Why were compulsory figures removed from international figure-skating competitions?

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Historic champion — figure skating Katarina Witt, competing for East Germany, became the first woman since Norway's Sonja Henie (1928, 1932, and 1936) to win consecutive Olympic gold medals, doing so in 1984 and 1988.

Compulsory figures were removed from international figure-skating competitions in 1990 to shift the sport's focus toward the athleticism and beauty of freestyle skating.1

Prior to their elimination, compulsory figures were a dominant component of the sport, accounting for 60 percent of a skater's total score in the 1960s. This allowed skaters with strong technical edge control and balance to win competitions even if they lacked advanced freestyle skills.1

Over time, the International Skating Union (ISU) progressively reduced the weight of these figures—first to 50 percent in 1968, then to 40 percent following the introduction of the short program in 1973—before removing them entirely after the 1990 World Championships. While supporters argued that figures were essential for developing fundamental skating skills, critics viewed them as mundane and boring compared to the dynamic nature of modern freestyle performances.1