Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level (senior), and at local, national, and international competitions. The International Skating Union (ISU) regulates international figure skating judging and competitions. Figure skating is an official event in the Winter Olympic Games. In languages other than English and Russian, figure skating is usually referred to by a name that translates as "artistic skating".

Major international competitions are sanctioned by the ISU. These include the Winter Olympic Games, the World Championships, the World Junior Championships, the European Championships, the Four Continents Championships, and the Grand Prix series (senior and junior).

The sport is also associated with show-business. Major competitions generally include exhibitions at the end in which the top-placing skaters perform non-competitive programs for the audience. Many skaters, both during and after their competitive careers, also skate in ice skating exhibitions or shows which run during the competitive season and the off-season.

Julia Viacheslavovna Lipnitskaia (Russian: Юлия Вячеславовна Липницкая;schol. Julia Vjačeslavovna Lipnickaja, also romanized as Yulia Lipnitskaya; born June 5, 1998 in Yekaterinburg) is a Russian figure skater. She is the 2012 World Junior Champion, 2011–12 Junior Grand Prix Final champion, 2012 Russian senior silver medalist and the 2012 Russian junior champion. She holds the record for the combined total and free skate scores on the ladies junior level.

Lipnitskaia trained in Yekaterinburg until 2009 when she and her mother discussed her future, concluding they should either relocate for her skating career or leave the sport. Lipnitskaia moved with her mother to Moscow and joined Eteri Tutberidze's group in the spring of 2009. Her flexibility comes from her background in rhythmic gymnastics, which she practiced as a child. In the 2009–2010 season, she placed 5th on the junior level at the 2010 Russian Championships. She was 4th on the senior level the following season at the 2011 Russian Championships. She also competed at the national 2011 Russian Junior Championships but withdrew from the competition after the short program.

Adelina Dmitriyevna Sotnikova (Russian: Аделина Дмитриевна Сотникова; born 1 July 1996 in Moscow) is a Russian figure skater. She is the 2011 World Junior champion, 2010 Junior Grand Prix Final champion, 2012 Youth Olympics silver medalist, and a three-time (2009, 2011, 2012) Russian National champion.

Adelina Sotnikova began skating at the age of four at the "Yuzhny" ice rink near her home in Moscow. At the age of seven she began training at CSKA which is further away from her home. She began working with coach Elena Buianova (Vodorezova) a year later.

During the 2008–2009 season, Sotnikova debuted at the senior level at the 2009 Russian Nationals and won the gold medal at the age of 12. One month later she also won the 2009 Russian Junior Championships.

Sotnikova was ineligible to compete on the Junior Grand Prix circuit during the 2009–2010 season because International Skating Union rules require that skaters turn 13 before 1 July in their place of birth – she was born a few hours into 1 July in Moscow. Sotnikova's mother told her that she was born a month prematurely anyway. She struggled with a growth spurt and dropped to fourth at Russian senior nationals and sixth in the junior event.

Tatiana Andreеvna Volosozhar (Ukrainian: Тетяна Андріївна Волосожар, Russian: Татьяна Андреевна Волосожар; born 22 May 1986 in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union) is a Russian pair skater. With current partner Maxim Trankov, she is the 2012 European Champion, a two-time (2011 and 2012) World silver medalist, the 2011 Grand Prix Final silver medalist, and the 2011 Russian national champion. They are also gold medalists at 2011 Skate Canada and 2011 Trophee Eric Bompard.

Volosozhar competed for Ukraine with Petr Kharchenko from 2000–2004 and with Stanislav Morozov from 2004–2010. She and Morozov were four-time (2005, 2007, 2008, 2010) Ukrainian national champions and finished as high as 4th at the World Championships.

Volosozhar began skating at the age of four. The instructors at her skating class were initially dismissive, saying she was overweight, but gave her three months and eventually agreed to keep her. She took up pair skating at age 14.

As a junior, Volosozhar skated for four years with Petr Kharchenko. They trained in Dnipropetrovsk in very poor conditions until they were able to move to Kiev in 2003; Volosozhar was accompanied by her mother. Their coach in Kiev was Galina Kukhar. The pair won several medals on the Junior Grand Prix circuit and were the Ukrainian national champions in 2004. That same season, they finished 5th at Junior Worlds and 14th at senior Worlds. They split at the end of the 2003-04 season.

Maxim Leonidovich Trankov (Russian: Максим Леонидович Траньков, born October 7, 1983) is a Russian pair skater. With current partner Tatiana Volosozhar, he is the 2012 European Champion, a two-time (2011 and 2012) World silver medalist, the 2011 Grand Prix Final silver medalist, and the 2011 Russian national champion. They are also gold medalists at 2011 Skate Canada and 2011 Trophee Eric Bompard.

With former partner Maria Mukhortova, he was the 2008 European silver medalist, the 2007 Russian National Champion, and the 2005 World Junior Champion.

Maxim Trankov was born in Perm. His mother was an athlete, competing in running and 400 meter hurdles, and his father was involved in equestrian sports. His father taught him to ride a horse. Trankov is a fan of Russian hip-hop and writes music himself. He has an elder brother, Alexei.

Trankov first stepped onto the ice in the fall of 1987 in Perm; his parents wanted him involved in a sport. He left skating for a while but returned and joined the husband-and-wife coaches Valeri Tiukov and Valentina Tiukova. Trankov was growing quite tall and a coach suggested he take up pair skating when he was 11. He recalled, "I said no at first because I was afraid to grab the hand of a girl, but I tried it and then I liked it."