One of the oldest Olympic sports of the modern era: figure skating was on the Olympic programme long before the winter games were started: The first medal was awarded in the 1908 summer games in London. It was in London too, in Chelsea, that the first indoor skating rink was opened in 1876.Contestants compete in a short programme and a free programme, as individuals or in couples. They are awarded scores on a scale of 1 to 6. The seven presiding judges all belong to different nationalities.A new Olympic event, skate dancing, exists since the 1976 games, for couples only.