How can I get to the Olympics in Figure Skating?

Wait, let me get this straight. At 13 years old, you've never had professional coaching before, yet you expect to be able to beat people who have been skating since they were two? Reality check time!

At 12, Elizaveta Tuktamisheva was landing triple axels in practice, and competing at Senior Nationals. Has she ever won them? Nope. Is she going to the Olympics? Maybe, maybe not.

I started skating when I was three, and I've been skating for 14 years. Am I ever going to the Olympics? Nope!

To put things into perspective, if you wanted to have a shot at the Olympics, at age 13, you'd need to be landing all of your doubles and a least two or three triples. You'd also need to have custom skates, a freeskate coach, a choreographer, and at least 25 hours of on-ice a week. Most skaters do 30+. If you've never skated before, you wouldn't last more than an hour on ice. My shortest trainings are 2 hours, usually more like 3 or 4. More competitive skaters skate for longer.

"I am starting with gymnastics because it helps with figure skating" You know what helps with Figure Skating? Actually getting on the ice and skating. Gymnastics is going to do nothing for you if you can't skate to begin with.

Short answer: You're never going to the Olympics. You can get a coach, and learn how to skate, and even so small competitions. When you're in your 20s, you could even go to adult nationals. But the Olympics are out of the realm of possibility for you, as any coach, skater, or anyone else who knows the sport would tell you.

Its true that many many skaters start earlier then 13, but it sounds like you already are a "really good skater" but have not taken any private figure skating lessons. Do I think you can make it to the olympics. I have no clue. Its not just skating, its luck, hard work, talent. That talent is not just in the ability to land jumps but to also be extremly flexible. I think in life you just have to go for it and see what happens. Maybe you won't make it to the olympics or maybe you will be like my daughter's first coach who started skating at 13 (first time skating) and has had a long professional career not only as a USFSA coach but also as a touring skater on professional shows. Don't let people try to tell you that you waited too long. That is not helpful information. Get to the ice, take private lessons, make a plan. You need to USFSA. You will need to start testing. You will need to try to get to junior level in the next year or two. And you need to have a thick skin because skating is not just expensive monetarily but also expensive emotionally. Kids that show up and progress quickly are sometimes not treated as well by the kids that have been skating half heartedly since they were three.

It's nearly impossible that you'll make it to the Olympics. Johnny weir started at 12 and made it to the Olympics, but he was super talented. It's not completley impossible that you can start at 13 and go to the Olympics, there has to be a first for everything. If you want to go to the Olympics, you first have to understand how committed you have to be. Olympic figure skaters train 20 hours or more a week, and you have to be in really really good shape. You pretty much have to devote your whole life to it and it will be super expensive too. You should start out taking private lessons once a week with a good coach, and practice a ton! Maybe three hours a week starting out. You should also work on your strength, flexibility, balance, and core strength at least 30 minutes a day and increase the time as you get better. Gymnastics probobly isn't the best choice, because it's really hard on your body. If you really want to improve your skating, take classical ballet it helps way more. You'll need to get good skates that fit you and have them sharpened every six weeks or so. Mostly you just need to PRACTICE A TON! Every single chance you get you need to be practicing or working on your strength and flexibility. Listen to what your coach tells you and practice hard. I doubt you'll get to the olympics, but you can definitley compete and there is like a 0.001 chance for you.

So are you saying you're just beginning with figure skating lessons? Like, just starting? Because from the information you have provided it sounds like you're just starting your first figure skating lessons. If that's the case, I'm sorry but you won't be able to join the Olympics. Olympic athletes first start figure skating lessons when around 2 years old. It takes that long to learn everything needed to qualify for the Olympics. You need to get your triples clean, you landings clean and your spins smooth. You need a lot to be able to participate. I first tried ice skating at 11 and actually start figure skating lessons when I was 12 turning 13 and I've been skating in these lessons for a year now. Still I'm only up to my single jumps. I'm not even learning a camel spin yet until next term when my skating school starts again. I already know I have no chance in getting into the Olympics.

Don't be so encouraged though. You can always join competitions, pair dancing, ice dance, theatre on ice etc. You can still learn how to figure skate, and you can still go far. Just not as far as the Olympics.

You're not going to the Olympics.

The oldest anyone has ever started and gone to the Olympics is 12. That was Johnny Weir, and he is a freak natural talent. Otherwise, everyone else has started at 3/4/5 (sometimes as late as 7 or 8). And hardly any of those who start at 3 go to the Olympics, either.

Although, perhaps I should let you discover it for yourself. When it takes you two months just to start on a basic tiny waltz jump, perhaps then you will understand that this sport is HARD and takes a lot of HARD WORK, TIME AND PATIENCE!

EDIT:

Okay. Let's take another viewpoint.

Here is 2012 Junior World Silver Medallist Joshua Farris (USA). He is 17 years old, homeschooled, and started skating when he was 5. He can land a perfect triple Axel-triple toe and a quad toe.

He trains in Colorado Springs under two coaches - Damon Allen and Christy Krall. He trains every day for several hours. He does off-ice gym work as well. He choreographs part of his own programs (Allen helps him), so he doesn't have a choreographer. He only goes to a handful of summer comps (only one this summer, the Vail Invitational), and competes on the Junior Grand Prix circuit.

His total costs for skating PER YEAR is $70,000. That's every year. And he's not even an international Senior yet. He hasn't done well at Senior Nationals yet, so there's no guarantee he'd even be selected for an Olympics. He has been working hard all his life to reach this dream. What makes you think you can just swan in and shortcut your way past his over twelve years of hard unyielding work? (He may be a man, but the ladies have the same stories.)

well starting at 13 there is like a one in a zillion chance you would ever get to the olympics but who knows lol.

If you want to go to the olympics the first things you need are rich and very patient parents.They will have to pay hundreds of $ for your boots,blades and coaching and drive you to the rink every morning at 6am and sit around for about 4 hours.

you would then need a top coach who is willing to take you on and give you about an hours coaching a day-I don't know about other countries but in the uk coaches charge like £35,£40 an hour

you will then need a really good work ethic as you will have to do about 4 hours on ice training a day,6 or 7 days a week plus some off ice strenth and stretching excercise and off ice jumping.Running too and a lot of skaters also take dance

you have to be motivated enough to drag yourself out of bed at an ungodly hour and face a freezing cold rink,work on your own for hours,and then as your 13 do a full day at school afterwards followed by a couple more hours of training.you'll rarely be able to go out with your friends or watch anything decent on tv since you'll have to be in bed by about 8 lol

you have to watch what you eat and you won't be able to drink any alcohol when you're older-even if you have one glass of wine the night before you have to skate it will affect your balance and mess up your practise and smoking pot ever is out of the question.

you have to be prepared to end up a 25 year old virgin with no relationship experience since you won't be able to have a boyfriend as they are a distraction and you wouldn't be able to make a relationship work anyway as you'd be too busy

you also need an understanding school as you'll need time off for competitions

and of course lots and lots of talent.I'm not trying to put you off but thats the reality-these kids live for skating and I've seen girls sacifice school to skate all day and end up with no qualifications and they've still not got to the olympics.mind you it's really fun and really boosts your confidence and keeps you fit and healthy.Keeps you out of trouble too-You could just go 3 or 4 times a week and see how far you can get but yeah,training for the olympics is waay harder than people imagine

A lot of people who have answered this question have blatantly told you you're not going to be an Olympic Figure Skater, I'm telling you, if you put in the dedication,time, sweat and money and you have the talent you might have a chance, might. I'm not going to tell someone to just stop even thinking about their dream because they started too late. As mention above Johnny Weir started when he was 12 and was a freak talent. You might just be a freak talent, you won't know until you get out on the ice.

These girls are going to pounce on me but I can see their side too, if you don't have the natural talent then it isn't going to happen. I can completely understand what they're talking about and I agree with them but also disagree on some notes. I'm sorry but if in your first lesson you somehow manage a single jump and a spin then perhaps you have a shot at Ice Shows and other competitions. The Olympics is a big ask, even for some of the best.

I had previously been a Vaganova R.A.D Russian trained ballet dancer, so I was use to being pushed past my limits. I trained immensely hard in figure skating for a time and then had to quit for personal reasons. I am currently landing doubles and have almost all of my spins executed.

First things first, go to your Ice Rink and ask for session times, then ask your parents for permission and money for lessons. Then you'll be categorized into a level the head coach thinks you're at and you'll go through levels. Only AFTER you finish skate school can you consider a private coach. By the end of skate school you should know a few people and a few coach so take your pick.

Then you'll need to buy skates, ice time and coach time, at the least. This'll cost up to $400.

And competitions are even more expensive, even the little ones.

So invest in some

-Tights/Leggins to skate in. Warm fitted jumpers and shirts, gloves and socks.

-Duffel bag to keep it all in.

-Small cheap skates.

If you still have a burning desire to be an olympian tell your parents and work something out.

Good Luck with your dreams.

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It's very difficult to get to the Olympics, on average everyone who is or was in figure skating Olympics has landed triples when they were 10.

It is a sport, as much as the diving is in the summer olympics and the ski jumping is, as there is a lot of skill and agility to it. Ice dancing however can go. Who wants to watch ballroom dancing on ice? That is nowhere near being a sport.