How practice groups are organised before a figure skating competition
The Palavela arena in Turin opened its doors for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final between 5 and 8 December 2019, and behind the polished performances on competition day sat a careful choreography of practice sessions. For anyone watching from the stands or following from home, the early-morning hours on the practice rink often feel like a mystery: who decides who skates when, and what governs the order of runs, jumps, and programmes? Understanding how practice groups are organised offers a window into the logistical heartbeat of an elite figure skating event, especially one as prestigious as the Senior and Junior Final.
For audiences tuning in from Melbourne, Brisbane, or Sydney, the experience of following a major competition often begins well before the first medal is awarded. Australians who follow skating usually catch broadcasts during the late evening, and many rely on the official event website to check practice times, since local coverage rarely dedicates whole afternoons to warm-up sessions. The structure of practice groups affects how athletes prepare, how coaches time their feedback, and how spectators plan their day at the venue.
The basic structure of a practice day
A typical day at an ISU Final begins with the first practice session running shortly after the rink is resurfaced, often around 7 or 8 in the morning. Skaters arrive in small clusters, warming up off-ice in changing rooms before stepping onto the ice in their assigned groups. The official practice schedule is usually published the evening before, and it divides athletes by discipline first, then by competitive level, and finally by random draw within each segment.
For example, on a day featuring both the Senior ladies' short programme and the Junior pairs free skate, organisers might schedule three groups of senior ladies and two groups of junior pairs, with each group sharing a 30 to 50 minute window on the main rink. Some federations request that skaters from the same training camp be placed together, although the ISU generally prioritises equitable ice time over personal preference. Coaches, choreographers, and team leaders all receive the schedule through their national federation's communication channels.
In Australia, where the local skating community is tight-knit and many senior coaches fly in from places like Melbourne's Olympic Ice Skating Centre, federations often coordinate travel so that athletes arrive a couple of days early. This buffer allows skaters to adjust to local ice conditions, altitude, and time differences before the official practice structure kicks in.
How athletes get assigned to a group
The allocation process for practice groups follows a published ISU protocol. Once entries are confirmed and skaters are divided by discipline and category, a computerised draw is conducted to assign each competitor or team to a specific practice slot. The randomness of the draw is important because it removes any suspicion of favouritism to particular nations or training camps.
In disciplines like pairs and ice dance, teams are typically assigned as a unit, so a partnership cannot be split across different groups. The same applies to ice dance couples, who always share ice time regardless of where the draw places them. Individual disciplines, by contrast, see solo skaters placed alone within their group, which can be a moment of quiet tension: a skater who draws the final slot of the morning often has to wait while others warm up, and may not benefit from the natural momentum of a freshly resurfaced rink.
Practice partners, who sometimes travel together from the same coaching school, occasionally ask for special consideration, but the ISU typically only honours such requests when they involve medical needs or logistical impossibilities. Coaches can request that athletes from the same training base be scheduled consecutively, which is why you will sometimes see three or four skaters from the same academy practicing back-to-back. Skaters sometimes share details about how pairs teams coordinate their throws and catches during these shared slots, working through elements that demand precise timing.
A closer look at different practice types
Not all practice sessions are created equal, and understanding the difference helps when planning a visit to the Palavela or any major figure skating venue. The breakdown below outlines the main categories of practice that occur in the lead-up to competition.
| Practice type | Duration | Typical group size | Primary purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official practice | 30–50 minutes | 5–8 skaters or 3–4 teams | Full run-throughs of competitive programmes |
| Warm-up | 6–10 minutes | 1 skater or 1 team | Last-minute preparation before stepping onto competition ice |
| Individual practice | 20–30 minutes | 1 skater | Targeted work on specific elements or recovery |
| Group lesson | 45 minutes | 6–10 skaters | Coach-led technical instruction across training camps |
| Familiarisation slot | 15 minutes | 1–2 skaters | Adjustment to the main competition rink |
Official practices are the most visible to spectators and form the bulk of the published schedule. They take place on the same ice that will host the competition, often with judges present in the stands to acclimatise to the lighting and sightlines. Warm-ups happen just minutes before a competitor takes the ice for their programme, and they are usually limited to a handful of run-throughs of opening sequences or jumps. Individual practices offer flexibility for athletes who need extra time on a stubborn triple-triple combination or a brand-new lift, and they are often scheduled in the smaller practice rink rather than the main arena.
Coordinating logistics behind the scenes
Behind every published practice schedule sits a small operations team working with the organising committee, the ISU, and the participating federations. The Palavela's ice crew must coordinate resurfacing cycles so that the main rink is ready for each new group, while the practice rink runs its own timetable to avoid bottlenecks. Security, medical staff, and volunteers all receive separate briefings, since their roles shift depending on whether skaters are warming up, competing, or cooling down.
For Australian audiences considering a future trip to a major international event, the practice schedule often offers better access to athletes than the competition itself. Walk-through access to the practice rink is usually included with certain seating categories, and tickets for official practice sessions are sometimes sold at a reduced rate. Volunteers at events like Torino 2019 frequently report that practice days offer a more relaxed atmosphere, where skaters wave to the stands between elements and occasionally stop to chat with young fans after their session ends.
The interaction between the practice schedule and competition timetable also affects how coaches manage athlete fatigue. A skater scheduled in the final practice group of the morning may have just enough energy for a solid run-through, while one in the first group might peak too early in the day. Coaches often arrive with printed notes detailing the run order of each session, adjusting their feedback on the fly based on how their athlete responds to the ice.
Federation roles and athlete preparation
National federations play a crucial role in communicating practice assignments to their athletes and ensuring that travel, accommodation, and equipment transport align with the published schedule. For Australian skaters, who typically travel with smaller delegations than skating powerhouses like Russia, Japan, or the United States, this coordination often falls to a single team leader who liaises with both the ISU and the host organising committee. The Australian Figure Skating Association provides athletes with guidance on competition preparation, including tips for managing jet lag and acclimatising to unfamiliar ice.
Within the practice rink itself, the rhythm of a session reveals subtle hierarchies. Top seeds from the previous season often skate first within their group, giving them a quieter rink and a fresher mental state for their run-throughs. Lower-ranked skaters fill the later slots, and they must contend with both the natural wear of a busy ice surface and the psychological pressure of following a more decorated competitor. Coaches often use the late slots as an opportunity to encourage younger or less experienced athletes, reminding them that the practice rink is a place for work, not comparison.
For pairs and ice dance teams, the coordination extends beyond individual schedules to the minute-by-minute choreography of shared elements. Side-by-side jumps, lifts, and death spirals all require precise calibration, and teams often use their assigned practice slot to refine the spatial awareness they will need on competition day. The tight structure of the schedule can sometimes make it difficult to find ice time for additional run-throughs, which is why many teams arrive at major events several days before the official practice schedule begins.
Practical pointers for visitors and viewers
For spectators hoping to make the most of practice sessions at a major event, a few practical tips can turn a confusing timetable into an enjoyable experience.
- Arrive at least 30 minutes before the first practice group of the day to allow time for security screening and finding a seat in the practice rink stands.
- Bring a printed copy of the practice schedule, since mobile coverage inside large arenas can be patchy, particularly in older venues.
- Watch the resurfacing crew between groups to understand the rhythm of the day and predict when your favourite skaters will take the ice.
- Listen for announcements in the local language as well as English; Italian venues like the Palavela often broadcast key information in both.
- Respect the quiet zones near changing rooms, where skaters focus before their session begins.
- Bring a small notebook to record observations about run order, jump combinations, and programme choreography for later discussion.
Tickets for practice sessions at the Torino 2019 Grand Prix Final, including access to the practice rink during official hours, are available through the official event website. Visitors interested in volunteering, gaining behind-the-scenes access, or simply planning a day around the schedule can find the full breakdown of practice groups, session times, and ticketing categories at torino2019.com, where the detailed competition and exhibition gala programmes are also published.