FIGURE SKATING

Ice skating is fun whether you can jump and spin, or you just like making your way around the rink. We spoke to the experts at the Arctic Edge in Canton, which has trained several Olympians, to see how to get started.

Now a two-time Olympian, U.S. figure skater Karen Chen made her Olympic team event debut with the 2022 women's short program segment, finishing fifth with a score of 65.20.

Olympic Ice Dancer Meryl Davis helped bring Figure Skating in Detroit to the city. It’s the first chapter of the historic program Figure Skating in Harlem, and five years into the program, it is thriving and giving girls lessons to be champions no matter what they pursue in life.

Dearborn's Divine Child Figure Skating Team shows off their moves for Local 4's Kim DeGiulio.

The United States ice dancing pair of Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue extended the U.S. lead in the team event with the top score in the rhythm dance.

Every time the Winter Olympics comes around and we see those graceful figure skaters on the screen -- suddenly kids are dropping hints about wanting to learn how to skate.

Team USA on Sunday announced its roster of pairs skaters who will compete at the 2022 Winter Olympics -- and that roster includes Timothy LeDuc, the first openly nonbinary athlete to compete at a Winter Olympics.

Gene Kalmat came into the sport of roller figure skating out of necessity.

Young Detroit figure skaters will get to show off their abilities Thursday night during the Celebration of Youth Gala, a fundraising event for Figure Skating in Detroit.

ANN ARBOR – The City of Ann Arbor announced Monday the Buhr Park and Veterans Park ice arenas will be closed effective immediately for three weeks, in accordance with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' newest emergency order. Although Buhr Park Ice Arena is outdoors, and the order focuses on indoor gathering places, the rule still applies. “Since there is not an exemption for outdoor rinks in the order, both rinks will be closed during this time,” read the city’s website. “We will continue to evaluate the orders; and our goal is to reopen both rinks once permitted.”✉ Like what you’re reading? pic.twitter.com/y0c9Q7kQ3i — Ann Arbor Parks Rec (@A2Parks) November 16, 2020In addition to ice rinks, the three-week pause includes the closure of high schools, colleges, casinos, bowling alleys, indoor dining, bingo halls, arcades and indoor waterparks.

ANN ARBOR – Superintendent of Ann Arbor Public Schools, Jeanice Kerr Swift, announced on Thursday that the winter sports season will be delayed until January due to concerns over COVID-19. “Participation in indoor practices and competitions during a public health pandemic comes with a risk to the health and safety of those involved.”The announcement comes two weeks after Swift urged the Michigan High School Athletic Association in a public letter to postpone the winter sports season. Since Swift’s original letter on Oct. 30, new county and statewide cases have skyrocketed, breaking numerous one-day infection records. “Don’t wait for a call from the Health Department,” Jimena Loveluck, health officer for Washtenaw County Health Department, said in a statement. Schools across Metro Detroit have begun to shift from in-person to remote learning due to the surge in new COVID-19 cases.

ROCHESTER, Mich. – Former figure skater Adam Schmidt has reached a $1.75 million settlement with Onyx Ice Arena, according to Schmidt. Last year, Schmidt filed a lawsuit alleging that longtime U.S. figure skating coach Richard Callaghan sexually abused him for two years. Schmidt trained with Callaghan at the Detroit Skating Club in Bloomfield Township and the Onyx Ice Arena in Rochester. READ: Adam Schmidt speaks about allegations of sexual abuse by U.S. figure skating coach Richard CallaghanCallaghan was banned for life by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, a watchdog for U.S. Olympic sports organizations. Callaghan has denied the allegations and Onyx did not admit any wrongdoing.

Ice rinks across the state of Michigan are allowed to reopen for organized sports under a new executive order from the governor. Rinks were among the list of venues shuttered across the state for months due to the coronavirus. Some areas of the state already were allowed to have ice rinks operational. As of Thursday, all Michigan ice rinks are now among the list of venues that may be open for the sole purpose of serving as a venue for organized sports.Gov. Ice rinks also wont be allowed to sell concessions.

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – There are plenty of people who rely on ice arenas for work or training in Michigan. Inside Mount Clemens Ice Arena there’s not much to see -- no hockey games, no ice shows, and no practices. But the operators are most bothered because they’re not even allowed to have private lessons amid the coronavirus pandemic in Michigan right now. There is no on-ice training allowed at many of the rinks. Related: Ann Arbor ice arena, skating teams fight for reclassificationManagement at the Mount Clemens rink wants to be allowed to offer ice time to those who need the training.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. Ice arenas and rinks need to be reclassified, say Ann Arbor athletes and Diane Wilson, the general manager of Ann Arbor Ice Cube. To get the Cube and other ice rinks reclassified, Wilson has reached out to Gov. The Ann Arbor Ice Cube, which has three different rinks, is used by different ice skating and hockey teams, including the U.S. National Team, Eastern Michigan University hockey team and four local high school teams. She added that Ann Arbor is the birthplace of synchronized skating and its teams are nationally ranked. Wilson said that even before the pandemic, the Ann Arbor Ice Cube was never at capacity because of its size and that several skaters could be on the ice without problems.

DETROIT – On Jan. 6, 1994, one of the best ice skaters in the world was attacked and injured at a Detroit ice rink. Nancy Kerrigan had just finished a practice session at Cobo Hall before the Olympic trials in Detroit. Figure Skating Team was Tonya Harding. Eckardt set up a meeting with Derrick Smith and Shane Stant, who agreed to injure Kerrigan for a fee. After hitting Kerrigan, Stant fled the ice rink in Smith’s getaway car.