Top 10 Mesmerizing Couples Figure Skating Routines

They may have been bested at the PyeongChang Olympics in 2018, but back in 2016 the Shibutanis were at the top of their game when they competed in the US National Championships. This pair of ice dancers gained attention because they’re siblings, which is still relatively unusual for ice dancers. These two have had many incredible routines together over the years, but this one marked their return to glory after several years out of the podium game. They got a standing ovation from the crowd in attendance and earned themselves a first place title. And they did a great performance at the same event the following year as well!

There was much drama and turmoil surrounding the Russian athletes at the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014, but one of the undeniable highlights was this routine by Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov. 2014 marked the first year that the team figure skating competition actually existed, and for their performance, this on again off again pairs duo turned out quite the show. They did the free dance for the Russian team, and wowed the local audience, helping Russia bring home the gold medal after their third place finish. Sadly, these two parted ways not long after.

This pair has brought home several Olympic medals to their native China, but it’s actually a routine at Worlds that impressed people the most. You can tell from watching this emotional routine that there is a true intimacy between these two, and the fact that they’re a married couple just brings home the authenticity of their performance. This long program routine garnered Shen and Zhao several perfect scores from the judges. The fact that she performed this entire routine with an injury makes the whole thing even more impressive.

Dancing to "Romeo and Juliet, Opus number 64: The Montagues and the Capulets", you knew this performance was going to be a romantic (and dramatic!) one. One thing that made this showing really stand out was Anissina’s ability to lift her partner several times throughout the routine, inverting the expected gender dynamic. Many fans were incensed when these two placed third instead of taking home the gold at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano. In the years since, many argue that they have remained unmatched, especially in terms of that signature move.

When American ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White debuted this routine, it became a sensation, and a YouTube hit. By the time they performed it at the 2010 Olympics, it was already a fan favorite and ultimately helped them bring home a silver medal. Admittedly, if this dance had been performed today, it probably would have been derided for cultural appropriation due to both the costumes and the dance moves used. However, back in 2010, this wasn’t quite on the mainstream society’s radar yet and it’s hard to ignore the impact of the Bollywood-inspired performance.

The love story between Russian figure skaters Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov is considered one of the greatest in the history of the sport. They began skating together when she was only 11, and went on to perform countless incredible routines together over the years. The pinnacle was this exhibition routine to “The Man I Love,” from the World Team Figure Skating Championships in 1994. Later that same year, the pair would win the gold medal at the Lillehammer Olympics. What makes this performance all the more touching is the fact that Grinkov died suddenly the following year at the age of 28 from a massive heart attack. Watching the routine from the Northwest Mutual Life-sponsored show with that retroactive knowledge is sure to bring a tear to your eye.

The International Skating Union has put on the World Team Trophy on an annual basis. In this competition, each country puts forth a team of skaters to compete. In 2017, Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres were competing for France, and while overall their team didn’t make the podium, as a pair they performed what was possibly their best skate ever. In fact, they received personal best scores and came in first for both of the routines that they performed, scoring higher even than favorites, Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov. It’s this pair’s chemistry that really brings the performance over the top.

Russian skaters Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov are no strangers to turning out incredible performances, having taken home countless awards together over the years. Skating to a familiar piece of music can often help audiences feel connected to a performance, and that was definitely the case when these two skated to the “Jesus Christ Superstar” rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber. This performance at Skate America in 2013 earned this pair the world record in terms of combined score for their routines, a title which they held until March 2018.

At the PyeongChang Olympics in 2018, one couple rose to the top in pairs figure skating after their incredible free skate. Competing for Germany, Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot suffered from issues in their short program, but made up for it in an incredible way with their free skate. Not only did this routine earn them an Olympic gold, it also helped them to beat their own world record for scoring in the pairs free skate. When the two fell to the ground at the end of the skate, viewers felt the same sense of relief that they did after a truly remarkable performance. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. Barbara Underhill & Paul Martini 1984 World Figure Skating Championships Ekaterina Gordeeva & Sergei Grinkov 1993 Skate Canada International Isabelle Brasseur & Lloyd Eisler “Patricia the Stripper” Sui Wenjing & Han Cong 2019 World Figure Skating Championships Evgenia Tarasova & Vladimir Morozov 2019 World Figure Skating Championships

While Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot were dominating in the more technical pairs figure skating, their ice dancing counterparts were Canada’s Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. In terms of fan adoration, you can’t get much better than this, with devotees worldwide cheering for their win. The sensual nature of their free skate to selections from “Moulin Rouge” caused the entire world to beg them to finally announce their romantic relationship after many years of denial. You know a performance is good when it has people convinced that you’re a couple. However, as of 2022, both ice dancers have retired and they are in relationships with other people. At least we’ll always have their performances to go back to!