The sport of gliding on skates.
Self-propulsion on ice by means of bladed skates, or on other surfaces by skates with small rollers (wheels of wood, metal, or plastic).
The chief competitive ice-skating events are figure skating, for singles or pairs, ice-dancing, and simple speed skating. The first world ice-skating championships were held in 1896.
Ice-skating became possible as a world sport from the opening of the first artificial ice rink in London, England, 1876. Figure skating includes both compulsory figures and freestyle combinations to music; ice-dancing has developed into a choreographed combination of ballet and popular dance movements welded to an artistic whole, as exemplified by John Curry and the team of Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.
The roller skate was the invention of James L Plympton, who opened the first rink in Newport, Rhode Island, US, 1866; events are as for ice-skating with European and world championships.