Pairs figure skating is all of the fun of the more marketing figure skating competitions, plus some tossing and throwing of partners for good measure. Double the fun, double the chances someone falls or pulls off an amazingly risky move.
How to watch pairs figure skating at 2018 Olympics: A guide to understanding and appreciating the sport
Your quick guide to following pairs figure skating this Olympics.
Photo credit should read MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images
The United States only has one pair competing in Pairs Figure Skating at this Olympics, the fewest competitors they’ve had in the competition in nearly a century. But the pair that did get America’s one quota slot, the married Alexa Scimeca-Knierim and Chris Knierim, have a real shot at winning the gold medal.
It’s the kind of Olympics story it feels right to root for, regardless of which country they’re representing. They’re only recently married, Alexa is coming back from a life-threatening illness that plagued her for nearly half a season and took them off the competitive circuit for an entire year. They’re former national champions and had a great showing at the World Championships.
So whether you’re rooting for a heartwarming story or simply want to see someone execute a camel spin perfectly, get ready for Pairs Figure Skating in Pyeongchang.
What time and how can I watch?
You can watch both pairs figure skating events live on NBCOlympics.com or the NBC Sports app at the following times.
Team Event, Pairs Short Program: Feb. 8, 9:45 p.m. ET
Team Event, Pairs Free Skate: Feb. 10, 11:40 p.m. ET
Pairs Short Program: Feb. 13, 8 p.m. ET
Pairs Free Skate: Feb. 14, 8:30 p.m. ET
You can also live stream NBC, NBCSN, and the Olympic Channel coverage via FuboTV on your computer or mobile devices.
Why should I quit my job and become a lifelong devotee of Pairs figure skating?
Two people figure skating together, with one person occasionally throwing the other person into the air, while they both have shoes with blades strapped onto their feet and are attempting to fulfill the requirements of their routine. Plus there’s a move called the “death spiral.” Need I say more?
(If you do need me to say more there are also moves called the “headbanger” and “the Detroiter,” which definitely sound like sex moves but I don’t hate myself to confirm that either way.)
What are the rules of Pairs figure skating? Follow up: What is the weirdest rule of Pairs figure skating?
Pairs figure skating teams consist of one man and one woman (the rules are very clear on this) and consists of moves like twists, twist lifts, throw jumps, pair spins, and all of the normal jumps and moves that single figure skaters do in their routines. The pairs short programs last a maximum of 2:50. Free skates lasts between 4:20 and 4:40.
Teams are given a Technical Elements Score as well as a Program Components score. The latter score consists of skating skills, transitions, performance/execution, choreography, and interpretation, and then both scores are combined for final marks.
The weirdest rule of Pairs is that teams can be denied eligibility if they skate in an unsanctioned competition, which is mostly weird because I didn’t know the NCAA also oversees Olympic figure skating eligibility.
What can I talk about to impress the Pairs figure skating enthusiast in my life?
It’s hard not to go back to the death spiral, a required move. Which is super cool and involves the male partner holding on to one hand of the female partner while she is fully extended parallel to the ice, spinning around him on one skate with her head really close to the ice. Like so:
It’s also fun to watch each pair and speculate on their real-life chemistry based on their on-ice routines. Except for siblings. Which is weird. Don’t do that.
Whose jersey should I buy?
It would be easy to choose an American here, since there are multiple great teams to root for. But it’s hard not to choose Ryom Tae Ok and Kim Ju Sik of North Korea, the two North Korean athletes that qualified for the games. More North Korean athletes will now be attending as part of the combined North Korean-South Korean team, but the 18- and 25-year-old pair will take the ice together under a lot of political and societal pressure thanks to their unique situation and it feels right to send a little rooting power their way.
What is the sport’s AMERICA RATING?
ONE OUT OF FIVE EAGLES. The United States is being represented at these games by Alexa Scimeca-Knierim and Chris Knierim, who filled the single quota spot for the U.S. at this Olympics. The Knierims are the 2015 and 2018 national champions and the first husband and wife to make the Olympics for the U.S. since 1998.
Despite winning this year’s nationals and the highest-ranking American pair at the previous three World Championships, they’re also a sort of underdog to root for. Alexa went through nearly half a year of a life-threatening stomach illness that she described as “a series of binding internal issues” and that involved 10-12 hours of vomiting every few days. She was even suffering through it the day she and Chris got married.
They took the entire 2016 season off while she recovered and are back stronger than ever, hoping to take home a medal for both the team event and the pairs event in Pyeongchang.
What’s the best GIF I can watch from Pairs figure skating?
Have you ever wanted to see a woman wearing a neon pink pantsuit/leotard get thrown across the ice while spinning in midair? You’re welcome.
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