Figure skating is named for the compulsory figures skaters did in competition until 1990, in which the skater would attempt to trace a set pattern on the ice. Judges would examine the figure and grade based upon how close the tracing was to the proscribed pattern. Nowadays figure skaters perform two programs in competition: the short or technical worth about 13 of the total score is comprised of a series of required elements. Skaters have more freedom in the long or freeskate program which lasts about four minutes Judges will award two scores: the technical mark for the required elements or technical merit in the long program, and the presentation mark, which reflects the choreography and flow of the performance and the athletes musical interpretation In Olympic caliber competition look for skaters to include six to seven triple jumps and several spins in their freeskate programs as well as some tripletriple combinations from the top echelon of women and even some quadruple jumps from the men.

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