skating

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Self-propulsion on ice by means of bladed skates, or on other surfaces by skates with small rollers (wheels of wood, metal, or plastic).

Ice-skating
Following the opening of the first artificial ice rink in London, England, in 1876, ice-skating became possible as a world sport. The chief competitive ice-skating events are figure skating for singles or pairs, ice-dancing, and speed skating. The first world ice-skating championships were held in 1896.

Figure skating includes both compulsory figures and freestyle combinations to music, and is marked by judges. Ice-dancing has developed into a choreographed combination of ballet and popular dance movements welded to an artistic whole, performed either in competition or, unjudged, as part of an exhibition or show. Speed skating is a competition where athletes race each other over a specified distance around oval tracks, either long tracks of 400 metres in length or short tracks of 111 metres.

Roller skating
The roller skate was the invention of James L Plympton, who opened the first rink in Newport, Rhode Island, USA, in 1866; events are similar to those of ice-skating with European and world championships. Roller skates take the form of either inline skates, with all wheels aligned in a row, or quad skates with two wheels each at the front and back of the skates.

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