Learn more about Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn, Ilia Malinin, and more.
The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are officially here, and Team USA’s figure skaters are ready to dominate the rink.
The year’s group of 16 skaters are poised to be one of Team USA’s strongest — if not the strongest — yet. “Japan’s powerhouse program wants the crown, but experts say this is the most talented American Olympic figure skating squad ever,” NBC’s Anne Thompson said in a package that aired on the Friday, February 6, episode of Today.
The figure skating team event kicked off on Friday, February 6, ahead of the Opening Ceremony. Ice dancing duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates got Team USA off to a strong start with their powerful rhythm dance. The short programs for pairs and women’s solo skaters will also take place on Friday, followed by the men’s short and free dance competitions on Saturday, February 7, and the pairs free, women’s free, and men’s free events on Sunday, February 8.
Figure skating events will continue to take place over the next two weeks, including the men’s and women’s free skating programs on Friday, February 13, and Thursday, February 19, respectively.
“All of these athletes [are] ready to take on the world, setting their skates and sights on gold,” Thompson added in her Today package.
Scroll down to learn more about Team USA’s figure skating athletes.
Amber Glenn
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The 26-year-old from Plano, Texas, is known for her bold skating and ability to perform a triple Axel, one of the hardest jumps in the sport. She secured her spot on Team USA after coming in first place at the 2026 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships in January. Since coming out as bisexual and pansexual in 2019, Glenn has used her platform to be an LGBTQ+ advocate.
Alysa Liu
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The 20-year-old California native placed second at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships earlier this year. The 2026 Winter Olympics serve as a comeback for Liu, as she previously retired from the sport at the age of 16. Prior to her retirement, Liu became the youngest-ever U.S. Figure Skating champion at the age of 13 and made her Olympic debut at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Isabeau Levito
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Rounding out the the women’s solo skaters is the 18-year-old from Mount Laurel, New Jersey, who came in third at this year’s U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Having been too young to compete at the Beijing Olympics, the Milan Cortina Games will mark Levito’s Olympic debut. She, Glenn, and Liu have affectionately been dubbed the “Blade Angels” heading into this year’s Games.
Ilia Malinin
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The 21-year-old from Vienna, Virginia, is perhaps better known as the “Quad God” for his skills landing quad jumps. Malinin is the son of former Olympic figure skaters-turned-coaches Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov. He made history at the 2022 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic by becoming the first skater ever to land a quadruple Axel in competition. He is coming into the Milan Cortina Games fresh off a first place win at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Andrew Torgashev
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Like Malinin, Andrew is the son of former competitive skaters. His parents are Ilona Melnichenko and Artem Torgashev. The 24-year-old from Coral Springs, Florida, came in second at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and will be making his Olympic debut this year. Per his Team USA bio, Andrew is fluent in both English and Russian and was nicknamed the “Pizza King” after eating pizza for 53 days in a row.
Maxim Naumov
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Maxim also inherited his figure skating from his parents, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, who were world champion pairs skaters before turning to coaching. Maxim’s Olympic debut at the 2026 Games will be an emotional one, as Vadim and Evgenia were among the 67 killed in the January 2025 mid-air collision between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter in Washington, D.C. The 24-year-old from Norwood, Massachusetts, honored his parents with his third place win at this year’s U.S. Figure Skating Championships and will continue to celebrate their legacy at the Olympics.
Madison Chock & Evan Bates
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After coming in first place at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Chock and Bates are looking to take home gold in Italy. This year’s Games mark the ice dancing duo’s fourth consecutive Olympics. The California and Michigan natives have been skating together since 2012, and their relationship turned romantic when they started dating in 2017. The couple tied the knot in June 2024.
Emilea Zingas & Vadym Kolesnik
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Another ice dancing duo, Zingas and Kolesnik placed second behind Chock and Bates at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and will be making their Olympic debut at this year’s Games. Not long after they began skating together, the pair officially became a couple in 2022. Zingas is a Michigan native, while Kolesnik, who is from Ukraine, officially became a U.S. citizen in August 2025.
Christina Carreira & Anthony Ponomarenko
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Rounding out the ice dancing duos are Carreira and Ponomarenko, who placed third at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The Michigan and California natives have been skating partners since 2014 and will be making their Olympic debut in Italy. Like Kolesnik, Caanda native Carreira earned her U.S. citizenship in November 2025.
Emily Chan & Spencer Akira Howe
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While the other figure skating disciplines have three athletes/partners competing, Chan and Howe are one of only two skating duos heading to the Milan Cortina Games. Not only does Howe represent Team USA on the Olympic stage, but he also serves as a Private Second Class for the U.S. Army. Howe is from Los Angeles, California, while Chan is a native of Pasadena, Texas. The pair came in third at the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Ellie Kam & Danny O’Shea
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Both Kam and O’Shea suffered injuries before scoring second place at this year’s U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The pairs skaters from Colorado have been skating together since 2022 and, like many of their fellow Team USA skaters, will be making their Olympic debut in Italy.
2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, Friday, February 6, 2/1c and 8/7c, NBC and Peacock
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Category: General Sports
