At the Winter Olympics, figure skating is not just an individual competition but also a team event where athletes from multiple disciplines combine their scores to compete for their country. At the 2026 Games in Milan, this setup led to an extremely close finish. Team USA captured the gold medal in the figure skating team event, beating Japan by only one point in one of the closest results in Olympic history.
The championship came down to a “must-win” men’s free skate from 21-year-old Ilia Malinin. Skating under great pressure with the two countries tied, Malinin delivered a powerful performance that broke the tie and launched the United States to a final total of 69 points. As the scores were announced, the US team jumped with excitement and hugged each other in the team box. Malinin, Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn, Madison Chock, Evan Bates, Ellie Kam, and Danny O’Shea eventually took to the ice for the medal ceremony, waving American flags to a cheering crowd.
The road to gold, though, was anything but certain. US coaches initially planned to rest Malinin ahead of the individual competition, but with the standings tightening late Saturday night, they had no choice but to turn to the skater known as the “Quad God.” Malinin responded with a technically challenging performance that included five quadruple jumps and his signature one-legged backflip.
“Absolutely, this is definitely the smartest decision I’ve made,” Malinin said to USA Today Sports afterward when asked about being called in to skate at the last minute, adding that skating in the team event helped him “feel the environment” before the upcoming individual rounds.
While Malinin did secure the victory, the gold medal showed the team effort. Ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates played an important role by earning the maximum ten points in both of their segments. In the women’s free skate, Amber Glenn battled through leg fatigue to contribute eight points, despite thinking her performance was weak.
“My team has done so well, and my performance was lackluster,” Glenn said, showing her frustration after her skate. Even so, her score was important for keeping the United States within reach heading into the final event.
Pairs skaters Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea also made an impact. After struggling in the short program, the duo came back with a clean skate and their season’s best free skate that earned 135.36 points and added seven points to the US total.
“We all held each other’s backs and got it done,” O’Shea said, emphasizing the team’s unity throughout the competition.
The significance of the victory went beyond just the points. The gold stood for a successful title defense for Team USA following the 2022 Beijing Olympics and, unlike four years ago, the skaters were able to receive their medals immediately, with no controversy delaying the ceremony. As the national anthem played, Kam could be seen becoming overwhelmingly emotional on the podium, signifying the importance of the moment.
With the team events complete and the individual events already underway, the Americans are carrying both momentum and confidence as reigning Olympic champions.
