Is Figure Skating a Sport? - George

The question of wether or not figure skating or other similar competitive events should be considered a sport often stirs up strong emotions.  But this need not be so.

On both sides of the issue "sport" is usually viewed as being the top of the food chain within the category of labels of types of competition. So questioning the sport-ness of figure skating is a questioning of its value. But if the hierarchy of labels is where the error lies then we need not be so hasty to get emotional about figure skating not being a sport. If sport and whatever figure skating actually belongs to can be considered on equal grounds, then we can talk about these issues with our motions and check, and maybe find out that figure skating is better off as something else.

This is not a place for a detailed breakdown of different categories, but for the sake of discussion I will suggest a few categories to illustrate where I think the answer to this question is best found.  First, the broadest category might be called games. The Olympic Games are called and include examples from several sub-categories of games.  Baseball and figure skating are both games.  So are ping pong and curling.  Within the category of games I see three (at least) ways of dividing games into sub-categories.  The first (and by first I don't mean first in order of value), is sport. I would define sport as competition between two parties decided by the outcome of the actions of each party against each other.  The second sub-category I would call competitive performance.  Competitive performance involves a subjective element decided on by judges outside of the action. I don't have a good name for the third category but it includes games where the performers compete against their personal best, and that score or time is put against the other competitors.  This would include things like golf and downhill skiing.

If these categories are agreed upon then it is clear that figure skating is not a sport, rather it is a competitive performance.  And I would argue that making this distinction does not denigrate figure skating but rather, by naming it more accurately, allows it to be valued properly.  Figure skating can't compare to sports because it is not a sport.  It will always have an inferiority complex when it is considered in a category it doesn't belong in.  Considered properly it can be admired properly. Competitive performance is a serious category with a serious audience. Games within competitive performance require serious and admirable commitment from its participants. Competitive performance as a category should be proud of itself, and figure skating is a prince among competitive performance games.

So no, figure skating is not a sport. But that is a good thing for figure skating.