Throughout the history of the Winter Olympics, the USA Figure Skating Team has dominated each category. This year, they have an impressive set of skaters ready to win. These skaters include Madison Chock, Evan Bates, Ellie Kam, Danny O’Shea, Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn, and the famous Ilia Malinin.
Freshman Bo Wilson says, “I watched them and they were so good. It’s amazing the talent that they possess and it’s a breathtaking art form.”
Not only are the USA’s figure skaters skilled in 2026, they also have a history of winning. At the 1920 Antwerp Games, Theresa Weld won a bronze medal, the USA’s very first, just a couple of years before the very first Winter Olympics. Additionally, Dick Button won the team’s first gold medal at the St. Moritz Games in 1948, and another at the Oslo Games in 1952.
On the first night, Chock, 33, and Bates, 36, participated in the rhythm and free dance categories. They managed to come out as first place winners of the ice dance leaderboard with an impressive 133.23 points.
Then, on the second night, Ellie Kam, 21, and Danny O’Shea, 34, took to the ice. With their expert pair skating, they scored fourth place with 135.36 points. They expressed their joy over this score with tears from Kam and joyous shouting from O’Shea.
Although Amber Glenn scored a third place win, she felt as though she had let her team down because she had cost them the lead. She claimed she was unfamiliar with the format of the competition and was exhausted by her training.
For the single men’s skating, the USA chose twenty one year old Ilia Malinin. Nicknamed the “Quad God”, Ilia has become a fan favorite. Although he had a small fumble in the middle of his routine, he blew everyone away with his signature backflip, the second time ever in the Olympics.
Freshman Corinne Granoff says, “Ilia’s backflip was so cool!” Along with his backflip, Ilia also included five quad jumps, but avoided the quadruple Axel. With his combination of skills, he scored 200.03 points, but everyone waited in anticipation as his other competitors skated to try and beat his score.
When his last competitor from Japan, Shun Soto, skated his routine, everyone waited with bated breath. When Soto’s score came back, Ilia had gotten the gold by just one point.
Clearly, the USA’s figure skating team is extremely skilled and favored all around the country.
