Seventy years ago in the fall of 1956, Dr. Richard Porter created the first "precision" skating team at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Hockettes, as they are still known today, performed intricate, choreographed maneuvers in unison between periods of the university's hockey games.

They were a huge hit, and future gigs at more regional events boosted the Hockettes' popularity.

Several years after Porter planted the seed, competitions amongst colleges and clubs commenced and a new discipline took root worldwide in what would become known as "synchronized skating" in 1998.

Undoubtedly, Dr. Porter could not have imagined that his unique concept of team show skating would ever make it to the Olympic Winter Games. But that's exactly what occurred on July 7, 2026, when the International Olympic Committee announced that Synchro9 would be added to the French Alps 2030 Games.

Nine skaters on a team, skating over the Olympic rings.

The news stunned everyone, who thought that the earliest opportunity for possible inclusion to the Games would be 2034 in Utah. Sport leaders worldwide had spent decades lobbying for synchronized skating to be added to the Olympics, only to be disappointed along the way.

Kyleigh Gaff, U.S. Figure Skating's director of high performance, synchronized skating, was on a plane headed to a United States Olympic & Paralympic winter sports meeting when the news broke. She, along with her USOPC winter sports colleagues, celebrated the monumental announcement and other exciting Olympic news.

"It was special to be part of that experience," she said.

Heather Paige, vice president of U.S. Figure Skating, a member of its strategic planning committee and the organization's representative on the ISU Synchro9 Working Group, said Synchro9 is designed to be dynamic, creating a wide range of competitive possibilities.

"I think everybody is excited to have more freedom in how a program is designed," Paige said. "We've moved away from the word 'elements,' and there are far fewer constraints. For a long time, programs have been designed around checking boxes to secure technical marks, and some of the creativity has been lost. Even with 16 skaters on the ice, we've felt those limitations, so the idea of creating something compelling with only nine skaters initially felt daunting.
 
"Overall, though, everyone is energized by the opportunity to think differently. Coaches can create something innovative while still preserving the qualities that make synchronized skating what it is. With fewer constraints and greater creative freedom, there is a real opportunity to do something extraordinary."
 
With Synchro9 taking form, the foundation of U.S. Figure Skating's current synchronized skating program will remain intact, with the current pipeline and divisions preserved.

While there are plenty of details to be hashed out over the next four years, here's a tentative preview of what to expect.

This season (2026-27)
Synchro9 teams have formed and will be monitored for the opportunity to compete internationally for the U.S. The Haydenettes and Skyliners have formed teams at the senior level, while Teams Elite and the Lexettes will vie in the junior division. At this time, Synchro9 teams forming must have been national team members in the past at either the junior or senior levels in synchronized skating.

Four international events are planned, including the first one in the U.S. at Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena in Irvine, California, Nov. 7–8. The rest of the schedule is Nov. 28–29 in Vantaa, Finland; Jan. 29–30 in Rouen, France; Feb. 20–21 in Budapest, Hungary; and March 26–April 4 at the 2027 ISU Synchronized Skating Combined World & Junior World Championships in Nottingham, Great Britain.  

The U.S. will be represented by a single team (Team USA) at the Synchro9 World & Junior World Championships, respectfully.

Discussions are underway about how Synchro9 may be included in future championship events.

"Battle structure" format revealed
Like the World Cup in soccer, teams will be placed into "starting groups" at competitions based on world standing points (when applicable). For example, three teams would make up Group 1 and three teams would compose Group 2.
 
In round one/day one, each team will perform a 3:30 program to a prescribed theme. This year it's a "street dance" program. Teams in each group will then be seeded within their group based on their scores.

Teams will then compete in head-to-head, 30-second challenge battles featuring full team movements from their semifinal programs. Each team will face each other in their respective starting group, with two teams on the ice at the same time.

At the conclusion of the first round, the top two teams from each starting group advance to the semifinals on day two.

Challenge battles give the team that finishes third after round one an opportunity to earn additional points. By winning its battles, that team can overtake one of the top two teams in its starting group and qualify for the semifinals.

On day two, the teams which didn't make the semifinals will perform their free programs — 3rd place vs. 3rd place compete for fifth and sixth place. The bronze final will pit the two second-place teams against each other, with third place and fourth place on the line. The gold final between the top two teams of each group vie for first and second place. Teams also perform their free programs in the bronze and gold finals.

Next season (2027-28)
Synchro9 team rosters are expected to become more diverse.

"It opens the discipline up to a lot of other skaters who didn't necessarily think synchro was in their line of sight," Gaff said. "It helps a lot of other skaters get their Olympic dream to be heard and to be made. It's something that's fun to see. There are people coming out of the woodwork, but it's always a good thing for people to come out of the woodwork."

The international schedule could expand, with a domestic event schedule also on the horizon. Potential rule and format changes will be evaluated after the first season.

A Synchro9 event will be held at the Winter Youth Olympic Games Dolomiti Valtellina 2028 in Italy.

Seasons three and four (2028-29, 29-30)
Like with other Olympic sports such as hockey, lacrosse and artistic swimming, a single national team may be considered for Team USA's Synchro9 entry into the Games.

In this scenario, the top Synchro9 skaters in the country would come together and train at a designated site.

At the 2030 Games, nine countries will field one team, each composed of nine skaters and one alternate.

A qualifying pathway to the Games will be determined in the next 18 months.

Synchro9 judging being introduced
While skaters and coaches adapt to this new competition, judges all over the world will also be in the classroom and rinkside as they learn how to evaluate a performance.

Unlike current figure skating and synchronized skating competitions, performances will be evaluated by 10 judges who will consider four judging criteria. There is no technical panel. Swiss Timing is constructing a new scoring system.

Teams will receive a "technique" score and an "artistry" score. Under technique, judges will evaluate "difficulty" and "synchronization." Under artistry, "performance" and "originality" will be evaluated.

All judges will be trained in these four criteria. However, each judge will only be responsible for evaluating either technique or artistry, depending on which seat they draw at the event. For example, judges drawing odd numbers 1,3,5, 7 and 9 will be responsible for difficulty and synchronization, while judges drawing even numbers 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 will be responsible for performance and originality scores.

"We felt like it was a good compromise for not wanting to have a technical panel anymore," Paige said.

Let the quad begin
The next four years, Gaff said, will help determine the future of synchronized skating at the Olympics and beyond.

"I'm excited to be part of this during the next four years to develop this discipline to be something that everybody talks about beyond 2030," Gaff said