Editing Figure skating (section)

==Competitors' expenses, income, and funding==
Figure skating is an expensive sport.<ref name=usfscost/><ref name=nyt32611/><ref name=EJ130311/><ref name=tie110920/> This is particularly due to the costs of ice time and coaching.<ref name=nyt991219/> In the late 1980s, the expenses of a top-ten women's competitor at the U.S. Championships reached nearly [[United States dollar|US$]]50,000 a year.<ref name=SS880228/> In October 2004, a [[U.S. Figure Skating]] article estimated the annual expense at US$9,000–$10,000 for pre-juvenile, US$18,000 for juvenile, US$35,000–$40,000 for novice, and said junior and senior levels were somewhat more expensive.<ref name=usfscost/> In the 2010s, American senior national medalists had expenses in the mid-five-figure range.<ref name=nyt32611/><ref name=SI130410/> Swiss skater [[Stéphane Lambiel]] said his costs were around [[Swiss franc|CHF]] 100,000 per season.<ref name=AS120402/> World champion [[Patrick Chan]]'s expenses were [[Canadian dollar|Can$]]150,000.<ref name=embracing/> In 2015, [[CBC Sports]] estimated that a Canadian pair team had expenses of about Can$100,000 per year.<ref name=CBC151118b/>

Prize money is relatively low compared to other sports.<ref name=ct111028/> A men's or women's singles skater who won the [[2011 World Figure Skating Championships|2011 World Championships]] earned US$45,000,<ref name=isuprev110423/> about 1.8% to 2.5% of the US$1,800,000–$2,400,000 for winners of the tennis [[2011 US Open (tennis)|US Open]] and [[2012 Australian Open|Australian Open]].<ref name=usopen/><ref name=ap120123/> A couple who won the pairs or ice dance title split US$67,500.<ref name=isuprev110423/> A winner of the senior [[2011–12 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final|Grand Prix Final]] in December 2011 earned US$25,000.<ref name=isu111207/>

Some national associations provide funding to some skaters if they meet certain criteria.<ref name=usfsfunding/> Many skaters take part-time jobs and some have tried [[crowdfunding]].<ref name=IN120531/><ref name=CBC151118/> In Germany, many elite skaters join the army to fund their skating.<ref name=ifs110713/> In Italy, some skaters join police agencies' sport groups, such as the [[Polizia Penitenziaria]]'s ''[[Gruppo Sportivo Fiamme Azzurre|Fiamme Azzurre]]'' ([[Carolina Kostner]], [[Anna Cappellini]], [[Luca Lanotte]])<ref name=peniten/><ref name=peniten2/> or [[Polizia di Stato]]'s ''Fiamme Oro'' ([[Federica Faiella]], [[Paolo Bacchini]]).<ref name=polstato/> Some competitive skaters depend on income from shows.<ref name=dilemma/><ref name=promin/> Shows must be sanctioned by their association, i.e. skaters may lose their competitive eligibility if they take part without permission. In some cases, skaters may feel pressure to compete through injury to be allowed to perform in a show.<ref name=dilemma/>
Others may become involved with coaching younger athletes in order to fund their own training costs.