[1] To be eligible for the 2010 Winter Games, skaters needed to be older than fifteen as of July 1, 2009 and had to be a citizen of the country they were representing.

Unlike qualification rules for International Skating Union events, in the case of a pair or ice dance couple, both skaters were required to be citizens of the country they represented in competition.

In addition, International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules required that at least three years had passed since the competitor(s) last represented another country in competition.

The results of the 2009 World Championships determined 83 total spots: 24 entries in each singles discipline, 16 in pairs, and 19 in ice dance.

The following new ISU best scores were set during this competition: Other records and firsts: Thirty-one nations contributed figure skaters to the events at Vancouver.