The competition exists out of three separate rounds. All athletes compete in the first round, in which they perform a compulsory routine. The second round allows the competitors to perform a routine of a maximum of 2:00 minutes, after which all athletes perform another routine of around 4:00 minutes. The scores are based on the individual rankings of the judges, with each position earning one point. In each round, athletes are ranked based on these ordinal points. The athlete with the fewest classification places after three rounds wins the competition.
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Twenty-two athletes qualified for the event with the reigning world champion Linda Fratianne and former world champion Anett Potzsch as the big favorites for the title. The two had won all gold and silver medals at the three most recent world championships, with Dagmar Lurz, Susanna Driano, and Emi Watanabe taking bronze. Most recently, Denise Biellmann excelled in the free program, with Kristiina Wegelius, Sanda Dubravcic, Lisa-Marie Allen, and Claudia Kristofics-Binder among the outsiders for a medal.
