Official practice sessions at Torino 2019
Before the first medal is awarded at the Palavela arena, the ice has already become a working environment for the world’s leading skaters. Official practice sessions give competitors time to adjust to the rink, test their equipment, rehearse key elements and settle into the rhythm of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.
At Torino 2019, these sessions involved both the Senior and Junior fields, covering men’s, ladies’, pairs and ice dance. They were less formal than the competition itself, yet they followed a carefully managed schedule. Each group received a defined period on the ice, with skaters, coaches, officials and rink staff working together behind the scenes.
For spectators, practice offered a different view of figure skating. There were fewer presentation elements, no marks and little ceremony. Instead, the focus was on repetition, precision and preparation: a jump attempted several times, a lift checked from different angles or a passage of choreography adjusted to the dimensions and condition of the arena.
Arrival, accreditation and rink access
An official practice day begins well before skaters step onto the ice. Competitors and their teams arrive through controlled accreditation areas, collect information about the day’s timetable and confirm where they need to be. Coaches, choreographers, medical staff and technical personnel each have defined roles, which helps the sessions run without unnecessary interruptions.
The schedule is arranged around competition groups and disciplines. Men’s and ladies’ singles require room for individual run-throughs and jumping exercises, while pairs and ice dance need careful coordination because several people may be moving through the same space at speed. The order of sessions gives teams an opportunity to plan warm-ups, costume checks, meals and recovery time.
Access for spectators is determined by the event’s own ticketing and venue arrangements. A practice session is not automatically open in the same way as a competition session, so visitors need to rely on official Torino 2019 information rather than assume that a competition ticket includes entry to every rehearsal. Seating areas may be limited, and some sections of the arena can remain closed.
Once inside, the atmosphere is generally quieter than during the main event. Music may begin and stop without warning, skaters may leave the ice for a short discussion, and coaches may communicate from designated areas. These pauses are part of the working process rather than signs that something has gone wrong.
What skaters work on during practice
The most visible part of practice is technical preparation. A skater may repeat a triple jump or combination several times, concentrating on take-off, rotation, landing and flow. The aim is not necessarily to perform a complete programme. Repetition allows the athlete and coaching team to identify small adjustments before the element is attempted under competition pressure.
Skaters also practise spins, step sequences and transitions. These details connect the major elements and help establish the timing of a short programme or free skate. A competitor may run only one section of a routine, then stop to discuss posture, edge quality, musical phrasing or the distance between elements.
Pairs and ice dance teams use the ice differently. Their work includes lifts, throws, synchronized skating, twizzles, entrances and exits, as well as the spacing required to avoid contact with other teams. A lift can be checked at reduced speed, while a throw may be attempted only once or twice because of its physical demands. Communication between partners is constant and often highly specific.
Music is another important part of the session. Teams may skate a full programme with their official music, but they can also request a restart, rehearse a difficult transition or mark choreography without completing every element. Hearing the music in the Palavela helps competitors judge acoustics, tempo and the way sound carries through the arena.
A controlled environment for fine adjustments
The ice itself is central to every practice. Skaters assess how their blades respond to the surface, how quickly they can build speed and how much space is available for entries and exits. Rink crews monitor the condition of the ice between sessions, and resurfacing breaks help restore a consistent skating surface for the next group. The technical work behind that process is explained in this guide to the ice maintenance process.
Temperature, lighting and acoustics can also influence a skater’s preparation. Competitors who have travelled from another country may need time to adapt to the arena environment, particularly when a practice session takes place at a different hour from the eventual competition. A calm run-through can help establish a physical and mental routine.
Coaches use the boards and rink-side areas as observation points. They may watch from several angles, record sections for later review or speak to skaters during a break. Their feedback can concern anything from a jump entry to the expressive quality of a step sequence. The relationship is immediate: the skater tests an idea, receives information and tries again.
Officials and event staff also use practice to confirm that the competition environment is ready. The music system, rink access, timing procedures and movement of people around the ice must all function smoothly. Practice therefore serves as a final operational check as well as an athletic rehearsal.
| Discipline | Common practice priorities | What spectators may notice |
|---|---|---|
| Men’s singles | Jumps, combinations, spins, programme pacing | Repeated jump attempts and partial run-throughs |
| Ladies’ singles | Jump consistency, musical timing, transitions | Changes between technical drills and choreography |
| Pairs | Throws, lifts, side-by-side elements, timing | Detailed communication between partners |
| Ice dance | Twizzles, lifts, pattern sequences, interpretation | Close attention to rhythm, spacing and edge work |
| Junior events | Technical development, confidence and routine structure | Coaches offering frequent guidance during breaks |
Senior and Junior sessions have different rhythms
The Senior competition attracts skaters with extensive experience on major international stages, and their practice sessions often appear highly structured. They may arrive with a precise plan for the allotted time: a warm-up, selected technical elements, a programme section and a final review. Familiarity with high-level competition allows them to make quick decisions when a jump or sequence does not feel right.
That does not mean senior practice is predictable. A skater may change the layout of a programme, omit a difficult element or repeat a landing until it feels secure. Practice is a place to manage risk intelligently. The priority is to prepare for the conditions of the event, not to produce a polished performance for observers.
Junior sessions can have a more exploratory character. Younger competitors are still gaining experience with international arenas, large audiences and the demands of a championship-style schedule. Their coaches may provide more visible direction, especially when helping them manage nerves, pacing and the transition from warm-up exercises to programme work.
The two levels share the same essential purpose: building reliability. Whether a skater is an established Grand Prix finalist or a promising junior competitor, the official session provides valuable time to understand the rink and reinforce the habits that will support performance when the scores count.
How the arena feels before competition
A practice session reveals the Palavela as a workplace rather than a finished show. Empty or lightly occupied seating changes the acoustics, while the absence of opening presentations and full competition lighting places attention on the ice. The arena still carries the identity of a major event venue, but the mood is concentrated and practical.
Spectators who attend should expect movement and repetition rather than a continuous performance. One skater may be preparing a difficult jump while another is marking choreography at the opposite end of the rink. Music can overlap, stop suddenly or be played at a lower volume while a coach gives instructions. Watching requires patience and awareness of the shared space.
Quiet audience behaviour is important. Conversations, applause and photography can distract competitors, particularly during a jump approach or a complex lift. The exact rules for cameras, phones, food, seating and movement should be checked against the venue and event guidance. Practice is less formal than competition, but it remains an official working session.
There can also be moments of unexpected beauty. A skater may complete a clean sequence without the pressure of judging, a pair may find perfect timing in a lift or a dancer may run through a phrase with remarkable musical clarity. These glimpses are often brief, which makes them feel different from the carefully presented programmes seen later.
What to observe in a practice session
The easiest way to understand practice is to follow a skater’s process rather than wait for a complete routine. Notice how the warm-up develops: first simple stroking and edges, then turns, spins and jumps, followed by more demanding combinations. This progression shows how athletes prepare the body before testing their most important elements.
It is also worth watching the communication around the ice. Coaches may use gestures, short instructions or repeated cues that make sense to the team but appear cryptic to a casual observer. A pause after an element can indicate a technical adjustment, a question about timing or a decision to conserve energy.
Music provides another useful guide. Listen for the relationship between movement and phrasing, especially in ice dance and singles programmes. Skaters are checking more than whether they remember the choreography; they are judging whether the movement feels natural in this particular rink and whether the music supports the intended performance quality.
Finally, watch how competitors recover from mistakes. A fall, missed turn or under-rotated jump does not define a practice session. The response matters more: some skaters repeat the element immediately, while others move on and return to it later. That ability to adapt is part of elite preparation.
Ways to make the experience worthwhile
A little preparation helps visitors appreciate the work taking place without treating practice like a standard competition session.
- Check the official timetable, access rules and permitted seating before arriving at the Palavela.
- Arrive early enough to pass through venue controls and find a position without interrupting a group already on the ice.
- Keep phones quiet and avoid using flash photography during jumps, lifts and full programme run-throughs.
- Follow several disciplines when possible, since singles, pairs and ice dance reveal very different training priorities.
- Use the event schedule and competitor information to identify skaters, then watch for how their practice routines differ.
Practice also gives context to the published competition schedule and results. A session may explain why a skater repeatedly works on one transition, why a pair spends extra time on a lift entry or why a dancer rehearses a sequence at several speeds. These details can make the eventual performance easier to read.
For followers of the Torino 2019 event, the sessions formed an essential bridge between arrival and competition. They brought the athletes into the arena, allowed the teams to adjust to real conditions and helped staff coordinate the many details required for an international figure-skating final. The public saw only part of this preparation, but every clean element in competition rested on that earlier work.
Explore the official Torino 2019 event information for schedules, venue details, competitors and competition results, and treat the practice sessions as a chance to see elite skating in its most focused form. At the Palavela, the event begins before the lights rise and the first score appears.