The finish and official time
ISU · 2026A skater completes the distance when the leading tip of a skate blade reaches the finish line. The torso is not the deciding point. Photo-finish equipment establishes the official order and, where available, the corresponding times. Electronic results at major events record thousandths of a second.
The rule
A skater completes the distance when the leading tip of a skate blade reaches the finish line. The torso is not the deciding point. Photo-finish equipment establishes the official order and, where available, the corresponding times. Electronic results at major events record thousandths of a second.
In practice
Finishing first on the ice is still subject to the referee’s sanction decisions. In the race classification, finishers come before skaters who did not finish, received a penalty or did not start, in that order. For other international events without photo finish, the rules provide designated finish judges and manual timing procedures.
Sources & approach ↗