Evan Lysacek was the tallest men’s singles figure skater that the sport has ever seen. Now retired, Lysacek (USA) held the titles of Olympic champion, World champion, two-time Four Continents champion, Grand Prix Final champion, and a two-time U.S. national champion. When Lysacek was still competing, he was one of the top athletes in the sport, the best men’s skater to come out of the US since Dick Button.
Standing at 6 feet and 12 inches (1.88 meters), Lysacek towered over his competitors. If he was active today, that fact would not have changed. Could his height be the secret to his incredible record?

Lysacek vs. other top skaters

Back in the early 2000s, Lysacek’s biggest rivals were Russia’s Alexei Yagudin and King of the Ice, Evgeni Plushenko. Plushenko stood at 5’10” (1.78 m) while Yagudin was a mere 5′ 9″ (1.75 m) and yet, these two Russian skaters absolutely dominated the sport.

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Amongst currently active skaters, the strongest opponents in the men’s field are Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN) and Nathan Chen(USA). Hanyu’s height reaches 5’7″ (1.72 m) and Chen reaches 5′ 6″ (1.68 m). Both these athletes have brought revolutions in the sport, pushing it further and further. Hanyu was the first man to break the 100-point barrier in the short program, 200 point barrier in the free program, as well as the 300-point combined score barrier. Chen is dubbed as the quad king who most consistently lands all the quadruple jumps in his wide arsenal. Shoma Uno (JPN), standing at a mere 5’2″ (1.58 m), is said to be Hanyu’s successor in Japan.

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Other top skaters that have retired since including Canada’s Patrick Chan (5’7″), Spain’s Javier Fernández (5’8″), and Switzerland’s Stéphane Lambiel (5′ 9″). Certainly, height doesn’t seem to be an important factor in figure skating, unlike other sports such as basketball.

What matters in figure skating?

Figure skating is a sport that favors lighter athletes as compared to taller skaters. The amount of body control affects the speed of spins and rotations in a jump. The higher an athlete can jump, the more rotations they are able to fit into the jump. This requires a strong lower body. However, with too much bulk, skaters would be unable to launch themselves into the air.

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Figure skating is a sport of elegance, with clean lines, deep edges, and beautiful spins. While shorter and lighter athletes fit the quota better, it isn’t in any way a one size fits all narrative. Different body types have different strengths. Skaters consistently surprise the industry and push the boundaries of the sport.