# Is there any rule against same sex pairs figure skating or ice dancing in the Olympics? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 24, 2018, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-rule-against-same-sex-pairs-figure-skating-or-ice-dancing-in-the-olympics/807352 "2018-01-24T06:26:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-rule-against-same-sex-pairs-figure-skating-or-ice-dancing-in-the-olympics/807352/1 "2018-01-24T06:26:34Z")
Is there a requirement that a pair in figure skating or ice dancing be of one male and one female? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-rule-against-same-sex-pairs-figure-skating-or-ice-dancing-in-the-olympics/807352/2 "2018-01-24T07:26:04Z")
It looks like the very first rule in the [book](http://www.isu.org/isu-statutes-constitution-regulations-technical/special-regulations-and-technical-rules/52-2016-special-regulation-sandp-and-ice-dance-and-technical-rules-sandp-and-id-final/file) (PDF) defines a pair as “one Lady and one Man.” Edit: And the referenced section of the ISU [Constitution](http://www.isu.org/isu-statutes-constitution-regulations-technical/54-constitution-and-general-regulations-2016/file) (PDF) says: > [@](#): > > The Figure Skating Branch includes the following disciplines (Gender Categories indicated in parenthesis if not included in the discipline title): > i) Single & Pair Skating disciplines: > > - Ladies Single Skating > - Men Single Skating > - **Pair Skating (1 Lady & 1 Man)** ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-rule-against-same-sex-pairs-figure-skating-or-ice-dancing-in-the-olympics/807352/3 "2018-01-24T13:07:02Z")
So the guy can be any old slob, but the woman has to be a Lady? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-rule-against-same-sex-pairs-figure-skating-or-ice-dancing-in-the-olympics/807352/4 "2018-01-24T13:12:05Z")
Darn. And here I was hoping we’d finally see a couple perform the Iron Lotus move. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-rule-against-same-sex-pairs-figure-skating-or-ice-dancing-in-the-olympics/807352/5 "2018-01-24T13:24:49Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > So the guy can be any old slob, but the woman has to be a Lady? Of course she’s a Lady. She’s got style, she’s got grace, she’s a winner! ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-rule-against-same-sex-pairs-figure-skating-or-ice-dancing-in-the-olympics/807352/6 "2018-01-24T13:46:24Z")
Yes, but _how many times_ a Lady? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-rule-against-same-sex-pairs-figure-skating-or-ice-dancing-in-the-olympics/807352/7 "2018-01-24T14:02:43Z")
What if she’s a tramp? ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-rule-against-same-sex-pairs-figure-skating-or-ice-dancing-in-the-olympics/807352/8 "2018-01-24T15:07:42Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > What if she’s a tramp? Not mutually exclusive. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-rule-against-same-sex-pairs-figure-skating-or-ice-dancing-in-the-olympics/807352/9 "2018-01-24T15:10:08Z")
Mind-bottling, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-rule-against-same-sex-pairs-figure-skating-or-ice-dancing-in-the-olympics/807352/10 "2018-01-24T15:36:21Z")
There was a 2007 \*documentary \*about that. It starred Will Ferrell. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-rule-against-same-sex-pairs-figure-skating-or-ice-dancing-in-the-olympics/807352/11 "2018-01-24T16:13:32Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > What if she’s a tramp? Tonya Harding is no longer allowed to compete. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-rule-against-same-sex-pairs-figure-skating-or-ice-dancing-in-the-olympics/807352/12 "2018-01-24T19:56:13Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > So the guy can be any old slob, but the woman has to be a Lady? This is actually a change from when the men’s competitions were called “gentlemen’s.” Everybody just started saying “men’s” for short, and the ISU went along with it.