How Figure Skating Starting Orders Are Decided
Figure skating starting orders are set by competition rules, usually through a draw or a system based on earlier results. The method depends on the event and stage of competition.
The numbers
Year the ISU Grand Prix Series launched as the ISU Champions Series
Draw places for the lowest-ranked skaters in the ISU Championship short program
Draw places for higher-ranked skaters in the ISU Championship short program
The order determines when each skater or pair takes the ice, but it does not change the scoring criteria. Knowing how starting orders are decided helps explain why the sequence may differ between a short programme and a later segment of the same event.
| Competition context | Method | What the method uses |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional first segment | Random draw | Draw assigns running order |
| Some competitions | Reverse seeding or qualification placement | Seed or qualification position |
| ISU Championships, short program | Ranking-based draw groups | ISU World Rankings |
| Canadian Figure Skating Championships | Random draw | Data Specialist with technical representative |
| Japan Skating Federation competitions | Block championships | Block-championship results |
How does a starting-order draw work?
Random draw
For the first segment, a random draw assigns each eligible skater or team a place in the running order; it determines skating sequence, not a judging score. The segment is traditionally the short program or compulsory dance, although some competitions instead use the reverse order of seeding or qualification placement. The method depends on the competition’s rules.
The ISU Grand Prix Series launched in 1995 as the ISU Champions Series and is a six-event international circuit for senior skaters. A starting-order draw is one way competitions organize those skaters’ appearances within an event; it does not affect the marks judges award for their performances.
Warm-up groups
Competitors are also divided into warm-up groups, so the starting order is arranged in blocks rather than as one uninterrupted list. Each group takes its turn, giving skaters a shared warm-up before they compete in their assigned sequence.
How do ISU Championships use world rankings?
At ISU Championships, the short-program starting order uses skaters’ ISU World Rankings to divide the draw into two groups: the lowest-ranked skaters draw for places 1–15, and the higher-ranked skaters draw for places 16–30. The rankings guide which group a skater enters; they do not assign every skater a fixed starting slot.
This makes the process a ranking-informed draw rather than a simple run down the rankings. Skaters within each group still draw for their individual places, so a higher ranking determines access to the later group, not an exact position within it.
Rankings and changing partnerships
World Rankings provide the basis for grouping skaters for the ISU Championships short-program draw, while partnerships can change during the season. Marjorie Lajoie and Jean-Luc Baker announced their new partnership in June 2026.
How do national federations set the order?
National federations set figure-skating starting orders under the rules for each event, so there is no single formula that applies everywhere. At the Canadian Figure Skating Championships, the Data Specialist conducts a random draw in cooperation with the technical representative. For other Skate Canada events, the stated general rule also calls for a random draw by those officials.
How the rules differ by event
- Canadian Figure Skating Championships: the Data Specialist and technical representative determine the order by random draw.
- Other Skate Canada events: the general rule is a random draw conducted by the Data Specialist working with the technical representative.
- Japan Skating Federation competitions: block championships determine the starting order.
The contrast between Skate Canada’s draw procedure and the Japan Skating Federation’s block-championship method shows why skaters and viewers should check the specific event rules. A federation’s procedure can vary by competition; national events do not all use one shared starting-order system.
What can determine eligibility before the draw?
A minimum total score in the 2024/25 or 2025/26 season at an ISU event or Challenger Series event determines whether a skater or team is eligible to compete. It is an entry requirement, not a method for assigning a starting slot.
Eligibility is separate from the draw
Once eligibility is established, the competition’s rules determine the starting order. The method can vary: an initial segment may use a random draw, while some competitions use the reverse order of seeding or qualification placement. For ISU Championships, the short-program draw is based on skaters’ ISU World Rankings.
The ISU Grand Prix Series is a six-event international circuit for senior skaters. It launched in 1995 as the ISU Champions Series; taking part in this circuit is distinct from deciding where an eligible skater or team starts in a particular event.
What does a starting position mean for likely results?
A figure skating starting position tells viewers when a skater performs; it does not predict the score. A later slot may mean skating after earlier performances, but the draw itself awards no points and establishes no competition ranking.
How the running order is set depends on the competition’s rules. Some events use a random draw, while others use seeding or qualification placement to shape the order. In ISU Championships’ short program, for example, skaters’ ISU World Rankings inform which group they enter for the draw; the ranking affects the process, not the score they earn on the ice.
What determines the result
The result depends on the skater’s performance and the judges’ scoring, not on the starting slot. A ranking used to arrange a draw is a way to organize the field; it is not a verdict on the program being judged. Viewers should treat the running order as a schedule, then follow the skating and scores to see how competitors place.
When can a starting order change or mislead?
A starting order can change when a competition uses a different procedure or adjusts its field before publishing the final order; a later start does not mean a skater is more likely to win. A random draw at one event is not a rule to assume at another: some competitions use the reverse of seeding or qualification placement instead.
Figure skating procedures differ by event. For example, the ISU Championships use ISU World Rankings to form short-program draw groups, while the Canadian Figure Skating Championships use a random draw conducted by the Data Specialist in cooperation with the technical representative. These examples are not interchangeable: check the event’s official notice for the applicable procedure and final starting order.
Field changes are separate from the draw
Partnership changes can affect who appears in an event before its final order is set. Marjorie Lajoie and Jean-Luc Baker announced their new partnership in June 2026; that announcement concerns the pairing, not a prediction of where it will start or how it will place. Treat the published order as a procedural schedule, not a signal of likely results.
Frequently asked questions
Is the starting order always random?
Who conducts the draw at Canadian Figure Skating Championships?
Does a higher world ranking guarantee a later start?
Does the starting order affect the score?
Key takeaways
- The first-segment order is often set by random draw, but event rules can use another method.
- ISU Championship short-program draws use ISU World Rankings to split skaters into draw groups.
- Canadian Figure Skating Championships use a Data Specialist and technical representative for the random draw.
- A starting slot indicates performance order, not a predicted result.
Sources
- NBC Olympics — “Olympic Figure Skating Format: Events, scoring, rounds, disciplines, rules and judging”
- opb.org — “Olympic figure skating starts with the team event. Here’s what to know about it – OPB”
- soyouwanttowatchfs.com — “Introduction to Figure Skating Competitions”
- skatecanada.ca — “Everything You Need to Know for the 2026-2027 ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix Series – Skate Canada”
