The 1981 World Figure Skating Championships, was 71st edition of World Figure Skating Championship were held in Hartford, Connecticut, United States from March 3 to 8. At the event, sanctioned by the International Skating Union, medals were awarded in men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.
The ISU Representative was Olaf Poulsen and the ISU Technical Delegate was Josef Dědič.
The judging system was modified since 1980. For the singles events, the short program was worth 20% and the free skating 50% while the value of compulsory figures was reduced to 30% of the final result. The rank in each category was multiplied with a factor and these three numbers were added to the total score. The factor for the compulsory figures was 0.6, for the short program 0.4 and for the free skating 1.0. The rank within these three categories were judged according to the 6.0-judging system. In pairs, the short program had the factor 0.4 and the free skating 1.0. The ranks within the two pair categories were also judged according to the 6.0-judging system.
Medal tables
Medalists
Medals by country
Results
Men
Referee: Donald H. Gilchrist
Assistant Referee: Elemér Terták
Judges: Walburga Grimm Junko Hiramatsu Monique Georgelin Gerhard Frey Maria Zuchowicz Sergei Kononykhin Linda Petersen Hugh C. Graham jr. Geoffrey Yates
Substitute judge: Bojan Lipovšćak
Ladies
Referee: Sonia Bianchetti
Assistant Referee: Charles U. Foster
Judges: Tjaša Andrée Ludwig Gassner Karl-David Runeskog Jane Sullivan Kuniko Ueno Helga von Wiecki Marie Lundmark Eugen Romminger David Dore
Substitute judge: Pamela Davis
Pairs
Referee: Benjamin T. Wright
Assistant Referee: Martin Felsenreich
Judges: Maya Reinhart Jacqueline Kendall-Baker Walburga Grimm Dorothy MacLeod Pamela Davis Liudmila Kubashevskaya Maria Zuchowicz E. Newbold Black IV. Eugen Romminger
Substitute judge: Junko Hiramatsu