Olympic Figure Skating Team Event: Format, Scoring, and How It Works

The Olympic figure skating team event is a multi-discipline squad competition that combines pairs, ice dance, men’s and women’s singles into a single medal round. Unlike traditional individual contests, it emphasizes depth across each discipline and rewards consistent excellence as much as standout performances. First introduced as an official Olympic format in 2018, the team event structures scoring around a declared short program and free skate lineup, with a specific points system designed to highlight overall program strength. This explainer covers the event format, scoring rules, eligibility criteria, and why it reshapes how nations approach season planning and roster decisions.