As the 2026 Winter Olympics unfold in the vibrant city of Milan, all eyes are on the ice as Team USA’s ice dancers carve their stories into Olympic history. With a blend of athleticism, artistry, and a dash of Michigan spirit, three American pairs—each with its own unique journey—have captivated audiences and judges alike. For two of these duos, Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik, and Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko, this marks their Olympic debut, while veterans Madison Chock and Evan Bates continue to set the bar high for American ice dance.
Monday’s rhythm dance competition set the stage for a thrilling showdown. Zingas and Kolesnik, skating to the infectious energy of “Poison” by Bell Biv DeVoe, delivered a performance that was both technically sharp and artistically rich. Their efforts landed them in sixth place after the rhythm dance, just behind formidable competitors from Italy and Great Britain. Meanwhile, Carreira and Ponomarenko, performing to a dramatic medley featuring “Deceit and Betrayal” by Audiomachine, secured 11th place. The top American team, Chock and Bates, dazzled the crowd and judges to finish second, ultimately claiming the coveted silver medal for Team USA.
For Zingas and Kolesnik, their Olympic journey has been a whirlwind of new experiences and personal milestones. The duo, coached by the renowned Igor Shpilband—who has made Michigan a global hub for ice dance over the past 35 years—showed remarkable composure on the Olympic stage. Kolesnik, reflecting on their performance, stated, "I have never been so peaceful with myself than at this competition. I know it's an Olympic stage and for many people, this is the moment of their lives. I just thought of it as a test run for our next eight years, because this is just the beginning for us and we're going to reach higher goals. So, I wanted to have a good experience, and I couldn't ask for more."
Their partnership is a testament to resilience and serendipity. Kolesnik, originally from Ukraine, moved to Michigan at 15 to train with Shpilband, overcoming significant personal hurdles, including years of separation from his family due to geopolitical turmoil. At these Games, he finally reunited with his loved ones for the first time since 2022. Zingas, a Grosse Pointe Farms native, brings her own story of perseverance. After attempting to qualify for the 2022 Olympics as a singles skater representing Cyprus, she found new purpose in ice dance when Shpilband introduced her to Kolesnik in 2022. Their shared Michigan roots and mutual passion for the sport have forged a partnership that’s quickly gaining momentum on the world stage.
Monday’s rhythm dance was only the beginning for Zingas and Kolesnik. On Wednesday, they followed up with a free dance program set to "Romeo and Juliet" by Sergei Prokofiev—an ambitious routine packed with challenging elements like synchronized twizzles, a diagonal step sequence, and a dramatic choreographic character step. Their artistry and technical prowess paid off: they achieved a season-best free dance score of 123.19, pushing their total to 206.7 and surpassing their previous personal international best in the rhythm dance by three points, with an 83.53. The momentum from their January victory at the 2026 ISU Four Continents Championships clearly carried over to Milan, signaling that this duo is just getting started.
Carreira and Ponomarenko, meanwhile, have relished their own Olympic moment. Taking the ice as the first American pair in the free dance, they delivered a season-best performance, earning 119.47 points for their free dance and bringing their total to 197.62—a personal high for the season. Their program, a carefully crafted medley, showcased their chemistry and technical refinement. In the rhythm dance, they also posted a season-best 78.15 points, reflecting the steady progress they’ve made throughout the year. Ponomarenko summed up the experience, saying, "This is a big stage, and we are coming in with three Worlds under our belts, but this event is so different and so new and we are just here to gain experience. I think we had a good effort today."
Both pairs’ free dance routines were packed with complex elements, from one-foot turns and synchronized twizzles to curve lifts and rotational lifts. Zingas and Kolesnik’s program included a choreographic assisted jump, spinning movements, and both curve and rotational lifts, while Carreira and Ponomarenko impressed with a straight line lift, circular step sequence, and a choreographic sliding movement. The technical difficulty and artistic nuance demanded by today’s Olympic ice dance are, as coach Shpilband observed, "just not even comparable" to what was required decades ago. "They’re required to do a lot more difficult stuff than 30 years ago, and they’re able to do it with a lot more quality and speed across the ice," he noted.
Shpilband’s influence on American ice dance can’t be overstated. All six Team USA ice dancers at these Games have trained with him in Michigan, including Chock and Bates, who have now competed in four Olympics together and won three consecutive world championships. Their silver medal in Milan adds yet another chapter to a storied partnership that began under Shpilband’s guidance 15 years ago. "I do remember her (as a) little girl walking into the rink," Shpilband recalled of Chock. "It took some convincing for me to put them together, because Evan wasn't really sure in the beginning." Now, the pair’s legacy is secure, and their technical and artistic achievements continue to inspire the next generation of American ice dancers.
The 2026 Winter Olympics have already provided a stage for American ice dance to shine. With two debutant pairs making their mark and the veteran team of Chock and Bates securing silver, Team USA’s depth and talent are on full display. The possibility of multiple U.S. teams medaling—an Olympic first—remains tantalizingly close, though history shows that three American pairs have finished in the top 10 (as in Pyeongchang 2018) and top 11 (Beijing 2022) in recent Games.
As the competition continues, fans are left wondering: can this new generation of American ice dancers break through and share the podium? Regardless of the final results, the performances in Milan have underscored the artistry, resilience, and competitive fire that define Team USA’s presence on the Olympic ice. For Zingas and Kolesnik, Carreira and Ponomarenko, and the legendary Chock and Bates, the 2026 Games are a testament to what’s possible when talent, opportunity, and hard work collide on the world’s grandest stage.
With the free dance programs now complete and medals awarded, Team USA’s ice dancers can look back on a week of personal bests, emotional reunions, and unforgettable Olympic moments. The legacy of Michigan’s ice dance dynasty continues to grow, and American fans have plenty to celebrate as the curtain falls on another spectacular chapter of Winter Olympic history.