18 unforgettable figure skating costumes from competitions past
Over the past 30 years, the sport of figure skating has progressed by leaps and bounds. Somehow, no matter how many mind-boggling revolutions athletes complete while flying through the air, they always manage to look flawless.
As we launch into the 2018 Winter Olympics, let’s take a moment to skate down memory lane and enjoy some beautiful costumes of competitions past.
1. Scott Hamilton
Hamilton’s aerodynamic red and blue suit was made for speed, spins and tight jumps during the 1984 games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.
2. Brian Boitano
Boitano channels a stylish pirate and soars across the rink at the 1994 games in Lillehammer, Norway.
3. Johnny Weir
Weir wowed crowds as soon as he stepped onto the ice thanks to theatrical, statement-making costumes like this winged black and white suit he wore during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.
4. Evan Lysacek
5. Dorothy Hamill
Hamill’s red V-neck costume for the 1976 games in Innsbruck, Austria, was sweet and simple, just like her trademark bob and classy skating.
6. Tara Lipinski
Teen sensation Lipinski wholeheartedly embraced sparkle with illusion sleeves and a bedazzled bright blue costume on her way to Olympic gold at the 1998 games in Nagano, Japan.
7. Meryl Davis
With an outfit reminiscent of a Disney princess, Davis looked stunning ice dancing for the gold at the 2014 games in Sochi, Russia, with partner Charlie White.
8. Michelle Kwan
Kwan switched up her style with a Bollywood-inspired two-piece look for a free skate performance during the 1996 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
9. Michelle Kwan… Again!
Kwan’s more classic minimalist velvet costume at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano was no less memorable.
10. Surya Bonaly
16. Sarah Hughes
It’s a rare sight for a female figure skater to don pants, but Hughes’s black jumpsuit sparkled across the rink during a 2002 exhibition. In events sanctioned by the sport’s official body, women must wear skirts.
17. Sasha Cohen
18. Sasha Cohen Stuns Us Again
When it comes to skating fashion, flexibility seemed to be the No. 1 priority for Cohen. This elegant choice at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, showcases her spectacular splits.