What Is the “Kiss and Cry” in Olympic Figure Skating?

Figure skating has been part of the Olympic Games for over 100 years, having been first added to the official roster of sports way back in 1908. 

Later, when the first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France, in 1924, the sport shifted from the regular Summer Olympics to the new Winter competition and has remained a Winter Olympic discipline ever since. (In fact, alongside cross-country skiing, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping, and speed skating, figure skating is one of just six sports to have been contested at every Winter Olympic Games in history.)

The Meaning and Origins of the “Kiss and Cry”

If you’re a fan of the figure skating competition, though, chances are you’ll be familiar with the expression “kiss and cry”—which, despite the sport’s long and storied history, has apparently only been a part of figure skating vocabulary since the early 1980s. 

According to legend, the term “kiss and cry” was first coined in 1983 by the Finnish figure skating judge Jane Erkko, who used it to refer to the seated corner of the ice skating rink where competitors who have just finished their performance wait, often with their coaches or coaching team, to find out the judges’ scores.

The name “kiss and cry” ultimately refers to the competitors’ post-performance show of emotion, kissing and crying with relief, or else to their typical reactions to their feedback—kisses all round and tears of happiness for successful performances (or tears of sadness for the less well-received displays). 

Jane Erkko was subsequently involved in the committee that oversaw the World Figure Skating Championships in Helsinki, Finland, in 1983, and it seems this was the catalyst that saw her jokey term for the “kiss and cry corner” of the ice fall into wider use among the figure skating community.

The television production team involved in broadcasting the competition that year began using it in their planning of camera placements around the ice, and this quiet, nerve-shredding corner of the ice rink has been known by this name ever since—and is even referred to as such in the official literature of the International Skating Union’s rules and constitution. 

The 2026 Winter Olympics, hosted by two cities for the first time, Milan and Cortina, Italy, are now taking place, running throughout the month until February 22. Brush up on common figure skating terms with our guide here, and learn more about the locations here.

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