The Milan-Cortina Olympics are only a few weeks away, and the United States has formalized its 2026 figure skating team. Comprising both star power and technical mastery, the 2026 team stands an excellent chance of medaling across multiple events.
While United States skaters are the reigning gold medalists in the men’s competition and bronze in ice dance, Americans have suffered through long stretches of medal-free games in the women’s (2006) and pairs (1988) competitions. That could well change this year in northern Italy, particularly in the women’s event.
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The United States will send 16 skaters to Milan: three women’s individual competitors, three men’s individual competitors, two pairs, and three ice dance teams. Skaters have been judged on the totality of their performance from the start of 2025 through this week’s U.S. championships.
The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics begin on Feb. 6. Figure skating begins that day with the opening installments of the team events of pairs, ice dancing and women’s short program. The first medals will be awarded on Feb. 8 in the overall team event.
The members of figure skating’s Team USA for the Milan Olympics:
Women
Amber Glenn: At 26, the elder stateswoman of America’s Big Three. An absolutely magnificent performance this week at the U.S. championships confirms she’ll be one of the skaters to watch in individual competition in Milan.
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Alysa Liu: A member of the 2022 Olympic team in Beijing, Liu took two years off from skating but returned as dominant as ever. She’ll be one of the most famous faces on all of Team USA in Milan.
Isabeau Levito: The quietest member of the Big Three Team USA women, but equally qualified and ready to meet the challenge of Milan. She claimed the bronze medal in the women’s individual division of this week’s U.S. championships.
Ilia Malinin will be heading to Milan for his first Olympics. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Men
Ilia Malinin: One of the finest skaters in the world today, the “Quad God” heads to Milan with an excellent chance to medal. Narrowly missed the 2022 team.
Andrew Torgashev: A strong performance in the free skate segment of this week’s championships vaulted him from fifth place to second … and a spot on the Olympic roster.
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Maxim Baumov: The most heartbreaking and heartwarming story of this week’s championships. Baumov lost both parents in the tragic plane crash that claimed so many lives in the skating community last January, but rallied to post a third-place finish at this week’s championships.
Pairs
Ellie Kam / Danny O’Shea: Finished in the runner-up spot at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships this week.
Emily Chan / Spencer Howe: Rode a massive comeback in the free skate of their championships skate to surge from 8th to 3rd … and from there, onto the Olympic team.
Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov would have been locks for this event, having won the pairs championship this week, but Efimova’s ongoing citizenship battle prevented the duo from being named to the team under International Olympic Committee rules.
Madison Chock and Evan Bates will be on their fourth Olympic team. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Ice dance
Madison Chock/Evan Bates: We’d say they’re on a Tom Brady/Michael Jordan-esque run, but not even Brady or Jordan won seven national championships in a row. This will mark their fourth Olympic Games, and they are still seeking a medal.
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Emilea Zingas / Vadym Kolesnik: Their first Olympics together, this selection finishes off a spectacular season for the duo, including a silver medal at this week’s championships.
Christina Carreira / Anthony Ponomarenko: The bronze medalists at the championships this week in St. Louis round out the Team USA ice dance contingent.
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