The annual UAE Open Figure Skating Championships take place at Al Nasr Leisureland in Dubai from today (Thursday) until Saturday, May 17, when over 100 skaters will take to the ice rink.

The competition has attracted skaters aged four to 45 years with teams from the UAE, Oman and Kuwait.

The UAE teams include Al Nasr Leisureland, Ice Stars Skating, Hyatt Galleria, Sharjah Women’s Club and Abu Dhabi.

The three-day event, open to spectators free of charge, will witness a sport that is already in the Olympic programme. The figure skaters will be of different levels – professional and amateur.

Some of them figure skate as a hobby, training once or twice a week, while others are professional and practice every day for several hours.

Spectators will see four categories: technical, artistic, spotlight, and step sequences, with the figure skaters performing their routines in front of independent judges.

Ice shows will be held on the sidelines of the competition making the event more spectacular and attractive for the spectators.

Larissa Zaplatinskaia, coach at Ice Stars Skating, said: “Figure skating is a combination of dance and sport and an elegant art that is pleasing to watch.

“It’s a very graceful and exciting sport.

“Many people may have heard of the sport but do not really know what it entails – it is a combination of dance and sport. And it’s very beautiful to watch from a spectator’s point of view.”

Among the figure skaters will be Amira Abdul Moati of Ice Stars Skating Club of the Dubai Ice Skating Academy. The 14-year-old will perform in three programmes: Mulan, Walking in Paris, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. This weekend’s event will be the second figure skating competition in a month. In April, Abu Dhabi Ice Rink Club hosted the Desert Open Figure Skating Championship that was won by the hosts. More than 100 people turned out for the two-day event in which Moati claimed two bronze medals and a fourth place finish. VENUE: Al Nasr Leisureland. WHAT: The UAE Open Figure Skating Championships. WHEN: From Thursday, May 15 to Saturday May, 17. Thursday from 17:30. Friday and Saturday from 10:00. Sport360 VERDICT: With around 100 figure skaters set to feature and the event open to the public for free, it’s an opportunity to witness a great sport that is combined with dancing. CONTACT: www.alnasrll.com