On a chilly Sunday in Assago, Italy, the Milano Ice Skating Arena buzzed with electricity as the figure skating team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics barreled toward its dramatic conclusion. The stakes? The very first figure skating medals of these Games, and a chance for national glory in a format that’s become a fan favorite since its Olympic debut just over a decade ago. With three high-octane free skates—pairs, women’s, and men’s—scheduled back-to-back, the world’s top five teams faced a pressure-cooker environment where every jump, spin, and step sequence could tip the balance.
This year marks only the fourth time the figure skating team event has graced the Olympic program, but it’s already become a showcase of depth, resilience, and a little bit of nerves. The United States, Japan, Italy, Georgia, and Canada advanced from the opening rounds, with the Americans holding a slender lead after two days of tightly contested competition. The format is simple but unforgiving: each country sends out its skaters one at a time, with points locking in immediately—no second chances, no do-overs. Only the best survive to the final free skates, and the leaderboard can shift in a heartbeat.
Heading into Sunday’s finale, Team USA looked poised for another podium finish. After all, they’ve medaled in every Olympic team event so far—bronze in 2014 and 2018, and a golden moment in 2022. Ice dance duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates had already set the tone, dazzling with a world-best 91.06 in the rhythm dance and a season-best 133.23 in the free dance. Their performances brought the crowd to its feet and gave the Americans a crucial cushion at the top of the standings. As Chock and Bates exited the ice, they were greeted with hugs from teammates Ilia Malinin and Alysa Liu, a testament to the tight-knit spirit of Team USA.
"Of course that wasn't the perfect ideal 100% skate that I would’ve wanted to have, but for the standard I set myself today, I think I achieved that," Malinin reflected after his men’s short program, where he finished second behind Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama. Known as the "Quad God" for his jaw-dropping array of quadruple jumps—including the first-ever quad Axel—Malinin’s Olympic debut was a bit scruffy by his standards. Still, he made it clear he was pacing himself for the individual men’s competition, which kicks off February 10. "I've already set my mentality, my mindset, the layout that I have a few weeks ago. So really, all I have to do is come here and do my job," he told reporters.
Meanwhile, Alysa Liu delivered a strong showing in the women’s short program, scoring 74.90 to secure second behind Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto. Every point counted, as the Americans built what they hoped would be an insurmountable lead. But as any figure skating fan knows, nothing is guaranteed—especially not with Japan’s surging squad hot on their heels.
The pairs free skate opened Sunday’s action, and that’s where the fireworks truly began. Japan’s reigning world champions, Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi, were the last to skate—and boy, did they deliver. Their Gladiator-themed routine was nearly flawless, earning them a personal best of 155.55 points and a full haul of 10 team points. Miura could hardly contain her joy, jumping up and down as the scores flashed on the screen. "This season, our base is just much higher than it used to be," an elated Kihara said. "So it’s not so much our form at the moment, but we’re just showing in competition who we are fundamentally." Miura added, "We’re really glad we managed to put out a nice free skate tonight, but the thing is, we could have done even better."
Their performance closed the gap between Japan and the United States to just two points—51 to 49—with two segments remaining. Suddenly, the race for gold felt wide open. The Americans had started the evening strong, with Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea notching a personal best of 135.36 in pairs, good for fourth place in the segment but a vital contribution to the team total. Kam admitted, "The short program definitely had a lot of jitters; it was our first step out on Olympic ice. But since then, I think we felt so much more grounded and felt back to normal. We were ready to work hard for our skate today and it felt like we did that for our performance." O’Shea chimed in, "It actually felt like less pressure than you think. Our goal was to experience as much joy as we could together. I think we did our job: We got that extra point."
Italy’s Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava took second in the pairs free skate with a score of 139.70, while Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii, skating in front of a raucous home crowd, earned 136.61 for third. Conti, still recovering from a knee injury, was visibly emotional as the Milanese faithful roared their approval. "Today was tough; the free program is always difficult," she said. Macii agreed, "Today, in my opinion, precisely because it wasn't all perfect, the [crowd] came onto the rink with us, they skated with us, and they held their breath until the end of the four minutes and 10 seconds. And that's what we felt. ... I have to say that I thank them all."
Georgia’s Metelkina and Berulava, both battling injuries, managed an impressive 139.70 despite a late fall, while Canada’s Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud rounded out the top five with 134.42. After six of eight segments, the standings were: USA 51, Japan 49, Italy 45, Georgia 41, and Canada 41. With only the women’s and men’s free skates left, the tension was palpable.
As the evening wore on, the Americans knew every element mattered. Amber Glenn, making her Olympic debut, was set to bring her high-value jumps to the women’s free skate, while Malinin eyed redemption in the men’s free. The margin for error? Razor-thin. In this event, a single popped jump or under-rotation could swing the outcome. The team event’s scoring system—10 points for first, nine for second, and so on—meant that every placement could tip the final medal tally.
The atmosphere inside the Milano Ice Skating Arena was electric, with fans from around the globe waving flags and cheering on their heroes. The Olympics always deliver drama, but this year’s team event seemed to have an extra edge. Would the United States hold on for another gold, or could Japan’s late surge steal the show? Italy, Georgia, and Canada still had hopes for bronze, making every skate a must-watch moment.
With the women’s and men’s free skates still to come, the 2026 Olympic figure skating team event is far from decided. The Americans remain in the driver’s seat, but Japan’s world champions have made it clear they’re not backing down. It’s a battle of nerves, artistry, and athleticism—and the world is watching, breath held, for what comes next.