Olympic figure skating is a sport where athletes perform choreographed routines on ice, combining jumps, spins, footwork and artistry. Competitors are judged on technical execution and presentation, making it a unique blend of athleticism and artistry. The sport features multiple disciplines, including singles, pairs, and ice dance.
Figure skating was first included in the Olympic program at the Olympic Winter Games London 1908, making it the oldest Olympic winter sport. It was later added to the inaugural Winter Olympics, the Olympic Winter Games Chamonix 1924. The sport has evolved with scoring system changes, increased difficulty and the introduction of new events like the team competition, which debuted at the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014.
The United States has been a dominant force in Olympic figure skating, winning multiple medals since the sport’s inclusion. The U.S. has produced many Olympic figure skating champions throughout the years including Peggy Fleming, Scott Hamilton, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Nathan Chen.
Dick Button was the first Team USA athlete to win the gold medal for figure skating, with back to back first place wins in the Olympic Winter Games St. Moritz 1948 and the Olympic Winter Games Oslo 1952. At the Olympic Winter Games Cortina d’Ampezzo 1956, Team USA performed very well in both men’s and women’s singles, winning five of the six available medals. Hayes Alan Jenkins, Ronnie Robertson and David Jenkins swept the men’s singles category, while Tenley Albright and Carol Heiss won gold and silver respectively. Team USA has also done well in the team event, winning its first gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
Olympic figure skating consists of five events: men's singles, women's singles, pairs, ice dance and the team event. Singles and pairs emphasize jumps and spins, while ice dance focuses on intricate footwork and rhythm. The team event combines performances from all disciplines, with countries competing for cumulative points.
Follow along the figure skaters' road to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.
Check out all the events Team USA athletes will be competing in on the road to Milano Cortina 2026.
| name | sport | education | hometown | medals | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Jeremy Abbott Figure Skating Olympian 2010, 2014 Aspen, CO Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| Figure Skating | Aspen, CO | Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| ||||||
 Tenley Albright Figure Skating Olympian 1952, 1956 Radcliffe College; Harvard Medical School Newton Center, MA Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| Figure Skating | Radcliffe College; Harvard Medical School | Newton Center, MA | Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| |||||
 | Figure Skating | Los Angeles, CA | |||||||
 | Figure Skating | Kamiak High School (Mukilteo, Wash.) | Edmonds, WA | ||||||
 Evan Bates Figure Skating Olympian 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 University of Michigan ‘13 Northville, MI Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| Figure Skating | University of Michigan ‘13 | Northville, MI | Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| |||||
 | Figure Skating | Ralston Valley High School (Arvada, Colo.) '14 | Monument, CO | ||||||
 Brian Boitano Figure Skating Olympian 1984, 1988, 1994 Peterson High School (Santa Clara, Calif.), Santa Clara High School (Santa Clara, Calif.) De Anza College Sunnyvale, CA Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| Figure Skating | Peterson High School (Santa Clara, Calif.), Santa Clara High School (Santa Clara, Calif.) De Anza College | Sunnyvale, CA | Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| |||||
 Jason Brown Figure Skating Olympian 2014, 2022 University of Colorado Colorado Springs ‘18 Highland Park, IL Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| Figure Skating | University of Colorado Colorado Springs ‘18 | Highland Park, IL | Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| |||||
 Dick Button Figure Skating Olympian 1948, 1952 Englewood School for Boys (Englewood, N.J.) Harvard College; Harvard Law School Englewood, NJ Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| Figure Skating | Englewood School for Boys (Englewood, N.J.) Harvard College; Harvard Law School | Englewood, NJ | Number of olympic medals this Athlete has won
| |||||
 | Figure Skating | University of Michigan '21 | Northville, MI | ||||||
Figure skates have a stiff boot for ankle support and a blade with toe picks to aid in jumps and spins. Pairs and ice dancers use slightly different blade profiles to accommodate their specific movements.
Olympic figure skating competitions take place on a standard 60-meter by 30-meter ice rink, marked for technical elements but free of other lines or obstacles.
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