A Study on the Activation of Figure Skating for People with Disabilities

Purpose: This study aims to examine and suggest development directions to revitalize the process of figure skating with disability in Korea. Method: In this study, literature analysis was conducted by investigating research data on figure skating for the people with disability in order to examine the process in Korea and suggest ways to revitalize it. In addition, data of sports organizations such as the Korea Paralympic committee and Special Olympics Korea were collected to find out the need for sports for the people with disability, the characteristics and value of skating, and to find ways to revitalize figure skating. Results: This study grasped the current status and collected and analyzed data to cope with the changing environment of sports for the people with disability and the changes occurring in the field of figure skating for the people with disability. The conclusions and suggestions are as follows. First, as a representative organization of winter sports for people with disability, figure skating can be included in the national winter competition for people with disability, which can play a role in the increase of the ice skating population with the Special Olympic Korea Committee. Second, various positive effects can be physically and mentally through the continuous participation of disa-bled people in figure skating, and balanced development should be established by establishing a linkage system from sports people with disability to professional sports for the purpose of improving and developing perfor-mance. When planning projects related to professional sports, sports for all, and school sports for people with disabilities, the purpose of establishing pleasant experiences, social skills, and health improvement through phys-ical activities, and fostering professional athletes and developing performance. Third, there should be many sta-diums where athletes can officially practice. Dongcheon Ice Rink was established for the first time for the people with disability, but it is regrettable that there are other cases where training for the people with disability on the ice rink is restricted for safety reasons. Conclusion: Based on the results of the study, Skating events for the people with disability are divided into short track and figure skating, and are held annually at the National Winter Games for the people with disability and the Special Olympics Winter Games. As a result, it is considered meaningful to find various ways to revitalize figure skating for the people with disability so that they can induce more participation than before COVID-19. In the future, if we create an environment where people with disability can train freely, more figure skaters will be created. Finally, in the follow-up study, it is considered that there is a need for expanded research targeting ex-perts in the special sports field, leaders by event, and participants.