Figure Skating at Milano Cortina 2026

The Quad Revolution Has Changed Everything — But Artistry Still Wins Gold

Twenty years ago, a quad jump in women’s figure skating was essentially unthinkable. Today, multiple women are landing quad toe loops and quad Salchows in competition, and the men’s event has become a quad arms race where six or seven quads in a single free skate is standard for medal contenders. Yet Milano Cortina 2026 arrives at an inflection point: the sport’s scoring system, updated after the controversies of Beijing 2022, now places greater emphasis on program component scores — the artistic and interpretive marks that reward skating skills, transitions, and choreographic complexity.

Figure skating at these Games takes place at the Palavela in Turin, the same arena that hosted the 2006 Olympic skating events. It’s an iconic octagonal venue that creates an intimate atmosphere and carries emotional resonance for the sport.

Understanding the Scoring

Each skater performs two programs: the short program and the free skate (also called the long program). The short program has strict required elements — a specific combination of jumps, spins, and step sequences — while the free skate allows more creative license with a longer runtime and more elements.

Scores combine a technical element score (TES) and a program component score (PCS). The TES rewards difficulty: base values for jumps increase with rotation (a quad Lutz is worth significantly more than a triple), and grades of execution (GOE) from -5 to +5 adjust each element based on quality. The PCS evaluates skating skills, transitions, performance, and composition on a scale that rewards the full package.

Here’s the insider nuance: a cleanly landed triple Axel with +4 GOE can outscore a quad that’s landed with a slight lean or two-footed. The judges are calibrated to reward quality over raw difficulty — at least in theory. In practice, the tension between technical difficulty and artistic completeness defines every major figure skating competition.

The Events

Milano Cortina features five medal events: men’s singles, women’s singles, pairs, ice dance, and the team event. The team event opens the figure skating schedule and features nations deploying their best skaters across all four disciplines in a points-based format.

Ice dance, which prohibits jumps and emphasizes rhythm, musicality, and blade work, has its own devoted following. The rhythm dance (a set-pattern short program) and free dance reward intricate footwork and emotional storytelling. If you find singles skating too focused on jumps, ice dance might be your entry point.

Key Storylines

Ilya Malinin of the United States is the defining figure of men’s skating right now. Known as the “Quad God,” the 20-year-old has landed the first ratified quad Axel in competition and possesses a technical arsenal that no other man can match. His challenge has been building PCS scores to match his jumping prowess — but with choreographic improvements under his coaching team, he enters Milano Cortina as the prohibitive men’s favorite.

In women’s skating, the landscape has shifted dramatically since Beijing. Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto has been the dominant force, winning consecutive World Championship titles with powerful, expressive skating that doesn’t rely on quads. South Korea’s rising stars and a new generation of Japanese women will challenge her.

U.S. pairs and ice dance teams are also in the medal mix. Madison Chock and Evan Bates, the reigning World Champions in ice dance, bring sophistication and innovation that has earned them the top position in the discipline.

Why the Palavela Matters

The intimate venue in Turin will be electric. Italian fans are passionate about figure skating, and the Palavela’s relatively small capacity (8,000) means every reaction from the crowd will be audible on the broadcast. Expect the atmosphere to rival any sporting event at these Games.

Athletes to Watch

Ilia Malinin (USA, Men’s Singles) — The reigning World Champion and first skater to land a ratified quad Axel in competition enters Milano Cortina as the overwhelming men’s favorite, with a technical ceiling no rival can approach.

Kaori Sakamoto (JPN, Women’s Singles) — The two-time consecutive World Champion has dominated women’s skating with powerful jumps and exceptional skating skills, making her the woman to beat even without quad jumps in her repertoire.

Madison Chock & Evan Bates (USA, Ice Dance) — The reigning World Champions in ice dance bring unmatched creativity and technical precision, entering their third Olympics together as the favorites for gold in a loaded field.

Deanna Stellato-Dudek & Maxime Deschamps (CAN, Pairs) — Their remarkable story — Stellato-Dudek returned to competition after a decade-long absence — and World Championship title make them one of the most compelling pairs teams in the field.

Yuma Kagiyama (JPN, Men’s Singles) — The Beijing silver medalist has continued to develop his technical content and artistry, positioning himself as the primary challenger to Malinin in a men’s field that rewards consistency.

Venue Spotlight

The Palavela in Turin, an architecturally distinctive octagonal arena built for the 1961 Italia expo and renovated for the 2006 Olympics, returns as the figure skating venue for 2026. Its intimate 8,000-seat capacity creates a pressure-cooker atmosphere, and its ice quality is considered among the best in Europe. The venue holds special significance as the site where Shizuka Arakawa won Japan’s first figure skating gold in 2006.