Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics: Figure Skating Team Event Delivers Thrilling Showdown
The figure skating team competition at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics concluded on Sunday in Milan with a dramatic finale at the Milano Ice Skating Arena. The United States successfully defended their Olympic team title from Beijing 2022, edging out Japan by a narrow single-point margin to claim gold. Japan secured a strong silver medal, while the host nation Italy celebrated a bronze on home ice.
Going into the final segment—the men’s free skate—the U.S. and Japan were locked in a dead heat at the top of the leaderboard. This set the stage for an intense battle between two powerhouse skating nations. The competition showcased the depth of talent across disciplines, from pairs to women’s and men’s singles, highlighting why figure skating remains one of the most anticipated events at the Winter Games.
The U.S. ultimately finished with 69 points, Japan earned 68, and Italy closed with 60. The razor-thin victory margin underscored the high level of competition and the pressure on every skater to deliver under Olympic lights. For Japan, the silver represented a continuation of their strong tradition in figure skating, building on past successes while narrowly missing a chance to dethrone the defending champions.
Photo caption: Silver medalists from Japan—Shun Sato, Kaori Sakamoto, Riku Miura, Ryuichi Kihara, Utana Yoshida, Masaya Morita, and Yuma Kagiyama—celebrate their second-place finish in the team event. (Reuters)
Ilia Malinin’s Resilience Powers United States to Victory
The outcome hinged on the men’s free skate, where 21-year-old American sensation Ilia Malinin—often called the “Quad God” for his groundbreaking quadruple jumps—took the ice with the weight of his team’s hopes. Although Malinin did not deliver his absolute peak performance, he did enough to outscore Japan’s Shun Sato and secure the crucial points needed for gold.
Malinin had ambitious plans for seven quads in his routine but adjusted mid-program, attempting only five. He stumbled on his quad Lutz and downgraded two planned quads (including his signature quad Axel) to triples. Despite these setbacks, he recovered impressively with powerful combinations, landing a massive quad toeloop followed by a quad Salchow. His final score of 200.03, while nearly 40 points below his season best, proved decisive in the team context.
Shun Sato followed with a solid effort for Japan but could not match Malinin’s technical difficulty and overall impact. The American’s ability to salvage his program under pressure demonstrated mental toughness and cemented his status as the favorite for the upcoming individual men’s event—his first Olympics—where expectations remain sky-high.
This result extended the U.S. team’s dominance in the Olympic figure skating team competition, marking their second consecutive gold and reinforcing their depth across skating disciplines.
Japan Mounts Strong Challenge with Standout Performances
Japan entered the final day trailing the United States by five points, but the team’s momentum shifted dramatically thanks to exceptional routines in the pairs and women’s segments. World champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara electrified the arena in the pairs free skate, opening with a flawless triple twist lift and building to an emotional climax. Miura’s triumphant air punch and Kihara’s dramatic final lift above his head earned the duo a season-best score of 155.55—far exceeding their target of around 145 points.
“We were overwhelmed with emotions,” a tearful Miura said afterward. “When we saw 155, there was so much joy.” Their performance trimmed the U.S. lead to just two points and injected fresh hope into the Japanese camp. Kaori Sakamoto then delivered a spellbinding women’s free skate, scoring 148.62 to top the segment and pull Japan level with the U.S. heading into the men’s finale.
Sakamoto’s clean, artistic program stood in stark contrast to American Amber Glenn’s struggles. Glenn, hampered by heavy legs and fatigue, botched two early landings and finished third in the segment behind Sakamoto and Georgia’s Anastasiia Gubanova. “I just physically didn’t feel great,” Glenn admitted. Her result erased the U.S. lead and set up the all-or-nothing showdown in the men’s event.
These moments highlighted Japan’s rising strength in pairs and women’s skating, positioning the nation as a serious contender on the global stage.
Significance of the Result and What’s Next for Figure Skating
The team event at Milano Cortina 2026 lived up to its reputation as one of the most unpredictable and exciting formats in Olympic figure skating. With nations combining scores across multiple disciplines, every performance mattered, creating constant momentum shifts and intense pressure. Italy’s bronze added national pride for the hosts, while the U.S.-Japan duel showcased the sport’s evolution toward ever-higher technical standards.
For Japan, silver was a proud achievement, reflecting the depth of their skating program and the contributions of stars like Sakamoto, Miura/Kihara, and emerging talents. The near-miss will fuel motivation as individual events unfold, particularly for Yuma Kagiyama and others aiming for personal glory.
Ilia Malinin’s performance, though imperfect, reaffirmed his dominance and sets him up as the man to beat in the men’s singles. The 2026 Games continue to deliver memorable moments in figure skating, blending athletic brilliance, emotional highs and lows, and the unpredictable nature of team competition. As the Olympics progress, fans worldwide will watch eagerly to see if Japan can build on this silver and challenge for individual medals in the days ahead.
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