become more regulated with how genders are to be presented. Masculinity is indeed misconstrued within figure skating, however, femininity is as well. There is a certain expectation that is placed upon female skaters, this can be seen with the music, movement and costumes that female figure skaters wear. For instance, there was once ‘The Katrina Rule’, and although now replaced, it once dictated that female figure skaters had to wear a skirt. Such a rule was established in 1988 after Katarina Witt performed with her infamous costume as she adorned feathers rather than a skirt at the hip. In 2003 such a rule was replaced and has been reworded to explain that clothing must be appropriate and modest. This rule, although not explicitly, expects female figure skaters to continue wearing skirts. Regulations towards clothing can also be extended to male figure skaters, whereby they are only allowed to wear trousers, excluding tights. The construction of gender in figure skating is through the medium of control over the body. The body must be presented in a certain manner for gender to be constructed, and this can be seen with the rules that are reinforced not only through the media. 

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Although the understanding of gender appears mostly binary in figure skating, there are still elements whereby the body in figure skating challenges the binary construction of gender. We have already established that people typically perceive male figure skaters to be effeminate, however a sense of ‘masculinity’ can be seen in the vigorous training male figure skaters must place on their body. The highly demanding sport requires skaters to be trained sufficiently regarding muscular and cardio training. If in pair skating or ice dancing (two alternative forms of figure skating with a female partner), male figure skaters must be strong enough to be able to lift an entire person’s weight. Training of the body can also apply to female figure skaters. Figure skaters must have the strength to lift their entire weight and perform extremely complex and technical moves that demand a high amount of muscle training. A case study can be seen with Tanya Harding, the first American woman to execute the triple Axel in a competition. Tanya Harding’s muscular physique was quite often commented on by the media and judges whilst competing, however, her body and training challenges the binary understanding of gender within figure skating. Elling and Knoppers (2005) explain that several sports experience gender equality issues, raising that sports typically associated with being female dominated or effeminate are regularly marginalised and suffer the most regarding gender inequalities. Figure skating can be seen as one of these sports. How could such binary understandings of gender be deconstructed within figure skating? Perhaps, allowing skaters to choose their costumes, or allow same-sex partners? We should acknowledge that there are multiple methods to embody gender and that figure skating can allow skaters to embody their gender however they choose to perform. 

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Adams, M. (2007). The Manly History of a ‘Girls’ Sport’: Gender, Class and the Development of Nineteenth-Century Figure Skating. The International Journal of the History of Sport, 24(7), pp.872-893.

Adams, M. L. (2011). Artistic Impressions: Figure Skating, Masculinity, and the Limites of Sport. University of Toronto Press, pp.3-27

Elling, A., Knoppers, A. (2005). Sport, Gender and Ethnicity: Practices of Symbolic Inclusion/Exclusion. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34(3), pp.257-268. 

Jones, B. (2014). Alone: The Triumph and Tragedy of John Curry. Bloomsbury. 

Wenner, L. (2002). Media Sport. Routledge, pp.170-185.

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