Epilogue

This chapter discusses figure skating in the twenty-first century. The popularity of figure skating grew steadily for more than half a century when the attack on Nancy Kerrigan and the unprecedented media coverage that followed thrust the sport into the limelight, if only briefly. However, by century's end, television ratings had declined substantially, and except for major competitions, most televised events had disappeared. Most touring shows disappeared as well. The two well-established companies, Champions on Ice and Stars on Ice, still tour in the United States, although their attendance has declined from that of the mid-1990s. Holiday on Ice still tours in Europe. The balance of athleticism and artistry that defines figure skating has been retained as the sport has entered the twenty-first century, although there has been some eroding of artistry since the mid-1980s, a result of the ever-increasing emphasis on athleticism, especially jumping.