Figure Skating Judging Explained

Olympic womenโ€™s figure skating began Wednesday night.

Each athlete has talent and grace. So what exactly are the judges looking for?

Special Section: Sochi 2014

Competitive figure skater Chris Caluza, who trains at the San Diego Ice Arena, says the short program requires seven elements of jumps, spins and footwork.

There are six kinds of jumps: Axel, salchow, toe-loop, loop, flip and lutz.

Caluza says a skater can gain more points by doing one after another, such as a triple axel.

He also says the ladies must execute each element perfectly to score high enough to carry them to the next round.

Results: Ladies' Short Program

"The way they skate on the ice, how big their patterns can be, how they cover the ice, how much speed they carry," Caluza said. "And the judges are also the audience, so you have to connect to judges as well."

Caluza says he trains with Olympic skater Gracie Gold at least once a week.

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